It felt good to visit my second home, Bangkok, after being away for 12 long months.
This time, we were joined by 12 Chinese Group Volunteers from Dover Park Hospice. They were all very easy going and were fantastic as travel mates. It was very much a 'free-and-easy' trip, hence we all got to do what we like such as shopping, eating, spa and massage and, of course, exploring the streets of Bangkok (and getting lost)!
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| Lynna and friends from DPH posing at Chatuchak Market |
On this trip, through a popular hotel booking website, I received a hefty 60% discount for my 7-night stay at Swissotel Nai Lert Park. This hotel was founded by the notable Mr Nai Lert Sreshthaputra - nature lover, environmentalist, inventor, developer and philanthropist. The hotel occupies the land where Mr Nai Lert used to live in until his demise in 1945. Tucked into one corner of the sprawling compound is the famous 'fertility' shrine built by the hotel's founder. It recently underwent a major re-decoration and I was lucky to have been assigned a room in the new section which adopted a minimalist approach to its design.
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| Darling wife posing at the entrance to our hotel |
I am really glad that on this trip, we discovered some real gems which I shall be adding to my list of 'things to do in Bangkok'.
Take the provincial town of Nonthaburi, for example. It is about 75-minute boat ride out of Bangkok city but once you get there, you won't regret the long journey. Bear in mind though that it is faster by ferry than by bus. On Rattanakosin Island, we found Nang Loeng Market off Thanon Nakhorn Sawan, and explored the cafe culture of Na Phra Lan Road, directly outside the Grand Palace.
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| Nonthaburi - second largest city in Thailand |
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| Nang Loeng Market - more than a century old. |
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| Na Phra Lan - Food, Beverage, Art and Atmosphere. |
At the same time, we had some disappointments like Rioja and Les Nympheas which received good reviews in both the Tatler Magazine and Bangkok Post. Sadly, both did not meet my expectation, even though I did not set them too high.
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