My wife and daughter are meeting up in Bangkok for a week in June. They have never been, and neither have I (other than passing through), so I can’t help them on this one.
Any “don’t miss” type suggestions of things to do, places to eat/stay, etc.? (not necessarily in Bangkok, btw)
Thanks in advance!
There is the Abhisek Dustin Throne Hall is a must, if only to see the textiles made of iridescent beetle wings, not to mention crafts made from precious metals that rival what you might see in Versailles. On the grounds is also the Teak Palace, also worthy.
I also loved the Emperors Palace and Reclining Buddha (Wat Po). Jim Thompson house is interesting.
If you like history , Ayutthaya, the ancient capital is way cool and an easy day trip from Bangkok. You can take a bus up and a boat back. You can take the trip run by the Oriental for a very nice buffet as well as a nice boat.
Consider buying pants that convert into shorts. They enforce the “no shorts” policy at the palaces and wats. It’s way too hot for long pants for an extra minute.
Maybe was the best for modern high end Thai dining. Breeze is very expensive open air dining on the 52 floor. Very cool (but pan Asian, not really Thai, and as much about the experience as the food). I was disappointed with the food at the Peninsula and Oriental).
I have always stayed by the river, best if you are seeing the sights )you take the boat up and down the river). Although the Royal Orchid Sheraton, where I usually stay has reportedly gone downhill. Flyertalk is the best place to get info on hotels, especially if you want to use points.
As far as other places, do you want beach (Phuket) or city (Chiangmai for example(?
Thanks, Barry!
The wife said they want to go to the Chiangmai area for a few days and a few days in Bang. That’s really all I know. I will ask for more details.
If you are going to be up Chiang Mai way, I had an amazing time at this place the buffaloing NY Times profiled:
My wife’s traveling in Asia and have been invited to make a side-trip to Bangkok and they have planned to eat at Gaggan. I’ve never been to this restaurant, but, am just simply passing this on.
That’s awesome. Wish I was going!
Chiang Mai is awesome, it’s real Thailand or the more “normal” Thailand. Bangkok is amazing but after seeing the temples, a little shopping, and the hustle and bustle of 3 days and you’re ready to get out of town.
In CM we stayed at the RarinJinda http://www.rarinjinda.com/ Incredible place. Thailand is all about massages and this place does it although very upscale. Close to “downtown” but they provide a shuttle around or a quick cab gets you anywhere.
Night Market in CM is fun and inside the old walled city has nice temples and stuff to see. We hired a driver for one day, very cheap, and went up into the mountains here. Wat Phra That DoiKham (Temple of the Golden Mountain) has temples, gardens, etc.
Best place we ate was Whole Earth. wholeearthrestaurant.com - Informationen zum Thema wholeearthrestaurant. Actually went there twice and we never do that. Eat in the garden, incredible.
Best massage place, wife went their 3 times is Fah Lanna http://www.fahlanna.com/ I went twice and the third time I ended up at a pub next door talking with the owner watching soccer. This place is “famous” and you’re basically in his house on a dirt road. It’s cheap and they beat the crap out of you. That’s a real thai massage.
Highly recommend Flight of the Gibbons. Zip lining in the jungle with the Gibbons howling all around. They pick you up, you’re fed in a tree house, and treated like family.
We did two weeks in Thailand a few years ago, and our one regret was spending too much time in Bangkok. I think we had 2 days on the front end of the trip and 2 days on the end. We really could have done just 2 days overall as we found the rest of Thailand much more appealing. Our other destinations were Krabi—>Chiang Mai—>Chiang Rai
If you are there one week, I would pick another place to see and decide if you want it to be a beach destination (Krabi, Phuket, Koh Samui, etc.) or something like Chiang Mai.
It looks like Chang Mai is on my wife’s agenda, with an in and out of Bangkok. My daughter wants to do “local” stuff more like the Cave Lodge, which I forwarded to her at school and she said it looked right up her alley.
I’ve been fortunate to visit many countries and there’s no question the Thai people are the nicest on the planet.
Cave Lodge looks REALLY cool.
I wanted to cross over into Myanmar, had a willing guide, but the place was very sketchy at the time. It’s a little better now but very rustic.
The Four Seasons Chaing Mai is spectacular - it is built as a terraced tea plantation (and they used to have water buffalo helping with the plowing/harvest). Their concierge also arranges a great elephant riding trip where you float back to the hotel on the river - all this can be arranged and paid for if need be without staying at the hotel. The whole thing is really great, and the hotel is worth a stop for a meal/drinks if you don’t stay there - use the bar/dining room with the great view. The whole thing is spectacular. The elephant trip, etc., is also safe and first rate. (Note, I haven’t been there since 2005.)
Re Bangkok, staying at a hotel near the skytrain or on the river (or both) is best - otherwise, you will never be able to really get around with Bangkok’s traffic. (Water taxis & the water bus can take you up and down the river.) There are many, many great hotels in Bangkok, with the historic 140 year-old Oriental probably my favorite. (And on the river near the sky train!) As others have said, there is much, much to do in Bangkok & surrounding - the reclining Buddha temple complex in town and the boat ride to Ayuttya both really great. A few tips re the former (and temples in general) - 1/ They uniformly have bathrooms and very clean bathrooms (its a religious thing) which can come in very handy; 2/ the reclining buddha temple complex (as many temples) has a massage school attached, on the premises in an open-air complex (again, it’s a religious thing) , completely legit, and which is (was) about $5/hour - amazing stuff, and very popular with locals and tourists alike; 3/ if you are in the temple complex towards the end of the day, in the main temple (near the reclining buddha temple) all of the monks chant/have devotional. Tourists appropriately dressed can stand silently in the back - it is unbelievable to witness.
Again, much to do in and around Bangkok. If you want to do something a little more unusual/authentic, they have Muy Thai kickboxing matches in one of the main stadiums/halls (near the Dusit Thani) - a great experience. They serve beers and the whole crowd is shouting and placing bets, but it is completely legit, safe, etc. Really fun to see the Thai life. Finally, in general, the traffic in the city can easily overwhelm you/be a complete nightmare. (Hence, skytrain, river taxis.)
Theo
Lumpinee is a good place to see Muay Thai and you can get there by the skytrain and a short walk. Place is a little rustic but we did ringside for fairly cheap purchasing at the venue.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
If you like history, Ayutthaya, the ancient capital is way cool and an easy day trip from Bangkok. You can take a bus up and a boat back. You can take the trip run by the Oriental for a very nice buffet as well as a nice boat.
This is a solid recommendation. I enjoyed the boat ride in the AM (wasn’t oppressively hot), with a couple of beers to chase a rough buffet. The grounds at Ayutthaya were wildly impressive and the pic of the day for me was the root system of a tree that had grown around a Buddha head. Don’t do the elephant ride here… I did and once I got up to the top and it started walking, I noticed the spiked collar on the elephant. Pretty sure I nuked a week’s worth of karma in a 10 minute ride. Concierge at any of the hotels can set the Ayutthaya trip up.
My food notes are here → Bangkok Visit - Notes - Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes - WineBerserkers Gaggan was the highlight, but more because we went and had cocktails on the patio after friends had dinner and he hung out for 15 mins.
Thanks, Andrew!