Bangkok is a wonderful city that gets a bad rep. When we arrived at our hotel at Avani Riverside, we were WOWed. This modern hotel was so fancy and the view from our room was magical. However beware flying into DMK airport; (Bangkok has 2 airports) it is out of the way from the downtown area and about an hour taxi ride that costs around 40 USD. The first night we had a lovely rooftop dinner and enjoyed the ambiance.
FUN FACT BANGKOK HAS UBER! YAY! ****note though that since uber is not as common allow for more time to be picked up****
Day 1 of Bangkok! First we had a delicious buffet breakfast in our hotel. The special of the day was Truffle scrambled eggs (I would have never thought of this combo but it was good!). Next we hit the ground running! First stop was a river taxi trip to the Grand Palace ***note this cruise only takes cash and for only 150 baht (about 6 USD) you can buy an all day hop on hop off ticket! On this day it was miserably hot and the strict dress code of completely covered arms and pants in combo with the thousands of tourists made this not a top destination.
We also did not have 500 baht in cash to go in, but we almost got heat stroke anyway so it was okay. This is considered the holiest place of Thailand and is home to the emerald Buddha. Also Thais LOVE their royal family so make sure you show the proper respect.
Next
stop Khao San Road!
We had to walk through some sketchy alley ways to reach here but it was worth it! Of all the markets this road had the best products and selections so definitely save your cash for this stop! Also we got to try fried scorpion on a stick. The taste was very bitter like aspirin and the texture was of burnt popcorn. Worth the picture but would not do it again. This is a lively place and is popular for backpackers. The mood is also great. If you are in the market for a hand tailored suit, you are in luck because EVERYONE seems to be peddling that there. Again Again Again CASH IS KING!!! However there are plenty of ATMs everywhere. If you don't have any you will be stuck admiring the cool shirts from afar and eating at McDonalds like we did.
After our downtown adventure we decided to hit up our rooftop pool! The view was amazing and it was nice to get some R&R. I also enjoyed beating Chris at Backgammon.
We then got dressed for our river dinner cruise! I highly recommend this and there is a cruise for anything you want to do. There are traditional ones, party yachts, and formal dining ones. We opted for the traditional Thai one that was provided at our hotel! They served a traditional 6 course Thai meal. The views were great and the food was decent considering I wasn't a huge Thai food fan.
After that our magical Thailand trip almost got unexpectantly extended. Make sure you leave 3 hours prior to your flight. We thought we were making good time until our Uber driver decided to take the long route, stop for gas, and go into the wrong entrance of the airport. This resulted in sprinting barefoot almost a mile through the BKK airport. Customs takes awhile in Thailand because every person must fill out an exit form and have their picture taken. We were the last ones on our flight and got to be sweaty for our 20 hour haul home.
One minor regret we had was not spending another night in Bangkok. We had such a negative connotation in our head from other travelers and the Hangover 2, but in reality it was actually a pretty nice city! Lots of temples! Would definitely recommend others to check out this city. ******Beware visiting this city will have the song "One night in Bangkok" by Chess stuck in your head.....proceed with caution.
