After my travels in Kuala Lumpur, I had the opportunity to reconnect with a friend in his hometown of Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok was a special adventure because this was my first travels through a city abroad with a local and fellow friend to introduce me to their country, their culture, and the citizens of their city. From authentic Thai food, authentic Thai massages, and conversations about Thai trends, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Bangkok.
The Place:
Arriving Thursday evening, I lodged in Siam Square at Novotel Siam Bangkok, where I thoroughly enjoyed the view of this booming shopping district. To commence my travels in Bangkok, I met with my friend Tim K—who I studied abroad with in London—to try some authentic Thai food at Ban Khun Mae. Spicy indeed, I lunched on the Thai Spicy Papaya Salad, Deep Fried Chicken Marinated with Salt, and a Thai Staple—sticky rice (which is generally served in weaved-like containers).
After lunch and briefly walking around the Siam area, Tim and I departed for Bangkok’s Asiatique The Riverfront. Although we arrived prior to its bustling hours, the port and shopping mall destination converges an assortment of restaurants, boutiques, and ports overlooking the Chao Praya River.
Asiatique The Riverfront occupies portions of land that once operated as a major international trading port—although some of the architecture is reminiscent of the early 1900’s, several aspects of the architecture and operations resemble modern day color schemes and shopping zones, such as Urbano.
A main attraction in Bangkok’s Asiatique was the Mekhong Ferris Wheel, although we did not go the wheel, its always fascinating to see Ferris Wheels and observation wheels from across the world (Check out my review for the High Roller in Vegas, here). At the crack of evening, we boarded a tour boat (complimentary because of the Riverfront Festival).
A highlight—at certain moments frightening— of my time in Bangkok, the Chao Praya boat tour granted me the opportunity to view various aspects of Bangkok from the Chao Praya River. From a China House on the Chao River, to cultural temples, to high-rise buildings and condominiums, the boat ride displayed a glimpse of Bangkok’s rich history and promising future.
Following our boat tour, Tim wanted to introduce me to an element of his culture—Thai massage. Initially, 2 hours seemed quite long, however, it proved a great amount of time to sit (well…lay) and think about life, think about this experience in Bangkok, and also think about what was for dinner (ha).
Intense at particular parts of the massage, I came out refreshed and prepped for dinner. For dinner, I wanted to explore Thai Food with a Western fusion; with that request, we came to Another Hound Café in the Siam Paragon mall—a combination of Thai and Italian food. At ‘Hound, I had their where I had Spicy grilled lamb, a Thai pasta with bacon, and a Thai staple: Mango & Sweet Sticky Rice dessert.
Exploring culture allows you to explore yourself–exploration is reciprocal when you allow it to be reciprocal, dive into the culture and watch it splash on you, forever reminding you of the places you’ve traveled. Get into the lessons from the people & culture of Thailand: HERE.
