I recently shot for my new TV show Life Mein Ek Baar in one of the most beautiful locations in the world: Thailand! And lucky as I am, I got to stay there for a whole month with three amazing girls who became some of my closest friends during this shoot — Pia, Rochelle and Mahek. LMEB is about four girls who go together on a trip of their lifetime to fulfill their dream, try things they always wanted to do and tick off wishes from their personal bucket list. And that’s exactly what we did.
Thailand offers a huge range of adventure trips and excursions to deserted islands or untouched jungles, as well as tonnes of extreme sports like kite surfing, bungee jumping and sky diving. I am a total adrenaline junkie, so naturally this became the best shoot of my life. I had two fantastic experiences I will never forget — one being cliff diving which was probably the scariest thing I have ever tried (I am freakishly scared of heights!) and the other was the fly board. After I saw Hrithik Roshan being the coolest hero on the fly board in Bang Bang, I desperately wanted to try it myself, and which better place than Pattaya, only a few hours drive from Bangkok. The minute I was strapped onto the jets I became quite nervous and didn’t know how high it would shoot me up, but when I realised you have full control over the water pressure I learned it in literally two minutes. It is easy and fun! And let’s be honest, we all want to fly like Superman over the water at least life mein ek baar.
Oh, how can I forget my favourite sport… shopping. Right from malls to some smart street shopping, Thailand has a lot to offer to those who love shopping. Siam Square is the place to shop in Bangkok — they have dozens of small designer boutiques which are so full of things you wish you could buy them all. MBK Centre and Siam Centre are the most popular shopping malls. Right from shoes, clothes and artifacts, to jewellery, spices, plants and electronics, you get everything under the sun here. I do not exaggerate when I say that I came back from Bangkok one bag heavier and of course exceeding my baggage limit in the flight.
So that’s one advice I will give everyone — shop but shop smart so that you won’t have to pay extra to board the flight with excess baggage.
I am a foodie and love to experiment with all kinds of cuisines. If you are an experimental foodie, I repeat, “experimental foodie”, then Thailand is one of the best places to visit. Practically every cuisine in the world is represented here, be it French, Lebanese, Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese or fusion combining many of these in a quirky mix.
I tried some of the dishes but I just cannot pronounce them right. Trust me they were finger- licking good. My personal favourite restaurant is Rocket Cafe for their amazingly different breakfast and coffee creations. I was in Bangkok for five days, and though I tried different items every day, my personal favourite is Eggs Benedict and hazelnut coffee. Also just watching hawkers on the street preparing food is such a thrill with the flames rising in the air and the mad rush around each stall.
I got hooked on to Thom Kha Kai which is a coconut gravy based soup and ‘amazing’ is an understatement. Don’t miss out on genuine and authentic Thai cuisine like Phad Thai noodles or Gaeng Daeng.
Bangkok is also very famous for its spas. After a long tiring day I went to spas like 1930 and Thann to rejuvenate and relax. These two, by the way, are the best and most acclaimed spas there. I told them to surprise me with their service, and they did. After an hour-and-a-half long session I was feeling young, happy and much more relaxed.
The Floating Market in Bangkok is something that you just cannot miss at any cost. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here goods are sold on boats. It’s one of the most expensive markets, but it’s worth visiting once. I went there as early as 6 am just to get the feel of it but I ended up buying a lot of stuff. From flowers to spices and exotic fruits, you name it and it’s there; but beware, it’s just too, too expensive. If I had to choose my favourite island in Thailand, I would always pick Phi Phi! It is just too romantic and the white sand beaches are to die for. So if I ever wanted to go to a secret hideaway, you’d most probably spot me in Phi Phi!
The writer is an actress and TV travel show host
