Different kinds of memories (Bangkok)
Our local city guides
My brother has a friend in Bangkok. Her name is Gem and she showed us her city together with her friend Noon. Knowing locals is one of the best things that can happen to you if you like to travel cities. You can be sure you stay away from tourist traps and get to know the real face of the city. It's really cheap to get from one place to another in this city. I remember that we spent about one hour and a half in rush hour in our taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport to our hotel - and we had to pay round about 280 Baht (7 Euros). For short distances tuktuks are a perfect alternative and really great fun. It’s one of the must dos in Bangkok to go on a tuktuk tour. But if the driver’s (taxis as well as tuktuk) recognize you as tourists they might try to screw you a bit by insisting on a fixed price (I learned that taximeter is always cheaper!) or telling you the place you want to visit is „too far away“ or that there is „too much traffic“ right now. So we let Gem and Noon talk to them and there were - of course - no discussions. But even if you don’t have the opportunity to be shown around by locals, you will not become poor in Bangkok because of taxis or tuktuks. The same applies to food. Thai food is delicious and really the opposite of expensive. The famous food-stands offer everything you can possibly desire - different Thai curries, Pad Thai (a noodle dish) and fried rice variations for example. There was one desert I had never eaten before and can highly recommend: rice in coconut milk with fresh thai mango. A colleague of mine had spent a long time in Thailand and provided me with a lot of inside tips. One of them was a restaurant called „the View“. It’s located next to the river with a garden full of lampions and live music inside. The food and the location is very authentic (be careful if you are not used to spicy food!). When we had dinner there, we were the only tourists. Is there a better way to let yourself drift into a foreign city?
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| The view |
Movie memories: Hangover 2 and the Beach
There are several movies I associate with Bangkok. Just a few weeks ago I watched the movie „Mammoth“ in which one main character stayed at the same hotel we did, the Millennium Hilton Hotel. The breakfast buffet is one of the best I ever had in a hotel. My brother could have had breakfast for hours there. The hotel also has a rooftop bar (called „360“) with a stunning view over the city and the river. Another lovely rooftop bar - the „distil“ - is famous because the „Hangover 2“ guys were there too. That’s why many tourists go there but it’s still really worth it. When we were there it rained - so we were’t able to got outside but the photos we took got a special and mystical atmosphere instead. Another must see is „Khao San Road“ - it’s a crazy street where you can find everything most people associate with Bangkok in the first place. We did’t drink any snake blood like Leo DiCaprio does in „the Beach“ but we were offered many other crazy things, for example scorpion lollipops, funny little frogs you can produce real croak sounds with or (again and again) someone wanted to take my brother to a "ping pong show“ with very suggestive facial expressions. As a caring older sister I managed to prevent that. On „Khao San Road“ you can of course also find several bars, restaurants and shops - everything you need to have a really good night in a vivid city.
Other clearly unnecessary and funny things can be bought at several (day, night and weekend) markets and (often theme) shopping centers. It’s also something you should’t miss if you want to get the full Bangkok experience. I don’t tend to spend a lot of time doing real shopping when I am on holiday (except when being in the United States - I have to admit that). But of course Bangkok’s city center takes care of that, too.
Of course we did not miss to visit some of Bangkok’s hundreds of temples. I think those buildings are perfect photographic opportunities. We visited the temple complex around the Grand Palace (ticket price 500 Bhat). You get overwhelmed there by all those colors, sparkling and expressions. Fortunately those buildings provide a lot of shade too - it can be really hot in Bangkok. There is not much talk about the temples - sometimes pictures say more than words can describe. So check this out:
Moments of remembrance I could do without
Finally there are also memories I would be glad without. In August there was a bomb attempt near the Erawan shrine in the city center. Of course we also visited this must see together with Gem and Noon. It’s a lovely place where so much Thai culture can be experienced right in the middle of the urban hustle. I cannot understand why things like this happen. It makes me angry and sad at the same time. I do not want to sound too philosophical. Of course there are times in which I would never visit certain destinations as for example due to the political situation. But the sad truth is that we are never and nowhere immune to such terrifying events. Therefore, as far as I’m concerned they will not discourage me from traveling. There are still so many magnificent memories to collect… .
Getting there: Etihad flight (Frankfurt via Abu Dhabi) or Lufthansa (Frankfurt non-stop) flight
Special thanks to: Gem & Noon - Thank you so much for showing us around! We had a wonderful time in Bangkok!
Anselm - You gave me so many advices for that trip - I still remember our lunch and coffee breaks about this topic - thank you so much for all that inspiration!
And last but not least - thank you Konny - you are the funniest and best brother one can wish for!
Soundtrack: Murray Head - One night in Bangkok, Bruno Mars - Treasure
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