How to spend a weekend in Bangkok, Thailand

The cuisine reflects Trat’s coastal location, and the menu is filled with seafood, herbs, curries, fruit and shrimp paste. An example of how surprisingly unfamiliar the flavours are is the Massaman curry with chicken thigh and unripened durian. Despite the curry’s alarmingly red colour, it is more sweet than spicy, and the young durian is soft and waxy — almost like a sweet potato if sweet potatoes could be juicy. Another one to try is the stir-fried glass noodles with minced pork and “cha-om”, a local herbal vegetable known for its pungent smell and irresistible bitterness. Reservations are advised.

90 Sukhumvit 33 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 088 0968

TUNE IN TO YOUR MIND AND BODY

To beat the common ailment of needing another holiday right after one concludes, it is important to take the time to properly decompress before returning to the rigours of daily life. Call your Capella Culturist and book “A Moment of Meditation”, where monk Phra Aian Prasert from the neighbouring Wat Yannawa temple teaches techniques to improve memory, boost concentration, and find a sense of calm in everyday living. For two hours at the temple, he will bring you on a journey through your thoughts and feelings using breathing exercises and mindful contemplation, leaving you in a mood of calm reflection.