EAT PRAY LOVing awaits!
Planning around the meal, exploring recommendations from locals met along the way and fellow travelers consulted before the trip, you are the black woman version of Anthony Bourdain.
For you, the meal is the adventure, and the kind of restaurant you dress up for and have a couple of cocktails at is your version of the club. Best kept secret, hole in the wall, and independently owned are some of your favorite features of a restaurant, pop-up, food truck, or cart. You never miss an opportunity for a great meal, and know that if you’re in Paris you get a baguette from Poilane, and that if you’re in Tuscany you can visit an olive oil resort for massages and meals that feature oils made with olives grown on the grounds.
Good food, locally food, expertly prepared food, these aren’t just parts of a moment, they are the moment.
YOUR PERFECT VACATION: Thailand
The heart of Thailand’s aromatic dishes is the roots, herbs, and spices that grow locally. Look for vendors selling locally grown dried chilies, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, turmeric, galangal, basil, and cinnamon to use in your own recipes or to gift to foodie friends back home.
The internet is overflowing with roundups of cooking schools and courses that can be scheduled and booked by tourists. Taking place in a variety of locales, from traditional Thai homes to open-air kitchens where hungry customers line up to buy foods from vendors at the famous night markets, these courses offer you a foot into the culture that goes beyond the bite to the actual experience of creation.
The world-famous hawker stalls at Bangkok’s night markets inspire love and loyalty from those who have waited hours in long lines, navigated crowded streets, and maybe suffered an occasional stomach ache or disappointment in the name of finding the best in Bangkok. Some notables include Jok Kitchen, a Thai and Chinese food stall with a daily rotating menu, four tables, and a waitlist that can extend up to one month. Polo Fried Chicken, another Michelin starred stall has been a favorite for 50 years. When in doubt (about food or sanitation), go somewhere there are a lot of people eating and where you can see the food being prepared.
Between meals, there’s an abundance of tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins, and ornate temples. Thailand holds history and culture in the very bricks of its surroundings and beyond that, the wellness traditions mean that a relaxing Thai massage or yoga class will be easy to stumble upon or find through a quick Google search of reviews.
YOUR GO TO HAIRSTYLE: Wash & Go
A wash & go that you can occasionally put into a low bun, a style that is traditional to the culture, quick & easy to put together when you get a routine down, and perfectly low maintenance, is the way to go. Be sure to apply a good leave in after shampooing, and remember that you can make or buy a fuller bun with hair that blends well with your own if you’d like, and keep the whole thing together with your choice of pony tail holder (hair bungees stay perfectly in place without pulling your hair), maybe accessorizing with a locally sourced clip.
Learn More
YOUR PERFECT TRAVEL PARTNER: Co-Wash Bar
After a day of walking through delicious outdoor kitchens, you'll want to savor the memories, not smell them on your pillow. BlackTravelBox’s Co-Wash Bar is an eco friendly option in a TSA friendly size. The botanicals like sunflower, & natural oils & butters like argan & kokum, provide a gentle moisturizing wash that allows you to maintain your natural oils & keeps your hair manageable without putting you through the work of a full wash day.
SHOP CO-wash
Travel Crush Tuesday: Lisa
Travel Crush Tuesday: Dalcy
