For the longest time, I’ve wanted to visit Thailand as I was curious about its culture. When Elise turned 1, I thought it was the perfect time for Von and I to finally have a proper honeymoon out of the country. We took our trip last June 2015. It was our first time to take a trip together without Elise. I didn’t feel guilty at all because I thought we really needed the break. What can I say, we had 4 amazing days in Thailand! Day 1: Check-in at Radisson Blu Bangkok For me, a good hotel is always on my travel wish list, for it sets the tone for the rest of the trip. Maybe someday I will try backpacking, but not yet. This was an opportunity for us to relax and take a break from our parental duties, so I was willing to splurge a bit. Since we were newbies in Bangkok, we didn’t know the best location to get a hotel. I did a little research and found that many upscale hotels are located along Sukhumvit Road, so I thought it must be a good location. After reading a few reviews, I was convinced Radisson Blu was a good hotel so I booked a reservation immediately. We left Manila at around 630AM. We arrived in Bangkok at around 9AM and headed straight to Radisson via trains. The hotel could not accommodate us for early check-in, but they did process our reservation so that our keys would be ready by the time we get back from sightseeing at 3pm. I fell in love with our room as soon as I saw it. I loved the modern bathroom, the complete amenities, the luxurious bed, and best of all, the panoramic view of Bangkok. Because we stayed for three nights, Asia Web Direct where I booked our reservation offered a free upgrade to a Deluxe room. I believe we got a great view due to the upgrade. I noticed though that most of Bangkok’s famous attractions like the Grand Palace and the Wat Pho are located along the Chao Phraya River, far from Sukhumvit. So we had to take several trains to get to the attractions located in the Rattanakosin area. Public commute is convenient though. Although we would have probably saved on train money if we had chosen a hotel nearer the tourist spots, or riverside. Oh well, we will try that next time. Having said that, one advantage though of staying in the Sukhumvit area is that it’s near malls, restaurants, cafes, and the raunchy nightlife. It’s also a walking distance from the BTS and MTR, which lets you get anywhere within the city. Chao Phraya Express We left our bags with Radisson and took connecting trains to the Chao Phraya Ferry to the Rattanakosin area. We followed tips online and took the Orange Line and paid only around B15 each. The ferry is a good way to see riverside attractions such as the posh hotels, markets, and the Wat Arun. It was a mix of tourists and locals since the Orange Line is also used by locals to traverse the river so you may find yourself without a seat during rush hour. The Blue Line is less crowded as it is catered more for tourists, but way more expensive. Lunch at Tha Maharaj We disembarked at the Tha Chang Pier (N9) to get some lunch first before entering the Grand Palace. At the pier, we were greeted with throngs of tourists like us, along with lots of vendors and food stalls. The road for passage was so small, we walked so slowly. Add to that the sweltering heat, and some tourists insensitively carrying umbrellas and hitting other tourists. I must admit, it wasn’t enjoyable. When we finally exited out of the market, we got lost even though I’ve studied the map thoroughly and in my head, I knew where to go. We were looking for a restaurant along the Maharat Road but we couldn’t find it. At this point, Von and I were already getting exhausted from the heat, the crowds, and walking aimlessly. We were itching to find a good place to sit down, regroup and get some lunch. We walked a bit more towards some vendors and eventually, we stumbled into The Maharat, a complex of cafés, and stores. I was itching to get an iced coffee from Starbucks, but I thought, why not try something local? Eventually, we settled at S&P Restaurant. I think it’s a local casual restaurant with several branches around Thailand. Unlike our vacation in Hongkong when I didn’t try the local food (I was pregnant and nauseated by the smell), I was excited to try authentic Thai food. We had Pad thai, of course, crab rice and fried spring rolls. We weren’t disappointed with our first Thai lunch! The Grand Palace After regrouping at lunch, we headed to The Grand Palace, probably Bangkok's most famous landmark. The Grand Palace has served as the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782. It is certainly one of the most exquisite places I have even seen. The Palace screams of opulence and majesty. While we did enjoy touring the complex, we were a bit disappointed that there were no English captions in the buildings, so we were completely clueless with what we were looking at. You can join guided tours for a fee. But for us traveling by ourselves, we just marveled at the architecture. I had read about the strict dress code, so I bought a shawl for cover-up since I was wearing a sleeveless shirt. I was sure my shawl draped around my shoulders would be acceptable. But the lady guard pressed the shawl against my skin and told me that she can still see my shoulders through the shawl. Good thing I had an extra cardigan in my bag so I was still allowed in. Wat Phra Kaew Inside the Grand Palace Complex is the most revered Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) among Buddhists. The temple contains an image of Buddha made out of jade, and dressed in robes which varies in season. Photography is not allowed inside. Tourists are also required to remove their shoes. We are not Buddhists but we did appreciate the sacredness of the place. Remember: do remember to read up on Thai etiquette before traveling to the country, such as removing your shoes when entering sacred places or private spaces, not pointing your feet to any statue of Buddha, not speaking ill of the Royal Family, and not stepping on the door archway (you might be stepping on Buddhist deities guarding the place). The ticket to the Grand Palace also includes a tour of the Vivanmek Mansion, but the heat had become unbearable that Von and I decided to skip it and return to the hotel. And to think we came from Manila! We were torn between taking the same adventurous route we took going there (2 trains + ferry), or just simply hailing a cab. We finally decided to hail a cab because I could not imagine us going through the same crowded market place we passed from the pier. The cab ride was a bit expensive. Some drivers offered to take us back to Radisson for B400 (around P600). But I read somewhere that it should only take around B200. Finally, we found a cab who charged us B300. We just took it!
For dinner, we met friends from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs who took us to a popular restaurant Taling Pling in the Sukhumvit area and we had more delicious Thai food. * * * Read: Day 2 and Day 3 of our Fabulous Thailand trip. For more pictures from our trip, check out our Thailand Gallery. Enjoy!
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