Today we arrived in the electric city of Bangkok. This place was a world away from our tranquil little month in Bali and we could not wait to get off that plane and dive into the chaos. We decided way back during our planning stages that we would have a 4 night city stop over before embarking our way through the Thai islands.
A good tip if you are traveling and staying in cheap accommodation is to allow for a few nights here and there (budget depending) to splash out on a fancy hotel as a little treat (especially in such huge cities) and that’s exactly what we did. We booked to stay at the Eastin Grand Hotel in Sathorn, located in the vibrant business district of Bangkok.
Arriving at the hotel was sublime with the staff treating you like kings and queens from the moment they escort you from your taxi. I felt a little out of place turning up at such a luxurious 5 star hotel dressed in my harem elephant trousers, flip flops and back pack. This awkwardness went practically unnoticed by the attentive and friendly staff at the hotel who were more than happy to accommodate our every need.
Our room was spectacular!
Situated sky high on the 30th floor, we were taken aback by the breathtaking view from our bedroom window. The room itself was also incredible and had possibly the world’s comfiest bed (I couldn’t wait to sleep)
View from bedroom… Sky Bar is so close (yellow dome)
One of the best features of the hotel is the glorious rooftop infinity pool which again boasts stunning views…
We grabbed ourselves a lounger and enjoyed some food and drinks from the pool bar then took a dip in the pool. The humidity here is so intense and with it being 34 degrees at 5pm, the cool water was blissful.
Life is sweet
Pool lounger
Infinity pool
Spectacular Views
The entire feel of the hotel was so unlike anything i’ve experienced before – having the booming sounds of the swarming streets hundreds of meters below, the multitude of building and contraction work occurring and the labyrinth of busy traffic beneath us – you still felt so at peace.
In his happy place
And in mine
For our first night we decided to grab a taxi to take us to the well known area of Khoe San Road – after many recommendations from others that visiting is a must. Our hotel is pretty far from the lively and touristy area however we could not complain at an 80 Baht taxi fare (£1.50) – it is good to have the best of both worlds so accessible to us.
I don’t really think anything can quite prepare you for Khoe San Road…
Chaos
Cheeky
Maze of Khoe San Road
It is mental!! You literally do not know where to look first. It is by far the most wild and vibrant place I have ever encountered. The road is essentially one street fringed with markets, bars, shops and countless food carts serving up traditional thai cuisines. You cannot move for people and the energy is so intense – music blares from the outdoor bars and you are blown away by whats actually on offer to buy.
Best of all if you’re on a budget, eat here! Our dinner for two including drinks cost us £2.60 all in. We enjoyed a freshly cooked pad thai (of course) and for dessert Gary enjoyed a freshly fried cricket… yes that’s right… A CRICKET!
Pad Thai street food
Delicious…
That Cricket
All looks so appetising
Take your pick
None for me thanks…
I couldn’t believe what was available to eat. Locals were selling everything from scorpions on sticks to deep fried tarantula… I was almost sick just looking. My stomach is definitely too weak for something on that scale – I think I will stick to classic noodles and spring rolls. Gary was pretty keen to try more though! Check the video below…
The stalls here actually sell some fantastic clothes and I had to be pulled away from buying everything that I saw – I allowed myself one new top after destroying my other vest during our previous jungle trek. If you are looking for clothes and things however, Thailand seems to be the one.
We carried on walking through the street and grabbed a couple of drinks (the alcohol is much cheaper than Bali) and Gary certainly needed something to wash down the taste of bug…
Back at the hotel, we toasted to our first night in Bangkok and sat up at the pool bar overlooking the striking views in front of our eyes. The pool looks directly across at Bangkok’s famous ‘Sky Bar’ which will we undoubtably have to try out.
Cheers
Even better at night
Room view at night
Finally, after waking up this morning after have a welcomed night’s sleep (the bed was as comfy as I imagined) – not to mention the view from lying in bed at night was out of this world, with the twinkling lights of Bangkok illuminating the city – we headed down for breakfast. Breakfast actually took us almost two hours and we ate as if we had never seen food before…
The choices were countless – full english, breads, pastries, cereals, fruit, pancakes, salads, rice, noodles, meats, sushi, soups, grills, ramen, dumplings, dim sum – the list is practically endless.
Can you guess who’s is who’s…
Rightly so, we had to try everything! Having budgeted our meals for so long, having unlimited food at our fingertips was incredible! I think I may need two seats on our next plane journey…
Here’s to the next chapter of the adventure!
I hope you have enjoyed this post and hope the bug pictures haven’t made you too squeamish…
Thanks again for reading and makes sure to leave! any comments or suggestions for us below
Lots of Love
Xx
