Southern Thailand’s premier cooking school has just launched a locavore foodie experience titled ‘Glimpses into Local Life’ wherein guests are invited to get their hands dirty and go foraging, fishing and harvesting with the Chef. 

The Sarojin Director Kate Kemp says, “Our guests are increasingly interested in experiencing a more authentic sense of real Thailand experience coupled with a more ‘hands on’ and educative experience, hence thought it would be fun to up the ante on our cooking classes and invite guests to ‘catch and gather’ ingredients for their desired dish as well as cooking it and enjoying dining in an extraordinary location. The Khao Lak and Phang Nga region is blessed with an abundance of fresh seafood and produce that is grown here in the local community by farmers we have been supporting for years. This new program offers guests the chance to engage in the food process from ‘the wilds to the plate’ and, in addition to seeing where and how things are harvested, they also get the chance to interact with locals that have lived here for generations.”

During the Locavore Foodie Experience, guests will visit the following places:

• Baan Nam Kem
• A prawn farm
• A fish farm
• Swallow nest house
• Various fruit, vegetable and cashew nut farms – widely commercially grown in this area and often processed by hand using traditional farming methods.

Baan Nam Khem is located 20 minutes drive north of The Sarojin. This small coastal fishing village is the gateway to the endless waterways leading though spectacular untouched mangrove forest. The shallow inter-tidal reaches that characterise the mangrove wetlands offer refuge and nursery ground for juvenile fish, crabs, shrimps, and mollusks. Mangroves are also prime nesting and migratory sites for hundreds of bird species in Thailand. For instance, there are over 500 species of birds recorded in the mangrove areas. Additionally, crab-eating monkeys, monitor lizards, sea turtles, and mud skipper fish live in the mangrove wetland. Guests are taken line fishing onboard their own traditional longtail boat where snapper and grouper along with other local fish can be caught. With your fresh catch you continue up the Takuapa River for your Thai Cooking Class with chef by Takuapa Riverbank. Learn how to prepare your fresh catch for the plate and enjoy lunch safari style and a glass of wine in the great outdoors

The package also includes luxurious accommodation at The Sarojin in a Garden Residence, return transfers from Phuket International airport by luxury car with cold towels and refreshments served for 2 persons as well as all day al carte breakfast with sparkling wine served for 2 persons.

The Sarojin’s ‘Locavore Foodie Experience’ package starts from THB 102,400 which is approximately AUD $3,413 for 2 persons, inclusive of all taxes, and is available all year ‘round.

For further information on The Sarojin or to book one of the special promotional packages that are available from 6 March – 30 April 2011 and 1 May – 31 Oct 2011, please visit: www.sarojin.com

– ENDS –

About The Sarojin

‘World Luxury Hotel’ Award Winner 2007, 2009, 2010* at the World Luxury Hotel Awards; Winner of “Asia’s Leading Boutique Hotel” 2008,2007, 2006 at World Travel Awards; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2010, 2009,2008; “Overall Winner” at the Thailand Green Awards 2010; The Sarojin is internationally renowned as one of the finest resort properties in Asia. Designed in a contemporary Asian style and beautifully set on an 11km stretch of secluded white sand beach in Khao Lak, just a 55 minute drive north of Phuket Airport, the five-star resort boasts 56 deluxe residences set within ten acres of grounds leading directly onto the beachfront. Each guest room features its own private garden and ‘sala’ sundeck, couples’ baths with waterfall showers, and plunge and relaxation pools that blend into the natural habitat; while other complimentary facilities include a fully equipped fitness centre and mountain bikes, sailing catamarans, sail boats, sea kayaks and windsurfing boards.

The Sarojin’s name is inspired by the mythical Lady Sarojin, the daughter of a prominent Thai nobleman who was regarded as the perfect host and whose household became famous for its hospitality. The Sarojin’s goal is to reflect this legacy by providing an experience that is reminiscent of staying at a friend’s private estate. The hotel’s team of personal guides delight in creating tailor made experiences, along with the elegant and inspired ‘Imagineer’ who offers the ultimate personal concierge service for hotel guests. Tranquillity is guaranteed as no children under the age of 12 are permitted to stay at The Sarojin.

*The World Luxury Hotel Awards are the most exclusive luxury hotel awards, setting the benchmark for world class facilities and service excellence. The Awards were established to recognise hotels that have taken the extra step and differentiated themselves from ‘good hotels’ to ‘exceptional hotels’.

Thailand’s multi-award winning 56 boutique residence, The Sarojin, is celebrating the ancient Takuapa Old Town Vegetarian Festival by launching a special Vegetarian Celebration Package for guests to enjoy this October. The package, which honours one of Thailand’s most fascinating traditions, will provide guests with the perfect opportunity to immerse themselves in the excitement of the festival, which is designed to purify mind and soul by refraining from meat consumption and meditating during the nine-day festival between 8th-16th October 2010.

The Sarojin’s newly introduced six-night Vegetarian Celebration Package will include a guided visit to Takuapa Old Town to see the Vegetarian Festival’s colourful day-time procession, where visitors will find colourful religious parades, traditional ceremonies and magnificent lantern displays. Guests can also enjoy a Thai cooking class with chef at the local Takuapa riverbank for two people. In keeping with the festival, cooking classes can be vegetarian-themed for guests wishing to purify mind and spirit by abstaining from meat intake. Other highlights include a second guided tour to experience the Vegetarian Festival’s closing night celebrations; return airport transfers by luxury car; and accommodation for two inclusive of a la carte breakfast with sparkling wine in the resort’s luxurious guest residences which boast private gardens, ‘sala’ sundecks, intimate couples’ baths, rainfall showers, plunge pools, relaxation pools that blend into the natural habitat, and more.

The Old Town Takuapa Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar when it is believed that the festival’s sacred ceremonies will bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a nine-day vegetarian or vegan diet and perform ancient rituals for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making.

The Sarojin’s Vegetarian Celebration Package starts from THB 69,900, approximately AUD 2,330 for two people for six nights and is available from 1st to 20th October 2010.  www.sarojin.com

Notes to Editors:

One of the finest resort properties in Asia, The Sarojin excels in offering exceptional tailor-made experiences ‘Just For Two’. The resort’s attentive ‘Imagineer’ offers the ultimate concierge service and uses his expertise and in-depth knowledge of the surrounding area to create unique experiences for hotel guests, including Thai cooking classes with Executive Chef Jui by jungle rivers, waterfalls and secluded beaches. In addition, the ‘Imagineer’ can create the most romantic private dinners ‘a deux’ in extraordinary surroundings. Why not enjoy a candlelit dinner at a jungle waterfall or a romantic banquet on a secret white sand beach by the shimmering Andaman Sea? The limits really are guests’ imaginations as to where they’d like their table set.

The Sarojin also specialises in arranging exclusive tours to some of Khao Lak’s rural areas where guests can get a unique ‘Glimpse of Local Life’ and experience a taste of Thailand that cannot be found elsewhere. Memorable excursions include visits to a traditional freshwater prawn farm to see how fresh seafood is produced for human consumption; trips to a nearby cashew nut plantation to learn about one of the most integral ingredients in Thai cuisine; and local swallow nest tours to see how bird’s nest soup, one of Thailand’s most popular delicacies, is made.

The Sarojin’s reputation as a gourmet’s paradise is further enhanced with two stylish restaurants, Ficus and The Edge, which serve a delectable range of Asian and contemporary Mediterranean dishes that are freshly prepared by a team of innovative chefs.

The Metropolitan Bangkok, the hip hotel which is part of COMO Hotels and Resorts, provides three nights of accommodation for the first part of the tour, and a perfect base from which to explore the market, shop and hit the best bars and foodie haunts of the city, not to mention its own outstanding restaurants, Glo and Cy’an. 

The tour moves to The Sarojin Thailand, recently voted Asia’s best boutique hotel at the World Travel Awards for the 3^rd consecutive year, where guests will learn to cook and experience firsthand the resort’s outstanding cuisine, guided by their team of over 40 chefs and friendly staff against a stunning backdrop of the Andaman Sea and the five surrounding national parks.

Elephant trekking, cruising through the jungle by ‘pleat’ boat up the Takuapa River and sea kayaking through the caves of Phang Nha Bay will await those wanting to venture out when they’re not savouring superb food or relaxing at Pathways Spa.

The Sarojin/ Met Bangkok and Sailors Thai Culinary Experience is priced from $3332,and includes return economy airfares from Bangkok, three nights accommodation at the Metropolitan Bangkok, five nights accommodation and daily breakfast with sparkling wine at The Sarojin Thailand and many other inclusions which are listed in detail below.

For bookings call Julia Enders at Travelforce on 02 – 8235 5585 or email: Julia@travelforce.com.au   http://www.sarojin.com  http://www.como.bz

8  NIGHTS MET BANGKOK / THE SAROJIN AND SAILORS THAI CULINARY EXPERIENCE – 2008

The Sarojin/Met Bangkok and Sailors Thai Culinary Experience includes:

• 3 nights accommodation at the Metropolitan Bangkok
• return transfers to/from Bangkok Airport
• a visit to Bangkok’s thriving Or Tor Kor Market
• casual riverside seafood dinner by Chao Praya River
• return airfares from Bangkok to Phuket
• 5 nights luxurious accommodation at The Sarojin for 2 persons sharing
• daily a la carte breakfast with sparkling wine for 2 persons
• 2-way airport transfer by private car to/ from Phuket Airport with refreshments and cold towels served for 2 persons.
• return transfers to all excursions on same said addendum
• pleat boat river safari followed by Thai lunch at the river bank. Takuapa river is situated in Khao Lak Lam Ru National Park, the protection of this area is very important for conserving the natural water sources for the province. Takuapa River is one of the most important rivers in Phang Nga province. Explore this magnificent river and its beautiful mangrove forest waterways by “pleat boats”. The traditional “pleat” boats are especially designed to cruise shallow water areas and give a rare opportunity to enjoy a ‘close up’ of the spectacular scenery, fauna, flora and the local rural way of life within these waterways. Fully inclusive of safari style lunch, soft drinks and 1 bottle pb chenin blanc per person.
• cruising ,sea cave canoeing and Thai cooking class Phang Nga Bay and full day on board traditional Thai long tail boat cruise at leisure and enjoy sea cave canoe journeys in Phang Nga Bay,  beautifully located in Phang Nga Bay and 50 minutes by private car transfer from The Sarojin.  Phang Nga Bay is renowned for its many dramatic limestone islands.  These distinctive sheer rock formations jut vertically out of the emerald green water.  At lower tides, cave tunnels are exposed amongst these huge rocks, allowing entrance by sea canoes through these areas of untouched nature and into the hidden lagoons behind. Cruise further to the floating Muslim village for a Thai Muslim cooking class and lunch. This marine adventure is all inclusive of equipment, guides and fresh, cold towels.  Lunch at the floating village is fully inclusive of mineral water and soft drinks only. No alcohol is allowed to be consumed at the floating village. 
• seafood barbecue dining and cooking experience on The Sarojin beach, on the white sand shores of the beautiful Andaman Sea.
• Thai cooking class at the Edge Restaurant and farewell dinner

For bookings call Julia Enders at Travelforce on 02 – 8235 5585 or email: Julia@travelforce.com.au  / http://www.sarojin.com/

Over a coffee the morning will start with a relaxed introduction to the recipes and ingredients to be used during the class. Hands-on classes will take place in the kitchen at Nahm with fantastic ingredients flown over from Bangkok exclusively for the restaurant. Lunch will be served in nahm’s Private Dining room.

Each hands-on class will have no more than 8 guests to ensure that everyone will be able to fully participate in the lesson. The class, followed by lunch will be finished at 3.30pm.

Saturday 23rd February 2008 – Curries and curry paste
£150.00 per person Inc VAT plus £45.00 for an additional lunch guest

The first class will focus on curries. Matthew will be discussing the various ingredients which make up a curry paste, the traditional method of making them and include preparing coconut cream. He will then move onto different types of curry styles, such as a red curry to make fish cakes and a green curry of chicken.

Saturday 19th April, 13th September, 11th October 2008 – Complete Thai meal with wine matching
£190.00 per person Inc VAT plus £65.00 for an additional lunch guest

A Thai meal is an exercise in balance. Several dishes arrive together and are eaten with rice. Rarely does a meal have a repetition of dishes or tastes, so a curry, a salad, some soup and a stir fry all combine to make the meal varied and satisfying. Each of the following classes is designed to demonstrate the various techniques and dishes employed to create a balanced, complete Thai meal and each class will highlight a particular style of dish or technique within the context of a meal.

During the subsequent lunch, Troy Sutton, nahm’s sommelier, will discuss the paring of wines with this meal and how to choose some elegant wines that work with this challenging cuisine.

Saturday 17th May 2008 – Thai Salads, street and market foods
£150.00 per person Inc VAT plus £45.00 for an additional lunch guest

Salads are the sprightly dishes of the Thai repertoire. Pungent dressings are made with fresh chillies, lime juice and fish sauce which season a staggering variety of ingredients, such as a tart and juicy pomelo salad with shredded chicken. More interesting, perhaps, is the lobster salad dressed with rich chilli jam and fresh coconut cream. The class will also prepare traditional dishes that are commonly eaten in the streets and markets of Thailand.

Saturday 5th July 2008 – Summer time on the grill £150.00 per person Inc VAT plus £45.00 for an additional lunch guest Grilling is one of the most common of Thai cooking techniques. In market places and street stalls catfish and prawns are grilled slowly over smoky embers. While the technique is simple, the many ways of dressing the grilled dish are not always so.
Thai stir fries can be surprisingly simple but there are a few important techniques that must be followed. In this class Matthew will show how to season a wok to obtain the defining smokiness of a good stir fry, often referred to as ‘breathe of the wok’.

Extend your nahm experience: stay the night
Combine your master cookery class with an overnight stay at the Halkin. Our master class package includes participation in the cookery class, lunch at nahm, an overnight stay with full English breakfast and David Thompson’s celebrated book on Thai cuisine to take home. Available from £465 per room, per night (based on single occupancy, inc. VAT), subject to availability

For further information or to make a booking please contact
Alison Donovan on + 44 20 7333 1233
or email alison.donovan@nahm.como.bz

nahm, The Halkin Halkin Street London SW1X 7DJ
Tel 020 7333 1233 Email res@nahm.como.bz
Website halkin.como.bz

“The Sarojin Taste of Asia” experience runs over six nights and includes cooking classes with the resort’s expert chefs, who take guests to local markets to buy their produce before returning to prepare favourite dishes with individual tuition. This can take place at the hotel, on a river bank, in a local house or restaurant or even beside a waterfall, after which the feast is enjoyed with wine and non-cooking partners. The Takuapa River in Phang Nga province is just one of the beautiful settings where guests can enjoy their cookery classes, after travelling through the mangrove forest waterways by local ‘pleat’ boat. After a safari style lunch and glass of wine, guests can sit back, relax and observe the locals or plunge into the cool river for a swim.

Fruit Carving: For those who are looking for something a little different The Sarojin is offering fruit carving classes, a valued part of Thailand’s heritage and one of its oldest art forms. With individual tuition from the chef, guests learn how to decorate food dishes with fruit carvings and a variety of natural arts. Starting with the basics they create flowers from chillies and leaves from carrots, before graduating to create roses from watermelons. They finally learn how to make their table more interesting by creating a small elephant from a green apple. Each class takes approximately 1.5 hours.

The ‘Sarojin Taste of Asia’ program is available exclusively from Elegant Resorts and Villas, available from 01 May – 31 Oct 2008, and includes:-

• 6 Nights accommodation for 2 people sharing a Sarojin Suite
• Thai Cooking Class with Chef by Takuapa River for 2 people
• Fruit Carving and Natural Art Class for 2 people
• Private Seafood Barbecue Dining Experience for 2 people
• Daily a la carte breakfast with sparkling wine per person
• 2-way airport transfer by private car to/ from Phuket Airport with refreshments
• One 30 minutes spa massage per person
• Complimentary Elephant Trekking Adventure for 2 people

AUD Prices $2,725.00 Per Person Twin Share Land Only.
(All costs subject to alteration without notice). Tailor-made packages are also available for the Christmas /New Year period.
To book, contact Elegant Resorts on 02 8270 4850 or enquiries@elegantresorts.com.au

About The Sarojin:
The Sarojin is a luxury boutique hotel, which opened its doors on 1st October 2005. Located in Khao Lak, just one hour north of Phuket Airport, The Sarojin is a 56 room property offering plunge pools, spa pools, intimate couples baths, rainfall showers, private gardens, spa, fitness facilities, dining tables set in extraordinary locations and its own team of guides, a luxury boat and fleet of cars.
The Sarojin is the vision of the well travelled directors of WhiteKaps Resort Co. Ltd – a registered Thai company with investors from Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK – and the concept behind this intimate hotel is that it offers an experience reminiscent of staying at friend’s private estate rather than at an international resort. The Sarojin won “Asia’s Leading Boutique Hotel” at the World Travel Awards 2006 and 2007 and was included in Condé Nast Traveler USA’s “Hot List Hotels and Spas for 2006”. It also won “The World Luxury Romantic Hotel 2007” at The World Luxury Hotel Awards.
For its community work, The Sarojin was awarded the “Past District Governor Sir Kenneth Fung Ping Fan – Rotary Club of Hong Kong International Service Award 2006”. The Sarojin has established “The Sarojin Khao Lak Community Fund” and 100% of the fund will be distributed to community projects in the Khao Lak area. Projects include fishing boats; housing; Red Cross; new school buildings; children’s play and educational equipment; and orphanage support.www.sarojin.com