I wanted to give you a little sneak peek into our Presidents’ Day weekend getaway:
Beach
It’s Here, and It’s Phenomenal
The Most Toddler-Friendly Restaurant in Town
As Katelyn was hosting a Valentine’s Day play date today, which looked something like this –
Reading, playing the piano and eating biscuits . . . a great start to a play date
– I got some inspiration for the following post (thank you, ladies!). I was surprised to find out that many of my friends are unfamiliar with what I consider the most child-friendly restaurant in Bangkok . . . Cafe Tartine. So, this one is for all of you.
We were lucky to learn of Cafe Tartine early on. It was described to us as a great lunch spot with yummy salads and sandwiches. We soon came to find out that that characterization was absolutely true, but what impressed us then and continues to impress us now is how easily you can eat at Cafe Tartine with children in tow, especially toddlers.
Mommy, Logan and Daddy sharing a Valentines lunch at Cafe Tartine (Daddy had the photography honors)
On the culinary front, Cafe Tartine is awesome because the food is always fresh and of the highest quality. You can create your own salad from an extensive list of ingredients ranging from brie to grilled chicken, parisian ham, and sundried tomatoes. The first food I had post-delivery with Katelyn was a Cafe Tartine salad. That’s saying something! The sandwiches are equally as tasty – ham and brie, pork tenderloin, prosciutto raclette. And for dessert? The BEST lemon meringue pie you’ve ever tasted. Oh, and chocolate mousse. Is anyone hungry yet? Their home-made mint lemonade is an excellent beverage option, especially when it is hot outside. Oh right, that’s all the time.
This picture is making me hungry
So to sum it up on the food, it’s fantastic. But let’s face it, that’s probably not why you’re reading this blog. So let’s talk about the child front. Cafe Tartine has real highchairs. That’s right. Not the kind of “high chairs” you usually find in most Bangkok restaurants – the taller chairs with no safety strap that end up being more of a hazard than seating your child in a regular adult chair. This place has the real deal high chairs with safety straps. Secondly, Cafe Tartine has a children’s movie running . . . at all times. Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Monsters, Inc. A healthy children’s menu for 169 baht. Staff that is super with children. Children’s books, crayons and coloring pages. Milkshakes. Smoothies. Oh, yes, and chocolate mousse.
Toddler draw? Children’s movies on repeat (don’t worry, there is no sound, so it won’t ruin your dining experience)
Children’s menu
Cafe Tartine has never let us down. It has been superbly consistent in the quality of food that is offered and how friendly the staff and restaurant space is for children. Another bonus is that it is open everyday from 8-8. It can be a challenge to find a place to go with little ones when they wake up so early. Well, Tartine has that covered. Tartine is on Soi Ruamrudee, conveniently located to the Ploenchit BTS station. If you are looking for a place to go for a good meal and a place that will allow you to actually eat while you have your toddler with you, go to Cafe Tartine. One trip and you’ll become a regular. Trust me.
Logan entranced by Monsters, Inc. while indulging in chocolate mousse
In Search of Seahorses?
Well, search no further! Siam Ocean World at Siam Paragon has a new seahorse exhibit on display that is super cool and worthwhile to visit. As you may have read on Toddle Joy’s FB page, we just renewed our yearly passes to Ocean World – and after a visit with Logan yesterday, I am so glad that we did! In addition to being a very awesome aquarium, Ocean World is always changing its exhibits, keeping things fresh and fun. If you are a regular to Ocean World, you will have noticed that the play area mid way through the aquarium was torn down and replaced by a photo shop. At first this seemed unfortunate, but it has been replaced by a much better play area that your little ones can now enjoy after their visit. Goodbye to the caged-in area with foam slides and a gazillion balls (that place never seemed squeaky clean to me anyway); hello to a nicely-padded area with a jungle gym, plastic slides, and ride-on sea animals . . . so much better! It makes so much more sense to have it as the last stop so that toddlers don’t get distracted from their undersea adventure prematurely. Finally, they have a treasure area where kids can rummage through a faux treasure chest and play pirate . . . fun! So, if you haven’t been to Ocean World recently (or if you haven’t been at all), now is a good time to go! Enjoy!
Of Elephants and Mountain Mist
Without question, the most enchanting place we’ve visited in Thailand has been The Golden Triangle. With family in town over the Christmas 2011 holidays, we wanted to do something extra special — and extra special it was. So much so, in fact, that we have promised ourselves to return again before we leave Thailand in 2014. The Golden Triangle is the perfect mix of majestic mountains, elephants, cool weather, and relaxing boat rides along the Mekong, all in a tri-state area. You know what they say: breakfast in Burma, lunch in Laos, and dinner in Thailand. It’s all possible from this location.
Welcome drinks upon arrival at the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort
Bamboo Christmas trees at the Anantara
We stayed at the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, which in itself is a phenomenal experience. Situated on a hilltop in the jungle with views of Burma and Laos, the resort is breathtakingly beautiful. We arrived at the resort in the late afternoon and from our balcony we could hear elephants trumpeting in the valley below. At night, you can hear monkeys chattering in the distance. You are fantastically removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and transported to a serene wilderness. This is such a special and memorable place for children. We spent hours listening to and spotting nature. What a joy it was to watch Logan anticipate and appreciate the wildlife around him.
Views of Burma and Laos from our balcony
Elephant spotting
A tremendous highlight for the little ones at the Anantara is that a baby elephant greets guests every morning at breakfast. The staff, whom are fantastic with children, provide bananas and other buffet goodies for the children to feed the elephant. There is an elephant camp that you can visit any time of the day just steps from the guest rooms. Older children and adults can opt to take elephant treks through the jungle. For extra excitement, the resort offers a day-long mahout training class, the highlight of which is taking a plunge with the elephants in a nearby river (note: do not wear your best clothes for this activity)! Really, this place is like Disney World, only a hundred times better because the things happening around you are real!
Had your fill of elephant activities? No problem. Take a longtail boat trip along the Mekong, embark on a three-country tour, go mountain biking, or just relax at the resort spa, which, by the way, is one of the best in Thailand.
Highlight of the trip for Logan: feeding baby Mina bananas every morning
QT with the mahout
Daddy getting doused by his elephant during a river bath
If you live in Thailand, visit the Golden Triangle and stay at the Anantara. I’m telling you now, you will regret it if you don’t. Honestly, I cannot emphasize how special this place is. And once you arrive, say hello to Mina, the baby elephant for us. Tell her we’ll see her again over Songkran . . . because we just made our reservations to return, this time with Katelyn out of the womb. Yeah!
If you are thinking about a trip yourself, click here to see more pictures of our trip.
P.S. – For those Bachelor fans of you out there, the second-to-last episode of the current season filmed at the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort (yes, I’m obsessed enough to read the spoilers). If you are planning to make a trip, negotiate room rates and book now. Once the episode airs, I am sure resort prices will skyrocket.
How to get there: Hop a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Rai via Air Asia; rent a van to drive you from Chiang Rai Airport to the Anantara (about an hour drive).
Accommodation: Anantara Golden Triangle Resort; cost fluctuates wildly based on the time of year you choose to visit (rooms range from around USD 150++/night – USD 1000++/night based on the season). Also, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. They will try to sell you on an expensive package; just keep reinforcing you would like a regular room rate for X number of nights. Good luck!
Activities: Well, I think we covered that above.
Your Next Saturday Outing: The Ancient City
How do you compress a visit to Thailand’s most famous sights into two hours? The Ancient City.
The Ancient City: a perfectly-sized place for tods
Yes, with little ones in tow you can visit just over one hundred replicas of some of Thailand’s most well-known monuments and architectural sites in one day. A trip to the Ancient City is a great way to comfortably introduce your children to Thai history and culture without the inconveniences of long car rides, air travel, and packed bags. The Ancient City offers plenty of room for little ones to run freely on beautifully manicured lawns and practice their stair-climbing on scaled-down replicas of famous Thai wats. The Grand Palace? The famous floating market? A replica of a Thai junk boat? They can all be found at Ancient Siam.
Logan displaying a healthy glow after much stair climbing
Motorized vehicle-loving toddlers and bike-happy parents will love Ancient Siam. Tour it via your own private two-, four-, or six-seater golf cart or rented bike . You could also hop aboard a tram for a guided tour; however this is not nearly as cool as the first two options.
The golf cart was definitely the highlight of the visit for Logan
Travelling by golf cart
Now is the perfect time of year to visit Ancient Siam, which is about 40 minutes outside of Bangkok by car. Because it is completely an outdoor activity, bring hats, sunscreen, and water. A couple hours of exploring will probably suffice to take in the sights and wear out your little ones enough to sleep the entire car ride home. We were so happy to discover this new activity. We hope you will enjoy it, too!
Toddle Joy 