Hua Hin Travel Guide

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Foreign Grocery Friday: The Butterfly Pea Tea of Hua Hin, Thailand

October 14, 2011 at 2:55 PM | by | Comment (1)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

There's a beautiful flower out there with an embarrassing name. It's Butterfly Pea, or, if you're using the proper name for the flower, it's Clitoria Mariana, and it makes an excellent (and rare) tea. Take one look at a photo of one of these violet blooms and you'll understand the reason for the latin name.

In Thailand however, the flowers are "Dok Anchan" and they're dried, steeped in hot water and served hot or cold with a splash of lime. Before the lime, the Butterfly Pea Tea is a deep indigo shade, but the addition of the citrus perks it up to a vivid purple. The more lime added, the lighter and sweeter it gets.

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Wish You Were Here: Thailand's Royal Resort Town of Hua Hin

September 6, 2011 at 1:05 PM | by | Comments (2)

Maruekatayawan. Say it three times fast!

This palace—a summer residence built in 1923 by Thailand's King Rama VI—was where we spent our long Labor Day weekend. Kinda. Okay, not technically since we were chilling at the Anantara Hua Hin down the street, but being in the town of Hua Hin and thus nearby the former royal summer palace still counts for something!

In fact, the Thai people have been flocking to this resort town on the Gulf of Thailand since the king roughly drew the outline of his dream palace in the beach sand. Instead of royalty frolicking in the balmy waters, there's now young families down from Bangkok for the weekend, or foreigners looking for an alternative to Phuket and Koh Samui. Their palaces? The lush, sprawling resorts which may not be all teak and open air like Maruekatayawan, but sure boast more pools and fruity cocktails than any palace anywhere (period).

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