(I’m back from Bangkok and Bhutan but due to the lack of internet connections, I’ll be blogging retrospectively about my travels over the last two weeks.)
Bangkok Temple
The last time I was in Bangkok was 17 years ago. I stopped in this bustling city with my friend, Helen, while we waited for our visas to Vietnam since we could not get them in the U.S. at the time.
We spent much of our time around Khao San Road, aka Backpacker Heaven. Given the amount of time that’s passed, the area hasn’t changed all that much. The most notable differences are that the sidewalk stalls now spill out into the streets and retail silver jewelry shops are now replaced by wholesalers who won’t sell one-off items (a huge disappointment for me).
Bustling Khao San Road
A plate of Phad Thai still costs a buck and illegal copies of software programs like Photoshop and music CDs are openly sold at the open-air shops and cost just a few dollars.
Fortunately, my budget and lifestyle have changed a bit more than Khao San Road and rather than Jon and I staying in a $2/night cell-like room near Khao San, we stayed in the Sukumvit area.
A few perks come with being a travel journalist and in an effort at full disclosure, I’ll let you know that for our first two nights in Bangkok we were kindly hosted by the folks at the Amari Boulevard Hotel on Soi 5. As their guests, we did not receive any “special” treatment but did have a chance to fully enjoy a deluxe room and scrumptious buffet breakfasts. Of course it depends on the season, but their current rates start at under $100/night. This is a complete bargain given the quality of this beautiful hotel.
Lobby at the Amari Boulevard Hotel
Breakfast buffet at the Amari (it almost rivals Salty’s on Alki!)
After our stay at the Amari, we met up with the rest of our group with whom we’d be traveling to Bhutan. Since the majority of these folks were staying at the Manhattan Hotel on Soi 15 (still in the Sukumvit area), we moved over there to meet up with them.
This area is very centrally located with tons of restaurants, hotels, cafes, shops, grocery stores, massages and lots of activity for which Bangkok is famous. Sex oozes from every nook and cranny. Beautiful Thai women (and gorgeous Thai men dressed as women) walk up and down the streets looking for a lucky break from a Western guy – and there’s no shortage of those.
Jon and I spent our first two days wandering the streets, taking the Skytrain and riding water taxis along the Chao Phraya River. I was thoroughly energized by Bangkok’s activities and managed to shake off jet lag rather quickly to maximize my time exploring.
We joined part of our group for a tour of some of Bangkok’s most outstanding temples – check back for more photos and stories…
Travel Well!
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