True Thailand

Some places surprise you others grow on you and still more enchant immediately. But few seduce like Thailand. Obsessed with its bargains, beaches and mesmerizing chaos—but also with the beauty of its dazzling temples, warm people, amazing cuisine and laid-back attitude—I first fell for Thailand more than a decade ago. But it was the promise of a more spiritual journey—a soul search to discover who I am, and most importantly, who I am not, that lured me back. In other words, I went looking for exactly the type of internal renovation Elizabeth Gilbert chronicled in her best-selling book Eat, Pray, Love. Unsure of what I would find amid the Buddhist shrines and steamy, congested cities, I went anyway.

EAT: Bangkok
Having spent the last two years eating like a vegan, I’m adventurous in Thailand, deciding to indulge in a few things I normally avoid. Because the food in Bangkok—a street-food paradise—is practically everywhere. Street vendors cook, grill and sell their goods from rickety pushcarts to the best restaurants at every hour of the day (and night). So at any given moment, it’s as if half of the population is preparing food, and the other half is eating it.

Food is a big part of discovering the real Bangkok. Whether eating street-side, at a market or in a fancy restaurant, there’s an incomparable reverence for ingredients that comes across in every achingly savory bite. Undeniably, something spiritual is happening through this food. There are many amazing Thai dishes beyond pad thai and green curry. Even at local mall food courts, like the one at the famous MBK Center, a sit-down with a bowl of well-prepared noodles or stir-fried morning glory greens (often cooked right in front of you) is exciting.

Just walking along the wooden bridges by the water at one of the city’s buzzing floating markets provides constant temptation to try just one more thing—fresh fruits like pomelo and mango and produce procured for tasty dishes like soft-shell crabs in crispy garlic and sea salt, spicy lemongrass tom-yum soup, coconut pancakes or green papaya salad. At night, when skyscrapers light up the Chao Phraya River and warm wind replaces the heat, I savor the melting pot of exotic flavors in a whole new way.

Once I have consumed everything Bangkok has to offer, I visit a local cooking school to learn how to take the tantalizing tang of Thai cuisine back home.

STAY:
Part of the COMO Shambhala boutique hotel empire, Metropolitan Bangkok (metropolitan.bangkok.como.bz) is the perfect place to stay for those on the journey toward self-discovery. Situated in the busy Silom neighborhood, but protected from its noise, this hotel oozes understated elegance and contemporary style. Rooms are oases of urban chic, emphasizing comfort and well-being. Rates start at $145.

Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong (marriott.com/hotels/travel/bkkbr-renaissance-bangkok-ratchaprasong-hotel)—a new, centrally located modern refuge with luxurious guest rooms, oversized windows and glass-enclosed bathrooms with giant bathtubs that look out at the Bangkok skyline—provides a stylish place to relax. Truly special is the rooftop pool, where you can swim in the glow of distant city lights. Rates include breakfast and start at $132.

DO:
Located next to Erawan Bangkok shopping mall, Erawan Shrine (tourismthai.com) is an ode to the four-faced Brahma, a Hindu god said to help those who pray to him. Seek out the woman who sells small cages with birds; buy one, then slide open the bars and let them take flight—a gesture that will supposedly help to free your soul.

You can spot Amphawa Floating Market (amphawafloatingmarket.com), a small but non-touristy market, about an hour from Bangkok, by the women in wide-brimmed straw hats stir-frying, boiling and sautéing authentic Thai dishes from their boats. All food is cooked fast and eaten on the spot. Make your way through the market, pick through different foods and stop at a picnic table to nosh at water’s edge. Solo travelers should use food as an opportunity to meet others, as dining Thai-style involves a number of people. Local lore has it that eating alone ranks high on the Thai scale of misfortunes. Manohra Dining Cruise (manohracruises.com) on the Chao Phraya River provides complementary indulgence—it’s the perfect time to reflect while taking in the city at night.

Thai people love flowers—orchids, ginger, carnations, marigolds, dahlias—and most are culturally symbolic. Close to Chinatown, Pak Khlong Talat (tourismthailand.org) is one of the largest flower markets in Bangkok. Here, sellers hock hundreds of varieties in every color imaginable. A bunch of roses or orchids only runs about $1 or $2, so grab a few to decorate your hotel room.

PRAY: Chiang Mai
At 5:30am in Chiang Mai, a group of monks wrapped in bright orange robes saunters single-file down the street from their temple. They carry metal bowls with both hands, held tight to their bodies, then silently line up to receive their one meal of the day. The sight is as moving as it is spiritual. The monks are not allowed to ask for anything; it is up to local people to feed them. In Buddhist tradition, a monk may only collect, receive and consume food between dawn and noon, so locals provide offerings every morning. I feel a brief, but deep, emotional connection when placing my own offering in their bowls. The monks bow in silence, and then erupt in a chanting prayer, wishing the suppliers of food luck and prosperity.

Next I receive a holy monk’s blessing at the Doi Suthep Temple, the most sacred place in all of Chiang Mai. Situated atop a mountain, this is said to enshrine a revered relic—variously identified as Buddha’s ashes or shoulder bone—in a tall, gilded pagoda. The temple teems with both pilgrims and tourists leaving lotus blossoms, lighting incense sticks and casting prayers in front of the various statues of Buddha. I notice eight in different poses and am told it is important to pray to the Buddha that represents your birthday, as each corresponds with specific events of his life that occurred on different days of the week. For the right blessing, visitors must know the day and time they were born so that they pray to the correct figure.

STAY:
The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi (mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai) calls itself “an inspirational resort,” and it surely is. Located within a 60-acre walled compound with a spire-studded skyline meant to resemble the ancient Northern city of Lanna, Chiang Mai has a new emperor. Opulent guest villas—inspired by traditional Lanna design and surrounded by the resort’s rice paddies—offer an authentic experience. Designed like a cluster of temples, the spa is a world all its own, boasting 18 private suites, each with hydrotherapy tubs, massage rooms, shower-steam stalls and changing rooms. Providing inspiration for self-discovery is the focus here. Services like lifestyle assessment, energy-flow consultation and dosha balancing are just a few highlights of the spa’s 26-page spa menu. The only problem? You won’t want to step outside the gates of this sanctuary. Rates start at $760.

Conveniently, Le Meridien Chiang Mai (lemeridienhotelchiangmai.com) is ideally situated on Chang Klan Road in the middle of the city—right next door to the Night Bazaar. Rooms are contemporarily styled—picture pure urban sophistication with flat-screen TVs and iPod docks. Some rooms on the upper floors also offer great views of Doi Suthep mountain. Here, spa therapists are caring and deliver personalized service. Rates start at $164.

DO:
The spiritual grounds of Chiang Mai’s famed Doi Suthep Temple (tourismthai.com) are stunning. About an hour away from the city, the golden pagodas and ornate details of this open-air site are blinding in the bright sunshine. From the moment you step inside, the energy is palpable. Buy a lotus flower, incense and candles to use as shrine offerings and walk around the symbolic gold temple three times before stopping at one of the altars to pray and light your gift of incense.

Find enrichment when sitting for Monk Chat (monkchat.net). Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening from 5 to 7pm, Buddhist University’s Chiang Mai campus welcomes visitors curious about Buddhism or eager to meditate with the monks.

More than a dozen companies operate elephant encounters to cash in on the human desire to interact with these gentle giants—an important symbol of the Thai kingdom. Anantara and Four Seasons’ Tented Camp, a resort-run elephant camp just north of Chiang Mai in the Golden Triangle, are among the most humane. I was happy with the way the animals were treated during my elephant adventure at Maetang Elephant Park (chiangmaielephants.asia). Touching and feeling the power of an elephant was an almost mystical experience.

Learning to cook Thai food makes eating it more of a sensory experience. There are cooking schools in every city in Thailand, including at hotels and resorts (take your pick). But since spending half a day with Amporn Hongnual at Baan Hongnual Cookery School (baanhongnual.com), where she teaches Thai cooking basics alongside her mother and three sisters, my relationship with Thai food has reached a new level. Classes start at the market, where students source ingredients for dishes cooked during their lesson.

LOVE: Phuket
The end of my trip found me on the resort island of Phuket—the perfect retreat. Here, you don’t need to search for romance so much as let yourself fall in love with, well, you. Once this sought-after state finds you, hold onto it; you might just bring it back home. Here, the sparkling Andaman Sea whispers tranquility.

In Phuket, I learn that deep levels of relaxation and inner peace follow frequent Thai massages from therapists who aren’t massage-school graduates, but rather gifted products of their culture who’ve grown up giving and receiving massages from their parents and grandparents, and who connect spiritual principles to touch. It’s impossible to explain, but Thai massage goes far beyond relieving mere muscle tension—it truly changes how you feel inside. And morning yoga and meditation ensure that each day begins with contemplation and deep discovery. Extra special is Phuket at sunset, when you are bathed by magical colors and the rays’ reflective glow, and, most importantly, are inspired by the new day ahead.

After leaving Phuket, I stop in Bangkok for one last night and come across what seems to be a spontaneous prayer celebration with dozens of young women, chanting or silently praying as they light candles and incense, and place red roses at a street-side Buddha statue. The women, I’m told, are praying for love. I follow their lead, thinking that by taking a break from my busy life, I discovered a spectacularly unexpected new world where anything is possible.

STAY:
Amanpuri (amanresorts.com/amanpuri/home.aspx), a secluded luxury beach resort that literally means a “place of peace” in Sanskrit, sits above the beach amid coconut palms and is one of the most exclusive resorts on the island. Everything is tranquil, relaxing and prescribes to the less-is-more mindset. Pavilions and two- to six-bedroom villa homes are scattered across steep slopes; occupants of the latter enjoy the services of a live-in housekeeper and a chef. Perks include daily guided yoga and meditation, followed by lemongrass-ginger tea with your instructor. Tai chi, also known as “meditation in motion,” is offered several times a week. At Aman Spa, both healing and traditional therapies utilize handmade products made from organically grown plants. Rates start at $875.

Another gem on the island, Anantara Phuket Villas (phuket.anantara.com), is located directly on Mai Khao Beach (five miles of unspoiled bliss and serenity), but is hidden amid lush gardens and meandering paths. Here, laid-back luxury and attentive service are standouts. Private plunge pools—for times you want to avoid the main infinity pool—outfit all villas, each of which are assigned an assistant. The spa here is not a shrine, but does have its very own spa guru, who customizes treatments according to individual needs. Rates start at $632.

DO:
Because nothing makes you feel more alive than being surrounded by sea and nature, stow away on one of Amanpuri’s fleet of cruisers or sailing ships to explore the Andaman Sea Islands (amanresorts.com/amanpuri). The oases of Krabi, Phang Nga, Monkey Island and Ko Pha Ngan, where every full moon brings a celebration of pilgrims to the island to pay tribute to the party gods, are faves.

Bidding farewell to the sun, and watching it set as the sky gives rise to a rainbow of watercolor reds, oranges and purples, is always spiritual. Equally grounding is seeing the hues dance in the early evening light while horseback riding on the beach—sigh, unforgettable. Phuket Riding Club (phuketdir.com/pktintlhorseclub) provides riders the opportunity to saddle a gentle equine companion.