I’ll be away for the next few days, but I’ve got a special series of posts ready to go during my absence. A few of you have asked for more info about my travels, so I’ll be highlighting one major trip for each of the next five posts.
First up, our Fall 2010 trip to Thailand. During our time in the UAE, we wanted to take a trip during Eid al-Fitr, a major religious holiday in Islam that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Almost everyone gets off work — usually at least a week — for this holiday, so a lot of people take the opportunity to travel. I gave my husband, Sam, free rein to plan a vacation — and to keep it a surprise for me — so he planned a trip to Bangkok and the Phuket beaches. He STILL gets major props for this wonderful vacation!
Bangkok:
On the balcony of our hotel “apartment” the morning of our only full day in Bangkok. Benjakiti Park and Lake Ratchada are in the central background.
Posing in front of a “Just Jenny” massage and spa across the street from our hotel in Bangkok. I was destined to have a style blog, right?! 
For our time in Bangkok — which involved a lot of walking — I dressed for comfort, including sneakers, looser trousers, and a cotton tunic (also seen here).
Enjoying a ride on a river bus, a popular (and fast) mode of transportation.
Outside the library inside the grounds of the Wat Phra Kaew complex in the Grand Palace that houses the Emerald Buddha, a hugely important national treasure.
Striking a pose in front of the large — and comical — farang guards at Wat Pho. “Farang” is Thai for “foreigner.”
The Reclining Buddha statue at Wat Pho. Feet to topknot, he measures more than 150 feet long; elbow to topknot, he’s more than 50 feet high.
The entrance to Wat Arun, the “Temple of Dawn.”
At sunset in Nakhra Phirom Park, across from Wat Arun.
Phuket:
For the next 3 days, we stayed in the southern region of Phuket, famous for its fabulous beaches. But our first outing in Phuket was up the mountain to the Big Buddha statue.
The Big Buddha under construction, along with the Thai national flag (the striped one) as well as the Thai Buddhist flag (the yellow one) waving overhead. The “Big Buddha Mountain” is one of the highest points in Phuket, with a sweeping view.
Gazing up at the Big Buddha. (And every single trip we take, Sam manages to catch a pic of me sitting on a bench.)
Grabbing a flower as a hair accessory for our first night out in Kata. (You can see a more recent look featuring this sundress here.)
Phuket Town:
Phuket Town, originally founded in the 1800s, is inland about 30 minutes from the beaches. It’s a city full of interesting architecture and mix of cultural influences.
Soi Rommanee, a beautiful little side street in Phuket Town, offers the most eclectic (and most colorful!) examples of Phuket’s distinctive Sino-Portuguese architecture.
I loved the Thai script, so Sam took this photo as an example. (Full disclosure, I have no idea what this sign says.)
I make a point of visiting a library in every new country we visit. I posed outside the royal library earlier, and here I am in the Phuket Philatelic Museum, in the entrance to the museum’s small library.
A bird shop in Phuket Town.
Phuket beaches:
While in Phuket, we stayed up the hill — a very steep hill — from the Kata and Kata Noi beaches. Kata Noi is the more secluded choice, and our personal favorite. And massages right on the beach! Heaven.
On the shuttle from Kata Beach to our resort. I bought this flowered cotton tunic as a beach cover-up especially for this trip, and I’ve continued to enjoy this tunic (see here and here)!
My turquoise toes in the water off Kata Beach.
Kata Noi beach. In the bottom-right, you can see my straw hat and the handmade sand-broom we bought on Kata Beach the previous day.
Sunset on the surf at Kata Noi beach.
Enjoying the sunset at Kata Noi beach.
Hope you enjoyed the sojourn to Thailand. See y’all tomorrow in Vienna!
Related articles:
- First Trip to Thailand (riffathetraveler.wordpress.com)
- Five Cheap Destinations for Budget Travelers (budgettravel.answers.com)
- Visiting the Wat Pho, a photographic journey! (feelfreeorflyindia.wordpress.com)
- What’s so great about Phuket, anyway? (farangfreedom.wordpress.com)
- Bangkok in 3 days (takingtotheopenroad.com)
My favorite bit is the brooch on her tweedy blazer. And as you can see, I brought out my red ankle pants again, following 
