BANGKOK

09-01-20

Bangkok, Thailand / 4 nights

After an overnight flight leaving London on the evening of the 8th January, we arrived into Bangkok in the afternoon of the 9th, heavily jet lagged! We took a taxi from the airport…

(Top tip: always ask the taxis to use their meters for the fare, it works out so much cheaper than them offering you a flat rate)

…..to our accommodation – Chern Hostel. I would highly recommend this spot for its great value for money. The building is light and welcoming with super helpful staff and security on the door 24/7 if this is something that puts your mind at ease. Plus, it is right next to the monument know as the Giant Swing which makes it very easy to get taxis/tuk-tuks back as not many of them know hostels by name.

Top tip: download the Grab app, it is basically the Asia version of Uber and is so cheap! Aside from the MRT (underground system) this is such a cheap way to get around, most journeys will only cost you maximum £2!

For our first meal we went to the home of Padthai, a restaurant called Thipsamai. This is an absolute must with locals queuing down the street to get in from its opening at 5pm until it’s closing of 1am! It is a simple restaurant with fast service (so don’t let the queue put you off) and delicious food you can see being prepared in the glass windowed kitchen. If you end up there, get a big bottle of the orange juice, it is honestly unreal and I hate orange juice!

The two must dos when in Bangkok are Khao San Road and The Grand Palace;

Much better to visit at night, Khao San Road is the party strip of Bangkok with DJ bars, street food stalls and market shops. You’ll find everything from great fake designer items to dried scorpions on a stick! (I don’t care who you are, you have to get one – almost like initiation). To really liven up your night, hitch a tuk tuk to or from Khao San, most of them have huge speakers and party lights in them at night so really tops off the experience.

The Grand Palace is a Thai place of worship as well as it being one of the King’s residences. Expect beautiful gilded temples with mosaic tile art! A great place for some gorgeous architecture and culture. This will be the most expensive thing you pay for in Bangkok at 500 baht each as well as your hottest activity due to having to wear trousers and a sleeved top in order to be respectful to the religious culture. However, there are plenty of shaded areas for you to take a seat if you overheat at any point.

If you’re after a nice bit of luxury in all the hustle and bustle then head over to the Octave Rooftop Bar in Sukhumvit! This was very kindly a Christmas present therefore didn’t have to come out of our travel budget however very decent prices if you compare it to back home! Up here you can enjoy happy hour cocktails and delicious food all while taking in the beautiful views of Bangkok city.

One of the only practical things on our list in Bangkok was to find a Thai SIM card. This proved difficult at first as the best place to find these is in 7-elevens however the first few we went in were out of stock! However when you do find one, make sure to have your passport on you and ask the server at the counter to help set it up with you. Most of the instructions are in Thai and they are happy to help!

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We are now currently on our way to Chumphon on a 6 hour train from Bangkok Station which we booked through 12Go Asia (highly recommend). The train is lovely and air-conned and the seats are nice and comfy, feels like home after practically living on a train through Europe! In Chumphon we will stay one night and then will be hitching a ferry over to our first island Ko Tao. Get me to the beach!

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo

P.S. although a very lighthearted blog post, Bangkok can be a very overwhelming and crazy city, especially as a first stop on a travellers trip. I will be totally transparent and say it wasn’t constant sunshine and rainbows mood-wise with peaks of anxiety, however this is probably mostly caused by heat, jet lag and, for me, the unfortunate circumstances of falling rather sick! This has nothing to do with the city being unsafe or scary in anyway.