I’ve always wanted to go to Thailand; but it’s difficult to co-ordinate and get the right timing for everyone. So, one day, I woke up and just decided to book a flight to Bangkok and go for a solo tour around the hustle-bustle-ing city. It was my first experience of traveling alone; I fret the idea of eating alone even, but this solo trip turned out better than I anticipated. I chose Bangkok since I know it’s a busy city, and I’d likely feel less alone; and I was right! I decided it would be a 3 day trip since I don’t wanna risk being bored, just in case. And boy, was I wrong! 3 days was not enough, obviously; it’s a shopping heaven!
DAY 1 (Thursday – 9th August 2007)
· Arrived at Suvarnabumi airport at 3 p.m. Cleared immigration by 4 p.m. The taxi fare to the hotel was 900 baht; managed to reduce to 800 baht; I am sure I could have reduced it further; but it’s okay considering it was my first experience there. It was about 35 km from the airport to the hotel. Had a nice chat with the cab driver; People here are so polite and nice; the only problem is communication barrier; they can’t speak English well; most of the time they can’t understand what you are saying and vice versa.
· Reached the hotel about 4 p.m. Beautiful 4-star hotel facing the Meenam River; the hotel name: Meenam Riverside Hotel. It has a very beautiful view, especially at night; with boats decorated with glittering lightings. I absolutely loved the room; very cosy and nice. It gives off a good vibe of being there.
· Arrived at Suvarnabumi airport at 3 p.m. Cleared immigration by 4 p.m. The taxi fare to the hotel was 900 baht; managed to reduce to 800 baht; I am sure I could have reduced it further; but it’s okay considering it was my first experience there. It was about 35 km from the airport to the hotel. Had a nice chat with the cab driver; People here are so polite and nice; the only problem is communication barrier; they can’t speak English well; most of the time they can’t understand what you are saying and vice versa.
· Reached the hotel about 4 p.m. Beautiful 4-star hotel facing the Meenam River; the hotel name: Meenam Riverside Hotel. It has a very beautiful view, especially at night; with boats decorated with glittering lightings. I absolutely loved the room; very cosy and nice. It gives off a good vibe of being there.
Day view from hotel room
· The people here are so down to earth and friendly; absolutely love them; they make the stay absolutely memorable.
· I noticed that even though the men there do look at you and ogle, it’s merely a look of admiration and not a lustful one.
· Left the hotel at about 6.30 p.m. Asked for some direction and headed to the town by a taxi. Went to Pratunam to shop for computer-related items; it’s a replica of Low Yat; a good bargain; bought a silicon casing for iPod costing about 230 baht (RM 30).
· Had dinner in one of the roadside stalls near Pratunam; had fried garlic rice with chicken for 20 baht. Not that great; definitely got lots of space in my tummy for more mouth-watering dishes.
· Then headed to Suan Lum night Bazaar by a ‘tuk tuk’. It’s a shopping heaven. I was told that the place closes at 3 a.m. It was like a mini Jonker Walk in Melaka except that this one is much bigger; infinite number of shops selling variety of things from clothing to handicrafts; you’ll get tired just by walking. The art of shopping here is to haggle as much as you can. People here are so nice, you get to haggle comfortably. I am never good in haggling; but I tried my hand here. I managed to do my share of haggling and got good bargains. I mainly bought handicrafts made from wood; they are absolutely beautiful. Bought some snacks to bring home as well. Didn’t buy any clothing; will get it in Chathuchak Weekend market on Saturday.
· Shopped till my legs and hands ached. I shopped till I dropped, nearly.
· They also have lots of nice looking places to dine there. Absolutely love the ambience, with plenty of lightings, cosy and romantic. A definite must-go place next time.
· I noticed that even though the men there do look at you and ogle, it’s merely a look of admiration and not a lustful one.
· Left the hotel at about 6.30 p.m. Asked for some direction and headed to the town by a taxi. Went to Pratunam to shop for computer-related items; it’s a replica of Low Yat; a good bargain; bought a silicon casing for iPod costing about 230 baht (RM 30).
· Had dinner in one of the roadside stalls near Pratunam; had fried garlic rice with chicken for 20 baht. Not that great; definitely got lots of space in my tummy for more mouth-watering dishes.
· Then headed to Suan Lum night Bazaar by a ‘tuk tuk’. It’s a shopping heaven. I was told that the place closes at 3 a.m. It was like a mini Jonker Walk in Melaka except that this one is much bigger; infinite number of shops selling variety of things from clothing to handicrafts; you’ll get tired just by walking. The art of shopping here is to haggle as much as you can. People here are so nice, you get to haggle comfortably. I am never good in haggling; but I tried my hand here. I managed to do my share of haggling and got good bargains. I mainly bought handicrafts made from wood; they are absolutely beautiful. Bought some snacks to bring home as well. Didn’t buy any clothing; will get it in Chathuchak Weekend market on Saturday.
· Shopped till my legs and hands ached. I shopped till I dropped, nearly.
· They also have lots of nice looking places to dine there. Absolutely love the ambience, with plenty of lightings, cosy and romantic. A definite must-go place next time.
· Had a fun night out; with lots of shopping and a wild ‘tuk tuk’ ride; it was a fun ride! Came back to the hotel by 10 p.m. Watched a nice French movie, accompanied by a nice cup of tea. Hit the bed by 12.
· Got up at 5 a.m. It gets bright here early, by 5.45 a.m. No wonder people here start their activities so early. The ‘tuk tuk’ driver was telling me yesterday that he goes to sleep by 10 p.m. and wakes up by 4 a.m.
· Planned to go to Wat Pho temple in the morning. Things I wanted to do on the day:
- Visit temples
- Take boat ride at Meenam Riverside Pier
- Go for a massage
· Had a nice breakfast in the hotel; sat outside by the pool. The hotel staffs are extremely hospitable.
· Took the Meenam Riverside shuttle boat to Santurn pier. Got a day pass for 100 baht; for unlimited boat rides to a maximum of 9 piers (the major tourist spots). I overlooked the last part of the day pass conditions; and decided that I will sit in the boat till the last stop to enjoy the view along the river bank. The journey was fantastic; passed by some villages. It started to drizzle by then.
View from the boatride
· Got down at the last stop and took the return boat back for 13 baht.
· Got down at Pat pier to visit Wat Pho temple. It’s a very nice small town.
At the entrance of Wat Pho
· The reclining Buddha statue and the Wat Pho temple is breathtaking. Took some shots there; it was crowded with tourists.
The back of the reclining Buddha
The scriptures on the feet of the reclining Buddha
The reclining Buddha
· These were the shots from the Amazing Race that was featured last season (can’t remember which season), where the participants had to count the shillings dropped into the container in the temple. It certainly felt great to be there. Went around the temple.
9 sacred places
· Started to drizzle shortly after. Cancelled the plan to Wat Arun since I had to take another ferry to cross the river and plus it was drizzling.
· Bought some fruits back for lunch. Reached the hotel around 1 p.m.; watched a nice movie titled ‘Absolution’; it’s about a comatose man who can heal people by placing his hand on the affected areas.
· Had a nap; woke up at about 4 p.m.; left the hotel to the town at about 5.30 p.m. The taxi driver pissed me off a little; he didn’t know the way plus he was talking a lot, all irrelevant topics; we actually passed Silom Road and went all the way and took a U-turn and came back to the same spot; and it was heavy traffic at that time! Caught in a massive traffic jam. Finally, I asked him to drop me off at a point. The issue was the he was intending to drop me off at a nice Tom Yam restaurant (which he didn’t know where!) because that was what the hotel concierge informed him. I kept telling him that all I wanted is to go to Silom Road and walk around. Communication breakdown!
· I was fuming; had to walk to go to the main shopping area in Silom Road.
· Went for a traditional Thai massage first before dinner. The place looked very Japanese-style-ish with a long stretch of rooms along the corridor with sliding door. I requested for a female masseuse and was greeted by a he-turned-into-woman; she is a very sweet person. The massage session was quite an experience; with my whole body twisted and turned around like a mechanical doll. I had to control myself from ouch-ing. Although it was a ‘vigorous’ massage, she did so with full of grace. It costed only about RM 30 for a full-body one-and-a-half-hour massage.
· I felt so invigorated after the massage; despite some pain here and there.
· After that, went for a scrumptious dinner. Had tomyam kung with lots of fresh seafood; the prawn and crab was so succulent; yummy!
· With a full belly, proceeded to shop. Bought clothes and some handicrafts. Behind the line of stalls selling clothing and handicrafts, there is a long stretch of bars offering all kinds of services for the lusting men. It was a sad sight seeing all those young girls dancing on a stage around the pole clad in a bikini with men watching them with lust. There were a handful of pimps yelling out good bargains for certain ‘packages’; had a sight of the different face of Bangkok.· Bought some fruits back for lunch. Reached the hotel around 1 p.m.; watched a nice movie titled ‘Absolution’; it’s about a comatose man who can heal people by placing his hand on the affected areas.
· Had a nap; woke up at about 4 p.m.; left the hotel to the town at about 5.30 p.m. The taxi driver pissed me off a little; he didn’t know the way plus he was talking a lot, all irrelevant topics; we actually passed Silom Road and went all the way and took a U-turn and came back to the same spot; and it was heavy traffic at that time! Caught in a massive traffic jam. Finally, I asked him to drop me off at a point. The issue was the he was intending to drop me off at a nice Tom Yam restaurant (which he didn’t know where!) because that was what the hotel concierge informed him. I kept telling him that all I wanted is to go to Silom Road and walk around. Communication breakdown!
· I was fuming; had to walk to go to the main shopping area in Silom Road.
· Went for a traditional Thai massage first before dinner. The place looked very Japanese-style-ish with a long stretch of rooms along the corridor with sliding door. I requested for a female masseuse and was greeted by a he-turned-into-woman; she is a very sweet person. The massage session was quite an experience; with my whole body twisted and turned around like a mechanical doll. I had to control myself from ouch-ing. Although it was a ‘vigorous’ massage, she did so with full of grace. It costed only about RM 30 for a full-body one-and-a-half-hour massage.
· I felt so invigorated after the massage; despite some pain here and there.
· After that, went for a scrumptious dinner. Had tomyam kung with lots of fresh seafood; the prawn and crab was so succulent; yummy!
Night view along Silom Road
· Continued shopping. Decided to take a ‘tuk tuk’ back to the hotel; had a fun ride. Reached hotel about 11.30 p.m. Packed some of my things – leaving tomorrow.
DAY 3 (Saturday – 11th August 2007)
· Got up early; had breakfast in the hotel.
· Took a cab to go to the weekend market (Chathuchak market). The cab driver mentioned that the market is not opened so early; it opens about 10.30 a.m. So, he brought me to the largest gem and jewellery factory. It was quite impressive; so so many precious stones on display.
· After that, he dropped me off at the weekend market. The shops were just opening. Before they open the stalls, it’s a ritual that they offer their prayers – devout Buddhist. I admired at the simple and contented life that they lead.
· The market is so so big; at a size of 10 football field, there are infinite number of stalls selling various items ranging from clothes, souvenirs, handicrafts, food, and even pets!
· I spent so much time in the pet shops; so many of them; cats; dogs, and all kinds of other pets animals. I was so excited! Bought some toys for my doggies. Walked and walked; just so many shops that you’ll need one whole day there. Spoilt to choices. Good bargains with so many choices.
Puppies!
· Didn’t have the heart to leave the market; left the place at about 11.30 a.m.
· Checked-out from the hotel and headed to the airport with a heavy bag.
· Flight at 4.30 p.m. There was a delay in the flight. The situation at the lounge was so tensed with kids screaming at the top of their lungs and poor parents trying to pacify them. Terrible headache.
· Reached KL at about 9 p.m.
· Went to see my sister for a while in Jalan Pantai.
· Back home – past midnight.
· A fantastic trip!
· Checked-out from the hotel and headed to the airport with a heavy bag.
· Flight at 4.30 p.m. There was a delay in the flight. The situation at the lounge was so tensed with kids screaming at the top of their lungs and poor parents trying to pacify them. Terrible headache.
· Reached KL at about 9 p.m.
· Went to see my sister for a while in Jalan Pantai.
· Back home – past midnight.
· A fantastic trip!
2 comments:
hi there,
I've been thinking goin bangkok on solo trip for the past one month...and had doubt on it...but ur blog gave me a very good impression on solo trip...thanks and i am booking my air ticket now :)
hey buvan! Hope you have a great trip! Do update me of your trip ya :)
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