Bangkok then is special! Its chaos never upsets me… I’m so charmed by it that I do my best to arrange a stopover during every trip to Asia.
My first trip to Thailand was with my brother in January 2007. The first trip together as adults and only for this it was worth it. I liked both the country and its capital, so much that I went back many times.
We took a bright pink taxi outside the airport, and the adventure began, between hysterical laughter and even a bit of fear for the reckless driving – obviously on the left. Not to think too much about the crazy slalom that seemed to entertain both our driver and my brother, I focused on the dash, dotted with Buddhist amulets and several wreaths flowers, and his pictures during Muay Thai training. A whole world …
After about half an hour in heavy and noisy traffic, we arrived in a small and quiet street with low houses. Just what I wanted to feel on vacation. The Samsen 5 Lodge is nothing more than a small house on one floor, with only three rooms decorated with beautiful local handicrafts. The owner is amiable and helpful, and Pier 18 within walking distance, just down the street.
The pic was taken by the owner of the Samsen 5 Lodge in Bangkok
What to visit in Bangkok
I won’t bore you with descriptions of temples, monuments, and sites in the city because you can find this kind of information in any guide, but I want to suggest some visits not to be missed:
The Grand Palace, absolutely awesome for glitz, beauty, size, and while spirituality
The Wat Pho, with its huge reclining Buddha and one of the most popular massage centers around the country. Prices are a bit higher than average, and the living space scarce, but well worth a try at least once. The herbal massages are special, and if you are interested, you can also enroll in 7 or 15 days master.
While visiting the house is practically impossible not to imagine the daily life of those who lived here, the parties, the official receptions, and secret conversations … walking along the corridors in gleaming teak was like moving between the pages of a historical novel.
We spent a beautiful morning in this palace moved from overseas following a simple fantastic whim …
Excursions around Bangkok
We left Bangkok on the first train in the morning, and the trip lasted about two hours and was worth the € 0.25 ticket 😛 It is also a journey within a journey, but for details, I suggest you read my interview for the Italian blog Bassa Velocità.
Getting around
The boats are ideal, fast, and scenic.
I wouldn’t recommend the tuk-tuk because of the smog and the erratic fares, and frequent scams (something rather rare in the north of the country). However, if you decide to get one, I recommend you negotiate the price before boarding it.
Taxis are quick, too quick to be honest, and downtown follows a time fare you can then check on the way. Taxis at the airport have a fixed rate based on the destination, and everything must be arranged and paid for at the counter in charge of it.
If you have time, try to walk from one temple to another to live in Bangkok more intensely.
Where to eat
Well, hygiene doesn’t always respect our standards, especially kiosks offering finger food along the busiest roads. Still, I can only tell you that in places frequented by Thai, I always ate very well and minimal sums of money. I did not attend any venue in the district of Banglamphu, but there are countless and somehow overly touristy (ideal to have western boys and girls getting drunk). The only disappointing dinner I had was in a fusion-style restaurant in Silom Road.
However, the best dinner during my second solo trip was the one I had in a “restaurant” en plein air under an overpass that had never hosted a western person before me. I had been treated like a queen 😀 the main and only dish consisted of soup cooked at the table on tiny individual terracotta braziers, and at the end of the meal, you pay only for the ingredients you actually used. I loved it!
Thai massages
Except for personal dislikes, don’t miss them! Among this first stage and the various subsequent stays in Thailand, I’ve tried all the options, and my favorite is the foot massage I’ve every night after dinner since my arrival in Bangkok. Massages are very cheap and last more or less 45 to 60 minutes. In tourist areas like Banglamphu, it happens to walk beside chairs for foot massages for hundreds of meters …
Shopping
I did not shop in Bangkok, except for my iPhone purchased in the Apple Store at the Emporium in Sukhumvit because of a super offer. Still, the options are almost limitless, both from the point of view of the location and the budget. From markets in China Town to the maxi mall in Silom Road, from shocking Weekend Market and the tourist stalls in Banglamphu.
If your itinerary includes the north of Thailand, I suggest you put off shopping to the markets of Chiang Rai.
P.S. The hairdressers in Ayutthaya costs nothing… to give my brother the look of a monk, she asked only a few baths 😉
Where to stay
As for shopping, also concerning accommodation, Bangkok offers it all. If you’re like me and feel on vacation, you need micro hotels as local and traditional as possible; I can only commend the Samsen 5 Lodge described at the beginning of the post. I really liked Be My Guest B & B in a trendy and very authentic district.
