As with all good things, our trip unfortunately had to come to an end. The last stop, Bangkok. We’ve been to Bangkok quite a few times in the past, but in a big city like this, things change quickly. It had been over ten years since our last visit, and we were excited to be back.
We arrived by taxi, and the journey was simpler than we had expected, taking just over two and a half hours from Hua Hin. We checked into the Mecure Hotel on Sukhumvit 24, at £119 per night. Yes, it had got to the point of the trip where our budget went out of the window.
Being rainy season in Bangkok, the weather was always going to be a bit of a gamble, and right on cue, the rain started falling as we pulled up to the hotel. But it didn’t last long, and we ventured out to explore the area.
Bangkok is a bit mental, but there’s something that we just love about it. As with most places we’ve been, Bangkok has been all about the food. We found a few bars nearby to get us going before finding somewhere for dinner.
Our first meal here was a good one at Sri Trat Restaurant. The starters were out of this world, with betel leaf wraps with herbs, spicy shrimp, lime and a sweet sauce, and herb salad with vinegar-cooked barracuda and peanut brittle dressing. This came at a price, at around £35 for the meal with drinks. It’s still incredible value, but more than we’ve been spending.
With the sunshining, we decided to make the most of it and went on a river cruise. This was on a traditional longboat and took us along the Chao Phraya River and some of the waterways leading off it.
There was only one other person on the boat, so it almost felt like a private tour. It was a great way to see some areas of the city that aren’t accessible by simply walking around. The huge Buddha at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen temple was stunning.
After an hour and a half, we were dropped off close to Chinatown, and that only meant one thing…we needed to find some dumplings. It didn’t take us long as we found 168 Gyoza and sampled three different types.
I’d also found a rooftop bar online called River Vibe Bar that was nearby, so we set off to try and find it. Chinatown is such a great place to walk around, but it was extremely hot, and this bar was not easy to find. Eventually, we found it on an enclosed back alley and enjoyed some cold beers at very reasonable prices with amazing river views.
There are lots of places to take in amazing rooftop views in Bangkok, and our hotel was no different. With a rooftop pool and bar area, we just needed to nip upstairs around sunset to take it all in.
We were in Bangkok for six days but had decided to split the time in different hotels to see different areas. We switched to Ariyasom Villa in the Makkasan area. This is definitely more our sort of place, which is a smaller independent hotel at £117 per night.
A stay in Bangkok isn’t complete without a trip to Khaosan Road, which is the lively backpacker area. It’s a little tacky, but there are some decent bars and restaurants to be found.
It was not easy to get there from our hotel. With traffic bad, we decided to skip the taxi and get there on the MTR. The problem was that it still involved in a 20-minute walk on each side of the train journey, and it was HOT…around 37⁰.
The nicer road to visit in the area is Soi Rambuttri, which runs parallel to Khaosan Road. The bars are nicer, there are fewer hawkers trying to sell you deep-fried scorpions and it’s generally not as crowded.
We had a great night, and after a few drinks and a nice dinner at I Love Thai Food at around £6, we got a taxi back and had a cold shower. This was probably as hot as we’ve been since being away, but that’s to be expected here in the rainy season.
We had a night out in Soi 11 and were treated to an Arsenal win against Man U. Obviously, this was watched in an English pub, called the Red Lion.
We’d been really lucky with the weather, with only a few big downpours during our time here. We were also very aware of how quickly things would change as soon as we’re home, so we enjoyed doing very little and relaxing around the pool for our last few days.
We enjoyed some great food including an all you can eat buffet lunch at Goji Kitchen+Bar for £25pp and a great lunch in the hotel restaurant, Na Aroon.
We spent our last night at Soi Sukhumvit 4, which is a lively area with lots of girly bars. After some drinks, we headed for our last meal at Tamnanthai Restaurant. It was exactly what we wanted, and we enjoyed Crispy Pork with Broccoli, Pork Penang Curry and and Chicken Red Curry. All topped off with a nice bottle of red wine.
I’m a little sad it’s all over, and we’re having to return to reality. For me, that means trying to find a new contract. For Katy, it means starting her exciting new business venture, PINCH.
We’ve somehow managed to keep within budget; actually around £4 per day under what we had set aside. But I have a feeling that Katy may still have some spending in her before we get on our flight home.
We have had an amazing time, and we’re so lucky that we’ve been able to do this again. Hopefully, it won’t be our last travel adventure, as this is definitely the way to see the world.
Sam