2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner
Roam
Phuket, Trang, Songkhla and more
Sensational Southern Thailand
Feb 2-9, 2025
By foot, by plane, by private vehicle, by speedboat: this is a kinetic journey through the heart of Southern Thailand. The sea has mixed cultures and cuisines here for millennia, and your hosts Andy Ricker and Phongsila “Mapeng” Comack are the perfect guides through the big history and bright flavors of the region. From the slow-paced coastal gem Songkhla to the luxuries of modern and ancient Phuket, this week mixes places you think you know with locations that few outsiders get to visit. And through it all, we’ll combine Michelin-level private dining with the country’s best curries, humble glorious noodles and of course excellent seafood.
Our Host
Chef, Writer, Traveler
Andy Ricker
Trip Guide
Culinary connector
Mapeng Commak
R&K Trip Itinerary
This itinerary is a labor of love from the renowned chef Andy Ricker of PokPok and Phongsila “Mapeng” Comack, one of Thailand’s most connected and compelling culinary ambassadors. Their deep love for the region, along with their many friends in the South, combine here for a week of culinary exploration that is sometimes rustic, sometimes luxurious, but always fascinating. These are experiences and hosts you simply cannot find anywhere else.
Feb 2-9, 2025
Day 1
Feb 2 Sun
Phuket Revealed
- V Villas
- Moo 8 Ao Yon Road Vichit Muang, Panwa Beach
- +66 76 630 939
- Airport transfer from Phuket Airport to the gorgeous V Villas resort high above Ao Yon Bay with commanding views of the Andaman Sea
- Welcome cocktail at the rooftop bar with our hosts Andy and Mapeng
- First-night dinner at Nam Yoi Restaurant for a vibrant introduction to Southern Thai cuisine
Day 2
Feb 3 Mon
Phuket Old Town
- V Villas
- Moo 8 Ao Yon Road Vichit Muang, Panwa Beach
- +66 76 630 939
- Breakfast at Mengala, Shan Café, nestled in Phuket Old Town, with a tasting of their signature Thai teas
- Private lunch at the legendary Ko La Hokkien Mii for wheat noodles with pork, prawns, fish cake, and oysters
- Coffee break at a Phuket specialty coffee shop
- Pre-dinner drinks in the gorgeousness of our friends’ Phuket Market Loft
- Dinner at the Bib Gourmand-awarded Charm restaurant, with a special Phuket-focused menu
- Nightcap at local cocktail bar in Phuket town
Day 3
Feb 4 Tue
Krabi and Trang
- Parima Hotel
- 99/95 Moo3 Koklor Amphoe Muang Trang, Trang
- +66 061 994-4911
- Travel by speedboat directly from our resort across the water to Krabi
- Lunch in Krabi
- Travel to Trang, check into the Parima Hotel
- Straits Chinese dinner at the home of the exceptional historian and chef Aum Trangkoe
- Soak up Trang Old town, including dim sum and patanko snacks
Day 4
Feb 5 Wed
Market Marvels & Coastal Charms
- Dusit Princess Phatthalung
- 155 Moo 4, Manora Road, Tha Miram, Muang, Phatthalung
- +66 (0) 74880 777
- Wander Trang’s vibrant morning market, watch the making of Muu Yang Trang (roasted pork)
- Market breakfast of southern Thai dim sum
- Journey to Phatthalung, home of endless rice fields and the brand-new Dusit hotel
- Private lunch at Muslim community of Kong La, between Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand
- Transfer to Dusit Princess Hotel, Phattalung
- Siesta, seaside dinner, early bed!
Day 5
Feb 6 Thu
Rice Fields
- Baan Nai Nakhon
- 166 Nang Ngam Rd. Bo Yang, Muang, Songkhla
- Wake up to the beauty of Phatthalung’s rice fields, join local K’bui for a conversation about rice culture in the south
- Breakfast at a Khanom Jiin joint making the region’s excellent rice noodles, then travel to the elegant coastal town of Songkhla
- After a lunch of specialties like century-old recipe Pig Tail noodles
- Check into Baan Nai Nakhon, a boutique hotel that seamlessly blends Thai, Chinese, and Melayu influences
- Siesta to escape the midday sun
- Dinner at Ko Kluay, featuring the rich flavors of Songkhla cuisine
- Conclude the evening at the excellently named bar Grandpa Never Drunk Alone, indulging in creative cocktails
Day 6
Feb 7 Fri
Hat Yai Hues
- Casa 33
- 33 NiPhatsongkrao 1 Soi 4 Hatyai, Hat Yai
- +66 74 801 133
- Breakfast at the guesthouse with our fabulous host Bang Mae
- Stop at the quaint fishing village Ko Yo on the way to our last farflung town Hat Yai
- Lunch at Kpoi Ocha Bak Kut Teh, where you’ll sample Bak kut teh, a Chinese pork rib dish cooked in a fragrant broth
- Check into Casa 33, an artfully renovated 50-year-old guest house in the heart of Hat Yai
- Kai Thawt Hat Yai crawl
- Night Out in Hat Yai
Day 7
Feb 8 Sat
Farewell Phuket
- V Villas
- Moo 8 Ao Yon Road Vichit Muang, Panwa Beach
- +66 76 630 939
- It’s our last full day: start by flying back to Phuket (these plane tickets are on us)
- Leisurely lunch in Phuket Town, followed by shopping and walkabout
- Check in our triumphant return to V Villa, the luxurious retreat above Ao Yon Bay
- Toast to the memories of your journey with rooftop drinks at V Villa
- Indulge in an epic final private dinner in a 120-year-old shophouse with Chef Yod of the two-Michelin-star Sorn Restaurant
Day 8
Feb 9 Sun
Departure from Paradise
- V Villas
- Moo 8 Ao Yon Road Vichit Muang, Panwa Beach
- +66 76 630 939
- This is is, our goodbye to Southern Thailand
- Farewell breakfast at V Villa
- Transfer to Phuket International Airport for your onward journey