It pains me to write this post about Bangkok, given that my time spent there was during the warm summer months (read: Toronto just received its first snowfall earlier today and I hate everything). Nevertheless, I would be remiss if I didn’t blog about my week-long, summer vacation solo trip to Southeast Asia’s hub for the seedy and evidently, bougie – Bangkok.
1. Bodega Bangkok. Undoubtedly one of the best hostel experiences I’ve ever had, right up there with Isla Gecko in Boracay. I was having mild anxiety about my first solo travelling experience in four years, but Bodega made me feel welcome immediately. The sister hostel to the award-winning Bodega Phuket is located on Sukhumvit 23, close to a number of Bangkok’s top sights, sounds and smells. The facilities were super comfortable, the staff were inviting and helpful and the atmosphere was incredibly laid-back. I give all the recommendations for Bodega Bangkok!
2. Soi Cowboy. I spent my first night in Bangkok’s red light district known as Soi Cowboy. The entire strip is only about two city blocks, lined with neon lit go-go bars that serve alcohol (and probably more) until around 1:30AM. The street’s energy is pretty intense, bustling with smart-phone wielding tourists flashing photos of the famous Bangkok strip. This was certainly the Bangkok’s nightlife I had read about. A word of warning: Soi Cowboy is pretty depressing on its whole. The bars are mostly filled with seedy old men receiving lap dances from underaged girls while the streets are lined with these same despondent girls trying to encourage tourists to enter their respective establishments. My advice is to get in and get out.
3. Temple run. My first full day in Bangkok was spent touring around two of the cities major Buddhist temples, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. Wat Phra Kaew, (pictured above) known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha was my favourite, with dozens of golden-spired buildings, mother-of-pearl doors and a number of elaborate tapestries. Wat Pho, on the other hand, is famous for its 46-metre long, golden statue of a reclining Buddha. The statue is intimidatingly large; I spent most of my time in the complex with my mouth agape. As is customary in all Buddhist temples, appropriate clothes were mandatory (no exposed shoulders or legs) and all footwear had to be removed before entering the shrines.
4. British at Bodega. I was lucky enough to spend my first few days in Bangkok with the lovely Bryony, Tom, Lucie and Tamsin. Touring from Britain, these four were my bunkmates at Bodega. Here’s a picture of Bryony, Tom and I on our tour at Wat Phra Kaew.
5. But first, let me take a selfie. These two temples were incredibly beautiful. I’m better for having seen them in all their immaculate glory, but eventually, I was only able to take in so much history. Bryony, Tom and I spent a fair amount of time derping around the Wat Pho temple complex, taking photos of stray cats and attempting to decipher the hidden stories unfolding on each of the tapestries. Real quality stuff, y’all.
6. The Chao Phraya. After departing Wat Pho and grabbing a bite to eat on the docks of the boat terminal, Bryony, Tom and I took a ride on the Chao Phraya River. The crowded boat felt extremely close to capsizing and you could feel every wave. We had a nice view of the stunning Wat Arun (pictured above). Regretfully, I didn’t have a chance to visit Wat Arun’s beautiful complex. This is probably the only thing I regret from my trip.
7. Lumphini Park. Our boat dropped us off near Bangkok’s lush Lumphini Park. The public park has an artificial lake filled with couples in paddle boats andis a popular spot for runners. Bryony, Tom and I managed to spot a giant lizard hiding out in one of the park’s giant trees, amidst a sea of Thai aerobic dancers. It was a delightfully random end to a day touring around Bangkok.
8. So. Much. Food. Chicken massaman curry, shrimp pad thai, khao tom, khao phat kai, mangoes from street vendors – ugh. It makes my mouth water to think of all of the wonderful dining I did in Thailand.
9. Life isn’t all rooftop Infinity pools in Thailand, but it should be. Perhaps the most bougie part of my vacation was spent atop the Radisson Blu Hotel’s rooftop. Truthfully, I had never swam in an Infinity pool, so a hot summer’s day in Bangkok seemed as good a time as any. There was definitely a moment while I was reading my book and sipping on a Coke atop the Radisson when I thought, “maybe I should just move to Thailand.” Truthfully, it would be a pretty charmed life.
10. The Jim Thompson House. The one solo sightseeing excursion I ventured on was a tour of American architect, Jim Thompson’s famous Thai-inspired home. The tour was certainly fascinating and the house itself was immaculate, however the 45 minute guided tour could have easily been condensed down to a 15 minute self-led tour around the complex. Alas, one must always read the fine print.
11. More British and Bodega pals. Besides a great atmosphere and quality service, Bodega also employs fantastic people and attracts amazing patrons. Pictured above are Dain, my guide to all things Bangkok, and Becks, my accomplice for all those recommended things. We had quite the time in Bangkok together, despite spending the majority of our time in the Bodega common room. Until next time in Seattle and the UK, loves!
12. More rooftop pools and a goodbye to Bangkok. My last day in Bangkok was spent relaxing on the rooftop of Galleria 10, a chic boutique hotel relatively close to Bodega. I went for a swim, enjoyed a drink and took in some rays before the clouds pushed the sun out of sight. Afterwards, I grabbed a bowl of massaman curry and received the most aggressive (and only) Swedish massage of my life. I headed back to Bodega at the end of an absolutely perfect day to pack up my bags and pay my tab before hailing a cab to the airport. I even did the whole stop-and-look-back-before-you-step-into-the-cab thing from the movies in order to be grossly sentimental.
13. Ban China Eastern Airlines. Unfortunately, the end of my summer vacation was spent delayed in Shanghai for 15 hours due to Typhoon Halong. China Eastern Airlines made sure that my time was spent being removed from the customs line to re-enter China, rushed around the airport to a new customs line, abandoned with no information before finally being placed in an airport hotel nearly three hours later. The next day, further delays served to only brighten my already chipper mood. Eventually, I was placed on a flight to Gimhae International Airport only to have said flight turn back around to Shanghai after the plane couldn’t land. I took matters into my own hands and secured a seat on a flight to Seoul, where I stayed overnight before taking the KTX train back to Busan in the wee morning hours. Oy.
Despite this maddening situation at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, I had a fantastic summer vacation in Thailand. It was significantly different than my experience in Boracay over winter vacation (i.e. no travel buddies, more urban, lots of sightseeing) but equal parts fun, enriching and of course – bougie.
I’m hopeful that I will be back in Thailand in a few years and will be able to head out to the islands, as well as Phuket and Chiang Mai. Until then, I’ll see you, Southeast Asia – even if it’s just in my wildest dreams.
Millennial Abroad 