Travel Log| Derpmander in Thailand (Part I…?)
Hello BAYOG Fam!~
Not gonna lie…I’ve perpetually been in post travel blues since I returned from Thailand.
It made me sad that this trip had basically been less than a week long…the shortest I’ve ever been in Thailand. I typically go for about 1-3 months…so it was a real shame for me. Still, I made the best of my trip. I know some of you followed my travel adventures on my Instagram stories and posts (shameless plug: piecesofminty). You’ll also know I brought Derpmander, my Ditto Charmander plushie, along for my trip. So please enjoy the recap Derpmander’s Adventure in Thailand as I try to re-live my trip lmao. I’ll try to keep it to just relevant pics with Derpmander.
Khao Kho | At Tree Resort
When we go to Thailand, we typically stay in Bangkok or we’ll go to the beach. My sister wanted to do something different this time, and asked my aunt to take us to the mountains. We’re Florida natives; Everything in Florida is pretty flat (sans those big ass hills made of garbage). We rarely see or visit mountain scenery, so we figured it’d be fun. My aunt decided to take us to Khao Kho. It’s famous for the sea of mist that makes you feel as if you’re right up in the clouds. We hoped we could see the famous sea of mist. However, we were also aware that it wasn’t the right season. The sea of mist usually occurs during the cooler and rainy seasons. Still, we enjoyed the view. My aunt brought us to a nice resort that had a lovely view, and was surrounded by flowers.
The resort had a nice view point at a level below the villas. It was perfect to take in the view. It was also decorated nicely for photo ops. So of course I took Derpmander with me.
We actually got pretty lucky. It had rained quite a bit during our first day there. So it created the perfect conditions for the sea of mist to occur in the morning. I’m not a morning person. However, I made sure to wake up extra early just to see it. It was totally worth it. We had such an amazing and beautiful view. By the time we had breakfast, the mist basically reached our resort. It literally felt like our rooms were smack in the middle of heaven. Also, the beautiful view made breakfast extra special.
Khao Kho | Ban Noang Mae Na (Thung Salaeng Luang National Park)
My aunt wanted us to do this boat tour in Ban Noang Mae Na (Noang Mae Na Community) in the Thung Salaeng Luang National Park. Basically, we’d be taking a scenic boat ride down the river. The guides would take us to a specific point that had many different kinds of butterflies and a rare kind of freshwater jellyfish. The butterflies were really pretty, and we even got to see an endangered butterfly. Apparently the jellyfish are very rare and only found in like 2 places in Asia? Another thing that makes them rare is that they’re only spotted around March-April. They’re also hella tiny. I think we only managed to find one after almost an hour of searching. It was about the size of a US nickel? I did enjoy all the butterflies though.
I was afraid I’d drop Derpmander into the water. So I just stuffed him into my life-vest.
You guys…I was hella nervous. The water seemed like it was about to pour into the boat. I was so afraid of moving and was so scared I’d tip the damn boat over. So I was hella stiff.
Khao Kho | Pino Latte Resort & Cafe
There was another resort in the area that had a popular cafe. What made it so special was that you’re 960 meters up. It also had a lovely view of the mountains and a Thai Buddhist temple called Wat Phra Sorn Kaew . It was a hella hot day, so I was relieved to have an ice cold strawberry frappe. Sweet and cool, perfect for the Thai heat. The desserts were also really delicious. Also, I just love visiting cafes and things like that. This one was incredibly pretty.
Khao Kho|Wat Phra Sorn Kaew
After taking in the view and delicious food from Pino Latte, we headed to Wat Phra Sorn Kaew. It’s a Dharma retreat for many monks and Buddhist followers. The temple is famous for being decorated differently from most traditional Thai temples. It’s also famous for it’s beautiful view of the surrounding area.
We were only here very briefly though. Again, in a rush. We had to rush back to Bangkok because we had to head out to my grandpa’s hometown in the morning.
There were some university students at the temple who were trying to raise money for an organization that looks after orphaned children. We had a chat and donated what we could. They took a liking to us. I think they were also fascinated by my sister and I. They were surprised we were Thai because they got a very “international vibe” from us…? But we had a nice chat, and they were impressed with how we spoke Thai very fluently despite being born/raised abroad. As a thank you, they wanted to give us a plushie. But they thought we were sweet/cute, so they gave us two: a bear and a crocodile. Yo, they were hella soft. Anyway, Derpmander got a friend.
Bangkok (Lad Phrao) | Hua Mum Market & More
This is a popular night market not too far from our neighborhood. It’s kind of new since my last trip 5 years ago. There are lots of different things on sale. Weirdly, there are little shops (more like outdoor set up??) where you can get your hair cut, nails done, and even get tattoos done??? Most importantly though, Hua Mum Market has a ton of different foods to eat. We ended up doing some good ol’ bbq. However, I should note that Hua Mum Market is most famous for one of the seafood restaurants there. The waiters are all pretty buff dudes with six packs, but they’re wearing scantily clad women’s night gowns/PJs. They put on a very flamboyant and sexy act, dance, and screams. Overall, they’re hellaaaaa extra. It’s a LOL kind of experience, and can be awkward if you bring your parents lolol. I’ve been told it’s an awkward, but fun and funny experience. I’ve also been told that the food there is pretty legit. You can see a clip of it [HERE] (sorry no subs, but still funny).
We found this uncle who does an old school kind of street snack. It’s just toasted buns with butter or different kinds of coconut jams (sangkaya). It’s really cheap, and felt super homey. We got the traditional pandan flavored coconut jam, the Thai tea flavored coconut jam, and also the chocolate flavored coconut jam.
I also ran into Captain America lol
Bangkok (Lad Phrao)| Central Lad Phrao – Pancake House
By this point of my trip, I was just staying in Bangkok. We didn’t really get to do any adventure things because we had other things to deal with. We did manage to get some nomz at the nearby mall though. I finally got to try the fluffy Japanese souffle pancakes!~ I of course got the nutella one. Yes, it was soft and fluffy. It was freakin’ delicious. Would totally eat again.
Bangkok| May’s Garden House
My last day in Bangkok was crazy. Again, was rushing with errands before I had to fly back later that night. Still, we made time to go to May’s Garden House, the official Totoro restaurant from Studio Ghibli. You can read more about my experience at the restaurant over [HERE].
Anyways, that’s it~ I’m planning to go back for about a month around August/September. Hopefully, I’ll have more fun and interesting material for you guys. There should be more fun Derpmander Adventures too!~
2 Replies to “Travel Log| Derpmander in Thailand (Part I…?)”
Derpmander looked like it had a good time! And, of course, glad you did as well.
Thank you~ ☺️ It was short, but definitely a blast haha~