Until you can make it a reality, travel to Thailand virtually with writer Pamela Dittmer McKuen. She takes Real Food Travelers on a taste of Northern Thailand.

Save this article about the Taste of Northern Thailand to Pinterest to help you plan your own trip. Photos courtesy of Pamela Dittmer McKuen. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

“Are you going to eat grasshoppers?” asked my friend when I told her I would be traveling to Thailand on a recent media visit.

Well, no, I didn’t, but I enjoyed many and varied delectable meal times, from Bangkok to the northern border at the Mekong River. Chiang Rai is one of the most unspoiled provinces in the country, with misty mountains in view and breath-taking gilded Buddhist temples. Nakhon Ratchasima province, or Korat for short, is a mostly rural region home to the biologically diverse Khao Yai National Park.

Thai foods are a lively mix of sweet, savory and spicy flavors, sometimes in the same dish. They are rich in locally grown vegetables and fruits as well as pan-Asian influences. Thailand is a global leader in sustainability and conservation of natural resources, and menus everywhere reflect that commitment.

“Thai food is a melting pot, but we make it our own,” said our guide Nai, who accompanied us on our trip.

About those grasshoppers. Yes, some people eat them, along with scorpions, cicadas, bamboo worms and various arthropods. They were not on any of our menus, but Nai said they could be found at some of the neighborhood street markets. We did not investigate further.

Follow along as I tell you about some of the most memorable sights, matched with equally memorable dining experiences.

Hungry for more? A taste of chicken feet and other Chinese delicacies.

A Taste of Northern Thailand: Chiang Rai and Korat

Wat Rong Suea Ten and Singha Park
One of the newest temples in Chiang Rai, Wat Rong Suea Ten was completed in 2016. The name translates to “Temple of the Dancing Tiger,” a nod to the exotic felines that once roamed the territory. Colloquially, it is known simply as the “Blue Temple” for its brilliant cerulean color lavished with gold trim. The exterior is guarded by detailed sculptures of ferocious serpents and other mythical creatures. On the interior, a ginormous white ceramic statue of Buddha is surrounded with gilt-framed paintings of his life story on the way to enlightenment.

Wat Rong Suea Ten or the “Blue Temple” in Thailand.

Singha Park Chiang Rai is a working farm and tea plantation but also an eco-park where visitors can participate in biking, ziplining, e-scootering and camping. We lunched at the park’s modern open-air Bhu Bhirom restaurant, which sits on a hill high above tiered rows of tea plants. Our appetizers included crispy fried tea leaves and crispy fried corn kernels, both lightly battered and fun to eat. My main course was a hearty, moderately spiced soup du jour laden with chicken and egg noodles. The dessert menu listed several fruity concoctions with or without ice cream, but by then we were too full to partake.

Singha Park Chicken Noodle Soup.

Ahsa Farm Stay and Cuisine
A picturesque working rice and rubber farm, Ahsa Farm Stay in Chiang Rai is an experience in cultural tourism where guests can engage in an authentic rural lifestyle. Spend a day, like we did, or book one of four lovely guest rooms with private baths and air-conditioning for overnights.

You’ll choose your activities from a menu of farm pursuits, culinary arts and relaxation. Gather eggs, feed the buffalo, learn to plant rice or tap rubber trees, make soap with freshly cut wildflowers, or sink into your personal nirvana with a Thai massage.

Every meal is a cooking class, so we made our lunch in an open-air pavilion where the staff had set up our ingredients alongside small charcoal grills. Our gracious host and farm co-owner, Rossawan “Immy” Kamwang, guided us as we prepared tom kha gai, a coconut chicken soup, and nam phrik ong, a minced pork and tomato dish. We also prepared a creamy banana dessert steamed in banana leaves. Then we gathered in a picnic shelter to dine on our creations, supplemented with platters of exotic vegetables and fruits.

The grounds of the Ahsa Farm Stay and the author with a tray of foods prepared.

Hungry for more? Going “Amok” in a cooking class in Cambodia.

More of a Taste of Northern Thailand 

Khao Yai National Park and Pen Laos
The first national park in Thailand, and the third largest, Khao Yai National Park was established in 1962 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Stretching across three central provinces, the park encompasses mountains, tropical forest, grasslands and waterways, providing fertile habitat for thousands of species of flora and fauna.

We were lucky enough to see an elusive great hornbill perched high on a fig tree, thanks to our sharp-eyed guides, Waroon “Beer” Chinosang and Sukanya “Lek” Dechdas of Trekking Thailand Tour. Later, while driving through the park, we spotted families of entitled macaque monkeys sitting in the middle of the road, expecting us to yield to their wishes, which we did.

Khao Yai National Park.

Near the national park is Penlaos Khao Yai, a cheerful Michelin-rated restaurant with a produce stand, clothing and craft boutique, and indoor and outdoor seating options. The family of owner Panchana “Teh” Yatanasathien is originally from Laos, so many of her menu offerings are Laotian-influenced.

Her staff demonstrated two dishes before we sat down to a family-style feast. One was a spicy green papaya salad, and the other was pad mee Korat with shrimp and Teh’s “secret sauce.” She won’t reveal the ingredients, but she sells a lot of it.

Some of the options from Penlaos Khao Yai.

InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
A go-to destination by itself, the InterContinental Khao Yai Resort in Korat pays homage to the country’s golden era of train travel at the turn of the 20th century. The reception lobby is nostalgically configured as a ticket depot, and 14 vintage train carriages have been meticulously restored and upcycled into luxury accommodations. The 64-room luxury resort nestles into a dense tropical landscape and undulating hillside. Walk along the private railroad tracks through the woods or take a path around one of five lakes, all named Swan Lake because of their graceful, feathered residents.

InterContinental Khao Yai Resort.

The resort’s main restaurant is Somying’s Kitchen, an all-day venue clad in cobalt hues and an upscale diner vibe. Breakfast is a deluxe affair with an a la carte egg menu in addition to an expansive buffet of Asian and Western tastes. A tabletop charcoal grill for toasting an assortment of breads, and a parade of juice-filled carafes–cucumber-celery and watermelon, to name just two–were special touches. Dine indoors or take a seat on the deck surrounded by lush jungle foliage. Look carefully, and you might see multi-colored butterflies, white squirrels, or black swans.

Somying’s Kitchen breakfast breads and grill for toasting.

Bangkok and Vanida Restaurant
The capital city of Thailand, Bangkok is a study in contrasts, both ancient and modern. You see sleek high-rises and classy rooftop bars, and spectacular temples and street food vendors.

We called for electric tuk-tuk service through MuvMi, a local ride-share company, for a private excursion to some of the most significant sights and landmarks. Among them were The Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Old Siam Plaza, Memorial Bridge and the Sao Chingcha, a religious structure also known as the Giant Swing. When we asked to stop for a few minutes to photograph a huge flower market, our driver happily obliged.

That night we had dinner at Vanida, a restaurant in a preserved historic home more than a century old. It was originally built from golden teak and designed with Western and Asian influences woven throughout the decor. The dining rooms are elegantly furnished with fine antiques, toile printed fabrics and Asian-style rugs. A bakery and bar occupy a brightly lit, glassy addition at the front of the home.

The Vanida menu boasts authentic Thai cuisine from original family recipes. Nai ordered several small plates for us to share, and then we each ordered our own main. We raved about the crispy rice crackers with spicy peanut dip, red curry with lump crab, and stir-fried glass noodles with shrimp.

A bowl of Crab Curry from Vanida in Thailand.

Looking back on all that we saw and ate, I have to say, it was a very delicious trip!

-Story and photos by Pamela Dittmer McKuen

Use our Expedia.com link to book your stay at Intercontinental Khao Yai Resort by IHG.

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