Stylist to superstar Salman Khan, Ashley Rebello speaks to mid-day.com as he plans a trip to Thailand that will drive away your Monday blues! Join him on the ride.
Where are you off to today?
My favourite destination is Bangkok, Thailand. it’s so lively and lets you be who you are. It gives you a sense of freedom of things that you would restrict yourself from doing here. It rejuvenates you. It has great restaurants, massage parlours, water sports, basically all in one.
What’s on the itinerary?
Food is definitely on my itinerary, water sports, foot massages, shopping and weekend markets. You have to visit the sleeping Buddha temple and the flower market temple. You get local masalas near the flower market temple, which I stock up for six months. People give me compliments for my Thai curry but I don’t tell them where I get my masalas from! For shopping, I go to Art Box, they sock local designers, it’s street shopping. There’s also Terminal, which again has local designers. There’s another must-visit market, Rod Fai where you can pick up trinkets for friends. I prefer these markets rather than Friday markets which are crowded. Black sugar is a local brand that has amazing designs.
What’s on the menu?
Jay Fai at Pratu Phi has an old lady who cooks street food and it’s a local kind of place. It’s like home-cooked Thai food. I love the roadside skewers, chicken or lamb. The fruits and coconut water are outstanding. In Bangkok, there is this place called 39th floor, for gourmet food. One must try the Tender coconut cake that is only available at Starbucks, Thailand, it is to die for. I’m a complete foodie!
Your fondest memories with friends and family…
I had taken my family to Thailand to celebrate my 50th birthday, we visited Koh Samui and Bangkok. We had a villa with a pool and chef to ourselves and it was by the beach. We were the only people there because we went during the rains and I thought wow I’ve got the entire resort to myself. Every year my friends come together and visit Bangkok in a big group because it’s friendly in every way, whether you are straight, gay, pansexual or whatever! You can go to fabulous nightclubs and attend drag shows. It’s like a fun ride! We go put on five kgs and come back.
What are you packing for the trip?
I prefer a lot of shorts and summer shirts. I also carry my swimwear and linen clothes because the weather is just like Mumbai. You should leave your jeans behind unless they are really necessary because it’s way more humid than Mumbai.
Your holiday playlist…!
`Nabia` by Svendsen. I enjoy lounge music and Nazia Hassan’s songs from `Boom Boom` to everything under the sun. Then there’s `Bad Habits` by Ed Sheeran, `Cold Heart` by Elton John and Dua Lipa, it’s a mix bag!
