The Best Thai Family Holidays

Relaxation, sight seeing, time with the family or spending time alone; whatever your reasons are, there are as many opinions about holidays as there are people in the world. The tensions and grinding routines of every day life and work necessitate a vacation. This is paramount in ensuring both physical and mental health. Family holidays are common ll over the world in many of the countries both near and far.

One such country is Thailand. The exotic land of delicious Thai food, Thailand has many wonderful activities for the whole family to enjoy. For children, Thailand is perhaps an endless joy ride filled with theme parks, beaches, jungle treks, swimming, diving, water sports, elephant rides, water parks and national parks.

Explore the cities and towns of Thailand for many varieties of entertainment. The nightlife of Pattaya will enthrall you with its dancing, music and warm people. It is one of the cities of Southern Thailand that offers many chances for a complete night out. Moreover, if you are seeking adventure, take your family on one of the thrilling trekking expeditions on elephants. Wander though the impenetrable woods of Thailand as your elephant calmly rocks you in your search for unique and rare flora and fauna.

Another popular spot is the Ko Samet island. With the city of Bangkok close by, this island is better known for its quietness and calm. It is not the best place for parties or diving so less crowded. This has become the reason for many locals and international visitors for preferring it over others.

The party life of Ko Samet comes alive on the weekends when people are usually seen crowding in and around the bars of the central area. For those wishing to stay away from them, they can easily remain away from the bars and maintain their peaceful holiday.

Although the island is not advertised as a resort, it has an excellent modern resort known as Ao Prao. Located towards the West, this resort is a favorite spot for many of Thailand's elite class. Many well known Thai actors and actresses are also frequent visitors. Another resort is the Silversand Resort that is near the Ao Phai beach. The bar at this resort serves the most delicious steak and fries that should certainly be tried.

Ko Samui, another island towards the Gulf of Thailand, is also a quiet place. Families and couples can enjoy the comfort and peace of natural surroundings because of the thick woods and vast beaches. Consider the Choeng Monis beach for a calm romantic day out as this beach is secluded and private as opposed to the others that have a large number of visitors.

The island of Phi Phi is perhaps one of the best places for family holidays. Because of its secluded location, less activities and low nightlife, this island has a smaller number of tourists than the others. Water sports like diving and snorkeling are the popular sports offered here.

Travel And Enjoy The Cuisine In Asia (Thailand)

Thai food has become the world's most popular cuisines. It is highly regarded as culinary forms throughout the world. Influenced by Indian and Chinese cookery skills, Thai cuisine has combined those arts and created the uniqueness of its own. Like all local and national foods, the Thai cuisine exposes a great deal about the country.

Thai cuisine is known for its spicy, sour, sweet, salty and bitter flavors. Thai food is popular in many Western countries especially in Australia, New Zealand, some European countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Each Thai restaurant has its own specialties.

Some of the most-preferred dishes of Thailand are Kai Ho Bai Toei, Thotman Plakrai or Thotman Kung, Fish or shrimp fritters; Yam or Thai salad, Tomyam (hot and sour soup); curry and namprik with fish vegetables the sweets famous in Thailand are salim, thapthim krop, lotchunng, khanom chan, coconut-cream gelatine, thong yot, foi thong etc.

Thai Curry - There are four main curries in Thai cuisine including green, red, yellow and massaman. The curry pastes made from herbs and spices are the heart of all Thai curries. Its main ingredients are chili, garlic, shallot, galangal, coriander root and krachai.
Titbits - These can be appetizers, accompaniments, side dishes or snacks. They comprise satay, spring rolls, puffed rice cakes with herbed topping.
Thai Noodles - Thailand is also famous for its fragrant stir-fried noodle dishes. Most Thai noodle recipes call for rice noodles rather than those made with wheat or egg, although these can also be found in Thai cooking. Some of the popular Thai noodle dishes are Pad See-U, Land-Da Noodle, Pad Thai, Pad Woon Sen, and Pad Kee-Mow.

Salads - Thai salads are an important part of Thailand's foods. Thai salads are sour, sweet and salty. It is prepared from fish sauce, lime juice and a dash of sugar. Fresh herbs like marsh mint, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and cilantro are used for garnishing. Enjoy different salads varieties in Thailand including Som tam, Larb, Namtok, Yam, Thai Grilled Chicken Salad, Rose Petal Salad, Tossed Green Salad with Cashews, Pineapple Salad with Cucumber, Peanuts, & Fresh Herbs and much more.

Thai Meat Dishes - Thai cuisine is incomplete without having Thai meat dishes. Some of the popular meat dishes are Chicken Curry, Gaeng Gari Gai, Green Bean Curry, Masaman Curry with Beef, Pineapple Prawn Curry, Ginger Chicken, Laab Gai, Spicy Chicken with Thai Basil etc.

Thai Soups - These are really tangy. Some of the best varieties of Thai soups are Tom Yum Gung, Tom Kha Gai, Authentic Thai Coconut Soup, Cindy's Thai Hot and Sour Soup, Duck Legs in Green Curry, Spicy Chicken Thai Noodle Soup and Hot-and-Sour Prawn Soup with Lemon Grass.

How to Make a Thai Steak Salad

Steak is delicious when you pair it with salad but you can also use it as an ingredient in salad. The following Thai salad recipe is really good and it makes a big different which cut of meat you choose. Get the best piece of steak you can afford and this gourmet salad is sure to become one of your favorites. Take care not to overcook the steak. Medium rare is good and medium is all right but do not go beyond medium or it will not have such a nice texture.

You can serve this delicious dish over rice or lettuce and anyone who loves Thai food will love this because the Thai flavor is unmistakable. This recipe is cool and refreshing and ideal for a summer day when you want something cold but also meaty and satisfying.

Typical Authentic Thai Ingredients

This is an authentic Thai dish rather than one of those westernized Thai recipe so, if some of the ingredients are unfamiliar to you, go easy with them. Fish sauce, for example, has a very strong and salty flavor. This condiment is served with everything in Thailand but you might find the flavor unusual or the concept of adding fish sauce to a beef-based dish strange.

The mint is also unusual if you are more accustomed to western style salads but it really does give this recipe a fresh flavor and bring out the flavor of the marinated meat. You can tinker with the marinade, adding more sugar if you have a sweet tooth or more fish sauce if you think it is too sweet. This is an aromatic dish rather than a spicy one and a lot of Thai recipes would fit this description. The lack of spices means the flavor of the steak really stands out.

What you will need:

1 1/2 lbs steak fillet, 1 inch thick
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 chopped green onions
1/2 diced English cucumber
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoons sweet chili sauce or red curry paste
1 cup lime juice
1 stick lemongrass in 1 inch pieces
1 head lettuce, in bite sized pieces
1/3 cup fish sauce

How to make it:

Stir the cilantro, mint, green onions, lime juice, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, and chili sauce together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. You can add more fish sauce or sugar to balance out the flavor if necessary. Grill the steak for about five minutes per side until it is medium rare or medium. Slice it into thin strips and add the meat and its juices to the sauce.

Stir the mixture and let it marinade for at least three hours in the refrigerator. Arrange the lettuce in a serving bowl and top it with the cucumber. Spoon the steak and sauce over the top and arrange the cherry tomatoes on it. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro leaves.