Lazy Days in Ko Kood, Thailand

Less about food and more about travel, this latest post brings tales from the glorious island of Ko Kood (pronounced, and also sometimes written Koh Kut).

Ko Kood is one of the four main islands in Thailand's Ko Chang archipelago, found on the Cambodian/Thai border.

Ko Kood, What’s The Deal?: Ko Kood is a honeymooners' island. Plush resorts are dotted all along the palm-fringed coastline and bungalows are anything but rustic – air con, satellite TV, tea and coffee makers, power showers, room service, you’ve got it.

Delve a little deeper though and it’s still possible to seek out the backpacker experience.

We arrived in fashion by a very fast speedboat. The driver stopped just once in the ocean to witness a fisherman haul A HUGE fish out of the water and onto his longtail boat. Serious skills!

We got dropped off at the jetty at Hat Khlog Chau bay, one of the best beaches on the island which is great for swimming due to the wide calm bay of sparkling blue sea which stretches gently out into the ocean.

Ko Kood, Where to Stay: Got cash? Ko Kood 'is your oyster'. We spent three nights in a luxury tent, overlooking the ocean, in the Away Resort. Tent doesn’t really do the canvas-clad dwelling justice, which comes complete with a comfortable double bed, wardrobe, kettle, air con, fan and a bamboo-walled bathroom.

Strapped for cash? Meander down the river (you can rent a kayak or take the road) and you will find lots of less expensive accommodation. We stayed at the Cozy Guesthouse which was cheap, friendly and clean. There’s even free Wi-Fi and tea and coffee.

Ko Kood, Where to Eat: Next door to Cozy you’ll find The Mangrove - a popular restaurant overlooking the river. Try the soft shell crab - some of the best I've ever tasted!

If you’re after a cheap lunch, perched on the hill overlooking the Hat Khlog Chau bay is a low-key bar and eatery, The Chill House. The view is beautiful and you can choose from a menu of local Thai dishes all priced at £1 or under.

Last but not least, be sure to visit The Sunset Bar for a couple of sundowner cocktails mixed by the lovely owner Jay. Each night his wife Ouy cooks up a feast of local dishes, which the evening’s guests share communally. Not only is it terrifically tasty and inexpensive but you also get the chance to try local Thai dishes that you may not have tried before, and make some new friends.

Flash-packer: Away Resort 1,500+ baht a night

Back-packer: Cozy Guesthouse 250 baht a night (sorry, no website)

Party time: The Sunset Bar

El Pilon – Palma Mallorca

Last weekend, thanks to the joys of Ryan Air seat sales, I embarked on a trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca for a weekend away with nine pals. On Friday night, as recommended by the Lonely Planet guidebook, we had dinner at El Pilon.

The memories of this meal are slightly tarnished due to my kicking off the day with a glass of something sparkling at Stanstead Airport’s JD Wetherspoons at 11am. There I admitted it, yes I was in a Wetherspoons enjoying a boozy beans and bacon on toast for breakfast. I’ll never be trusted as a foodie again.

The day’s antics proceeded to include high altitude drinking – a sure-fire way to get you pi**ed, and on to the glorious pavements of Palma Mallorca for cava and Mallorcan-measured G&Ts.

No thanks to my map reading (Palma’s roads are confusing okay), on our way to find El Pilon we took an accidental detour and had the good fortune of whiling away an hour or two in casino-cum-bar Punta de Joc, lured by the neon door sign of four arrows pointing towards an apple!?

This bar is the sort of place to go if you really want a local experience eg. Dodgy old man’s bar Spanish-style. Still, despite beings shoved to the back of the establishment by the waiter to sit in a room resembling a youth hall, the stiff G&Ts,free bar snacks (when do you ever get that at home?) and mini-casino kept us all happy for some time.

Once we’d finally exited the mystique of possibly the best bar ever, we ventured through town and finally made into El Pilon.

What’s the deal: El Pilon is a small, cosy, touristy joint specialising in tapas and seafood found just off Passeig Born.

The meal got off to a great start with lashings of Rioja, garlic bread, and bread with tomato.

Highlights of our starters included the local speciality bacon-wrapped dates, which were absolutely fabulous, a generous-sized seafood platter, and broad beans with calamari.

The main complaint of the evening surrounded the meat. Several of the guys in the party ordered steak. Not only were they a little on the small side and some served up medium when the request was medium rare, but the biggest offence was a fillet steak being passed off as an entrêcote. Grumbles all round.

I opted for the two-person fish shared with my friend, which was nice but not spectacular, but due to prolonged drinking I can’t for the life of me remember what it was. Jess?

The waiters were jolly throughout and allowed us to make a racket and even brought us a nice homemade shot of something limoncello-like at the end of our meal. We then set off to partake in a bit of the Balearic nightlife.

Toilet Watch: Nothing to write home about.

The Final Word: El Pilon was a memorable meal, and ideal for a big group of friends, even if a little on the touristy side. Definitely worth a visit.

Details:
El Pilon
Just off Passeig Born, Palma Mallorca
Telephone: 971 717590