Blog - Flying Fourchette

Naka Yai Island, Thailand

December 20, 2011

Our last few days in Thailand were spent mostly relaxing, and what a better way then to go to a private island just off the coast of Phuket for a little ‘me’ time in perfectly secluded haven…

Naka Yai Island has long stretches of untouched beachfront, views of Phang Nga Bay in the distance and very little to do except enjoy the scenery, maybe go for a kayak ride, and laze about all day.

A 5-minute speedboat ride from Phuket’s Ao Pao Pier brings you straight to the doors of The Naka Island, the only Luxury Collection Resort & Spa on the Island. It’s a bit of a treat: huge sized individual villas with private plunge pools, open air bathrooms and large outdoor space with covered pavillion…felt like living in luxury indeed!

The new resort had opened just a few days before so we were the first ones there and had complete privacy. Too bad they had yet to ironed out their restaurants as the food was pretty disappointing (and in Thailand it seems impossible!) but the whole resort was just gorgeous and got the job of winding us down done! Here’s a peak at our beautiful villa:

The resort’s spa was also a marvel and the biggest I had ever seen. Besides the usual treatments, we had the place all to ourselves to get as many steam and ice showers, wander around the peaceful gardens, and try our very first Chinese reflexology walking path (aka the torture stroll!).

Besides the exclusive resort, the only other thing featuring on Naka Yai island is a small and sparsely inhabited fishing village on its west side among coconut groves. There are no roads and very little noise aside from chirping birds and cicadas.

1 Comment

Asia Thailand Travels

Similan Islands, Thailand

December 18, 2011

Accessible only for 6 months every year, the Similan Islands are as close as I ever got to the beach scenes from my wildest imagination. The long boat ride (90 min. by speedboat from Khao Lak or 8 hours slow boat from Phuket) can hardly prepare you for what will slowly emerge from the horizon as you get closer: crystal clear turquoise water, giant granite boulders, islands covered in powder-like white sand beaches and rainforest…

This stunning group of nine Islands, north west of Phuket, was declared a marine national park and consequently remains largely undeveloped which explains their pristine conditions.

You literally feel like a castaway who just found a tropical paradise, and even with all the tour boats around, one short walk through the jungle will inevitably lead you to yet one more secluded paradisiac beach to prolong the fantasy.

Home to the best diving and snorkeling in Thailand (and among the top dive destinations in the world), the huge variety of marine life, shallow coral reefs and near perfect visibility offer incredible opportunities to see rare and tropical species. I’m glad I had my underwater camera at hand to capture some of the magic…

I followed this gorgeous turtle around for a while, just couldn’t take my eyes of her colorful back and her slow motion swimming strides…

A bluespotted ray hovering above the sandy bottom.

A green moray eel and a lionfish.

A group of black sea urchins and a sea cucumber.

Moray eel…and Nemo!

And back up the rope to the boat…

13 Comments

Dessert Recipes Vegetarian

Blackberry Walnut Cookies

December 14, 2011

Holidays call for out of the ordinary cookies and these shortbread sandwiches are an easy way to impress your guests…and an awesome match to your everyday coffee/tea! Packed with flavor, you can make them look even more special by dusting them with confectioner sugar at the end. They’re not too sweet so don’t worry about adding the extra sugar for presentation’s sake. They can be made ahead – they’ll soften and get chewier as time passes…

Blackberry Walnut Cookies
Adapted from Gourmet
Makes about 20 cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, toasted, cooled, and finely chopped
About 1/2 cup seedless blackberry or raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Blend together butter, sugars, vanilla, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl with a fork. Stir in flour and nuts (dough will be sticky).

Form level tablespoons of dough into balls (total of 40) and arrange 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased large baking sheets. Flatten balls to 1/3 inch thick using bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, about 20 minutes.

Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Spoon 1 teaspoon jam onto flat sides of 20 cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies.

[print_link]

Asia Thailand Travels

Phuket, Thailand – Phang Nga Bay

December 11, 2011

Half the fun of being in Phuket is getting on the water and exploring the outlying islands. Our favorite excursion was in Phang Nga Bay, a national park just North-East of Phuket in the Andaman Sea – simply breathtaking! If you fly all the way across the world to come here, this is one spot you must absolutely see. Hop on a boat and admire the ‘straight out of a movie’ scenic views of literally hundreds of limestone cliffs dramatically rising over the emerald sea. While they’re stunning to look at from outside, the best way to really enjoy them is to slowly glide your way in with a sea canoe and explore their sea caves, interior lagoons, and all that lives within…

Koh Panak

Tour boats indicate the entrance to the island’s famous sea cave called ‘Bat Cave’.

We passed a giant jellyfish on our way…look but don’t touch as these are highly poisonous!

Following a pitch black tunnel in your canoe, a gleam of your borrowed torch light will reveal thousands of bats hanging from the ceiling.

You soon emerged into a hidden lagoon (or ‘Hongs’ which is Thai for ‘rooms’ as they’re being called here) which opens up to the sky above and is home to plenty of monkeys.

Mangrove trees provide food and shelter to exotic birds, lizards, and marine life.

My first encounter with a ‘walking fish‘ left me quite stunned…Darwin would have been fascinated!

En route to Koh Hong, these cliffs look like they’re suspended in mid-air, that’s some serious water erosion, and stunning to look at.

Koh Hong

More paddling and stunning vistas in the largest ‘hong’ seen so far.

A multicolor feast for the eyes – vivid cliffs and surrounding green walls make for a gorgeous background to a peaceful canoe ride.

Our guide pointed me to this huge boulder that resembled the head of a piranha or some fierce, prehistoric fish – these rock formations really do have something to tell.

Back onboard the main boat where lunch was waiting for us.

Impressive spread – whole grilled fish, currys, noddles, calamari… deliciously filling for a day at sea. It’s pretty hard to get a bad meal in Thailand…

Koh Tapu

Also known as James Bond Island (they filmed parts of “The Man with the Golden Gun” here), it’s mostly famous for its main rock that emerges from the surface on an impossibly thin base and soars to a height of 200m (650 ft) out of the water, quite spectacular!

It’s the no. 1 toursist attraction here so there are crowds wherever you look and you need to take a long tail boat to get to the island as the numerous tour boats just don’t fit…

6 Comments

Main course Recipes

Provençal Lamb Stew with Basil

December 7, 2011

As the weather gets colder, we start craving comfort, heavy winter food, and a delicious French stew perfectly fits the bill. I like that the lamb stew here yields a lot of flavors without hours of simmering and the addition of zesty ingredients such as briny olives and basil gives it a light and fresh taste. Any dry rosé will do here, though if you want to really have a nice glass to drink with your stew, I highly recommend rosés from Tavel which I discovered on a recent trip to Provence – they’ve outshined every other rosés I’ve ever had and are well worth seeking out!

Provençal Lamb Stew with Basil
Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
1 cup dry rosé
1/2 cup pitted green olives
3 tablespoons chopped basil

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the lamb and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 12 minutes; using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Add the shallots, anchovies, rosemary and most of the garlic to the Dutch oven and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallots are softened, 5 minutes.

Stir in the potatoes and cook just until browned in spots, 2 minutes.

Add the rosé and cook until nearly evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, 5 minutes. Add the lamb and any accumulated juices, the olives and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are cooked through, 50 minutes.