Bangkok Trip- Day 1

The last time hubby and I went travelling on our own was in March 2010. We really needed a break to recharge, and thanks to my parents- who kindly agreed to babysit the kids fulltime for a few days- we decided to make a trip to Bangkok.

I spent countless hours planning for the trip. People who know me well know that I love planning for trips. I read up on travel websites, did heaps of research, did the budget and planned the itinerary. All in all, I would not be surprised if I spent more hours on the research and planning, then the amount of time we actually spent in Bangkok. Seriously, I am not kidding. I basically know Bangkok like the back of my hand now. Hahaha.

At the airport

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on Ploenchit Road (as opposed to the one in Silom), and paid about RM 400 per night (we took the Breakfast & Beer promotion). These rates were a bit on the high side, considering this is Bangkok, and there are a lot of hotel choices at even lower rates. However, we had no regrets staying there- the location was excellent, in the distinctly more upmarket Ratchaprasong district, close to all the major shopping areas like Siam Paragon and Central World Plaza.

Hotel lobby

We then went to check out the Erawan Shrine, which was literally just across the road. There were many people praying and laying their offerings at the shrine, and it felt more like a local destination then a touristy one, even though it was right in the middle of the shopping area.

Flower garland offerings for sale

Next was lunch at the FoodLoft, this interesting 'food court' at Central Chidlom. A card is given to each diner; you order your food at the different stalls, get the card scanned, and then you pay at the checkout when you leave. Simple, and without the hassle of digging for cash at the different stalls. Photos are not allowed at FoodLoft, but we managed this, taken from the outside.

We headed back to the hotel room for some rest, before venturing out again in the late afternoon. I was feeling unwell; my throat was scratchy and my feet were hurting, plus some blisters were already beginning to develop on my feet. Darn. Don't know why this keeps happening to me when I travel.

We walked to Siam Paragon using the SkyWalk, an ingenious way of making use of the 'MRT' infrastructure, where another pedestrian walkway is built below the 'MRT' track, so both trains and people can 'travel' along the same route. This makes the area much more pedestrian-friendly, which is helpful for a congested city like Bangkok.

Bangkok's infamous traffic jams

We walked around Siam Paragon, which is this huge high-end shopping mall. It was quite interesting exploring the mall, but in general, things were waaay too expensive.

The food areas were the most interesting; there was a gourmet supermarket, a food court with aquariums (Siam Ocean World is in Siam Paragon), and many small restaurants in a 'food market' setting (but each with their respective dining areas).

Dinner was a simple and quick affair. Nothing fancy- pineapple fried rice, tom yum, and a interesting prawn & egg omelette.

We were quite surprised to find that the malls in Bangkok close quite early- around 9 to 9:30 pm. For the journey back to the hotel, we decided to take the train instead. It was only 1 train stop away, but distance-wise it's quite a long way to walk, which is not that much fun given the heat and humidity!