Sukhumvit Soi 11 was bustling with activity and there were no less than half a dozen different bars down the few block stretch. After checking into the hotel at around
Day 1: Explore the City
Unicorn Café
When I saw that there was a Unicorn Café in Bangkok, I just had to check it out. I was hoping to grab a coffee, but it was more of a dessert café, offering a variety of sweet treats. I had the Unicorn Hot Chocolate, piled high with whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles and topped off with an ice cream cone, unicorn “horn”. The décor of the tiny café was head to toe unicorns with most surfaces a bright pink color and unicorns hanging from the ceiling and painted on the walls.
Hop On, Hop Off River Boats
The river is the best and easiest way to tour the city of Bangkok. It is lined with a variety of great shops, and the temples and Grand Palace are within walking distance of the different ports. With boats dropping off and picking up passengers every 15 minutes or so, the Hop On, Hop Off Boat Pass was an
Grand Palace
The one place that you should not miss in Bangkok is the Grand Palace. Be sure you are wearing a longer skirt or pants, though, because they will not let you in the gate if you are not covered. If you forget, there are plenty of vendors on the streets nearby willing to sell you a pair of Elephant pants or a wrap skirt. We took advantage of this partly out of necessity and partly for a great souvenir to bring home.
The grounds were definitely crowded, as this is a top tourist attraction, but we were able to meander around and view the beautifully adorned structures on the premises. There were murals with gold inlay and elaborately decorated statues throughout the grounds. In the center was Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) with shelving and benches outside the main doors for visitors to take off their shoes before entering. There was also a place where people could bring offerings and light incense to offer up to Buddha in prayer.
BREW – Beers & Ciders
BREW Beers & Ciders is one of many bars down Sukhumvit Soi 11 that boasted a wide variety of craft and imported beers, including 6 out of 11 legitimate Trappist beers brewed by Trappist monks. It had a warm and inviting feel and you could watch the street’s activity from one of the tables on the patio.
I enjoyed the Happy New Beer IPA and the Rekorderlig Mango-Raspberry Cider to get a taste of both a local craft brew and unique cider.
Baobab Bar Bangkok
Even though we had not been in the country long, we already felt like we had insider connections as we said hello to the bar owner of Baobab (he was the guy we met at the bar our very first night). He had said his bar possessed high-quality cocktails like you wouldn’t find anywhere else, and the drink I ordered certainly helped to confirm this. As part of the drink, there was a small bowl made of ice sitting atop the beverage with pomegranate seeds you could eat. It was both beautiful and delicious.
Day 2: Explore Some More
3 BeaRs Craft Brewery
Being a craft beer enthusiast, if there is a craft brewery in a city that I am visiting, you can bet I will seek it out. This brings us to 3 BeaRs Craft Brewery. This little brewery found in the Sukhumvit Area of Bangkok had a gastro-pub style with a multitude of Edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling and a mural of the brewing process on the wall. There was a stage for live music and karaoke and we were told it gets very busy once the sun goes down. My husband and I tried a couple of beers each and my favorite was the Gorilla Stout.
Cabbages & Condoms
This is a restaurant we heard about from friends from when they were in Bangkok. Not only is the food delicious, but the décor is entertaining as well. There were oversized novelty condoms hanging from above and mannequins entirely clothed in condom attire. When we were handed the check, instead of fortune cookies like some Chinese restaurants, we were presented with a pair of condoms to take with us.
Day 3: River Kwai & Kanchanaburi
This 2-day tour would take us to the Kanchanaburi province (about 80 miles/130 km west of Bangkok) to visit the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre. This interactive museum and research facility is dedicated to presenting the history of the Thailand–Burma Railway. Right across the street is the Allied War Cemetery which is a memorial to some 6,000 allied prisoners of war during WWII who perished along the railway line, later known as ‘The Death Railway’. Post-war, these POWs were transferred to this eternal resting place. Then, we took a short boat ride to the world-famous Bridge over the River Kwai, a part of Death Railway constructed by Allied POWs.
From there, we took a long–tailed boat on the River Kwai to River Kwai Resotel. The resort was surreal, tucked away in the jungle with gorgeous trees and flowers. The only way you could even reach the resort was by boat and each “room” was its own little thatch roof hut.
After a beautiful, multi-course lunch, we took another long-tailed boat upstream to visit a nearby Mon Tribal Village. The Mon people are an ethnic group from Myanmar, living near the Thai-Myanmar border. Our guide was actually Burmese (Myanmar formerly being Burma) and raised in the village before he started working for the resort. He took us around the village and showed us a museum they were in the process of building to display educational material about the Mon culture. We also saw elephants offering rides, villagers with different hand-made knick-knacks to sell and a small field that had pineapples and banana trees to support the village. We ended at their temple and saw a few monks tending the grounds.
Upon returning to the resort, we went for a leisurely swim to relax from the balmy afternoon before dinner. After an exquisite buffet dinner, we watched an authentic Mon Dance and then headed to our cottage for bed.
Day 4: Hellfire Pass & Death Railway Train
The next day, we took a long-tailed boat downstream to Resotel Pier and continued down the road to visit the Hellfire Pass Interpretative Centre and Hellfire Pass Memorial. The pass became infamous due to the harsh conditions and heavy loss of life suffered by its laborers during construction. We walked along this cavernous section of the railway and there were various memorial tokens along the way. Many were flags signifying a particular country as well as ribbons and flowers for those who were lost.
After lunch at a local restaurant, we headed to the railway station to take a historic ride on the Death Railway Train passing over the original wooden viaduct. The view was incredible as we made our way through mountain passes and over rivers.
Day 5: Ayutthaya Day Tour & River Cruise
Ayutthaya, which is located about a 1.5-hour drive north of Bangkok, was the capital of Siam (Thailand) for more than 400 years, and it contains a number of UNESCO World Heritage-listed temples. We visited Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, also known as the Summer Palace of King Rama V. The grounds feature royal buildings in a range of architectural styles, including Thai, Chinese, Italian and Victorian. The Aisawan Tippaya Asna pavilion sits above a small lake and is considered a fine example of Thai architecture. There were also an assortment of hedges clipped to resemble various different animals that I found to be whimsical and entertaining.
From the palace, we made our way to Ayutthaya Historical Park to see the ruins of Wat Mahathat. This ancient temple was built during the 14th century but was reduced to ruins in 1767 when the Burmese army invaded Ayutthaya. We came upon a stone Buddha head that had become entwined within the roots of a tree. While no one knows how it came to be this way, it was still considered very sacred and we were instructed if we were to take a picture with the head, that we were to kneel or sit, not stand, next to it.
We returned to Bangkok via the Chao Praya River, boarding the Grand Pearl for a scenic cruise that included a buffet lunch. I enjoyed sitting on the upper, outer deck and seeing the temples and forts along the riverbank. They even served coffee and cookies after lunch before our final departure.
Day 6: Relaxing Spa Day
Our final full day in Bangkok was going to be one of rest and relaxation, because when in Thailand, treat yourself to a Thai massage. Our reservation for the day was at So Thai Spa for the So Thai NIRVANA package a 5-hr. inclusive spa treatment.
Upon arriving at So Thai Spa, we were given an herbal tea to enjoy while our room was being prepared. We entered into a small, tranquil room with 2 chairs and 2 beds, with robes and slippers awaiting us. The changing area was on an outer patio where you could hear fountains and birds.
The first part of our spa treatment was a foot massage followed by a gold body scrub. The scrub actually made our skin glow with a hint of gold shimmer that sparkled when you moved in the light. Before moving to the beds for the aroma oil massage, we were given a small snack of tea, cookies, and fruit.
Every inch of our bodies was tended to with oils we had selected beforehand and just the right amount of pressure. They then expertly applied hot herbal ball compress to the muscles for further relaxation. The final part of the package was a SPA facial and head massage, ensuring we were taken care of from head to toe.
We tried to go to Above 11 for a romantic dinner on a rooftop overlooking Bangkok. Unfortunately, just getting there early was not enough. Above 11 is an extremely popular spot and listed as a must-see if you’re looking to wine and dine with an amazing view. They were booked up with reservations that day (obviously, with it being Valentine’s Day), so we snapped a couple pictures of the view and went in search of somewhere else to have dinner.
We ended up going to a gastropub called Apoteka that was right across the street. It had a grunge vibe and not as romantic for it being Valentine’s Day dinner, but it was definitely more our speed offering a variety of bar food and craft beer. We ordered a pizza and a couple of beers and had a wonderful time.
Cheers!
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