Street food is one of the best ways to learn about a country’s culture and its people. When we travel, we don’t just discover new places, we also explore the local palates. Splendidly in Asia, getting food from the streets is a lifestyle (and cheap too!). And for street food afficionados like me, Bangkok is nirvana!
Posted here are a few of those nonchalant treats on the streets of Bangkok, including those in the hippie Khao san road and the epic Soi38:
Khao san road: fancy some high protein munchies?
Khao san road: This is ice cream bliss!
Sathorn: Seafood tomyum and fried veggie noodles for brunch!
Khao san road: Pad thai, pork bbq and beer all for less than US$5.
Khao san road: Too yummy to describe – Pork, beef, or chicken bbq for 20Baht/US$0.6 per stick.
Soi/Street 38: more deliciousness-on-a-stick
Soi38: Fresh fishies covered in sea salt and grilling.
Soi38: Big fish out from the grill and into our stomachs! Eat with rice and salads on the side.
Soi38: Mango and sticky rice with cocnut milk -ladies and gentlemen, a taste of heaven for 50Baht/US$1.50! I’ve had this almost everyday around Bangkok but Soi38 wins for the richness and freshness (Anantara Phuket’s restaurant version of it is blah!)
Soi 38: More pork goodness on a cheap.
Soi38: Like the Philippines’ “halo-halo” – mix of sweetness on ice and milk/ice cream.
Silom center: Fried chicken with that yummy spicy peanut/soy sauce and watercress/river spinach on fish sauce.
IN A GIST: A boutique hotel at 144 North Sathorn road, Silom, Bangkok | USD244 for 3 nights in Deluxe Room | 40minutes via taxi (using skyway) from Suvarnabhumi Int’l airport | Right in front of BTS Surasak station | Rooftop bar and infinity pool overlooking the city are its best points.
The hotel lobby – low ceiling with dim lighting and a bit of funk.
Deluxe room with a modern asian vibe. Cot will provided if you ask. The mini bar includes a lot of liquor 😉
Love the bathroom! Big space, rain shower, and tub overlooking the city.
Hotel pool – L-shaped and small but the views around totally compensate for it. Has a bar too but not much loungers.
Enjoy the sunset views of Bangkok at the hotel’s rooftop.
The hotel’s rooftop bar named “The Roof @38” -being on the 38th floor. Happy hour til 8pm and from thereon the promo is 2for1 on martinis and mojitos (July 2015).
Overlooking the bustling city at night. Epic.
About the hotel’s restaurants, we haven’t tried any (only their rooftop bar in which we tried their so-so paris brest for dessert). But they have a popular chinese restaurant, a modern Thai resto, a cafe /bakery and a buffet restaurant -none of which interest us; afterall, we were in Bangkok and where else shall we go for real/old Thai taste but out on the streets for some worthy binge!
Phuket, the original beach paradise in Thailand, won’t be as popular and crowded as it is now without the loads of activities or day trips you can gobble in or around the island. But if you want my unadulterated opinion, I heart more the popular Philippine beaches/islands based on beach-beauty category (i.e. Boracay, San Antonio, El Nido).
Nevertheless, Phuket has its own charms depending on your relaxing-beach-holiday fetishes. The first time I was in Phuket was in 2008 and tried the 2nd most popular tour from Phuket -Phang Nga bay and James Bond Island tour. Seven years on, it has developed much especially the town center that is Patong beach. If you want peace and relaxation, this area of Phuket isn’t the place to be.
Novotel Kamala. Ocean view room provides epic views, especially at sunset. And yes, it is a see through shower!
We stayed for four nights at Novotel at the much less bustled beach of Kamala. Conveniently 30mins away from the airport, compared to an hour distance if you stay around Patong.
Loungers by the pool and the beach view, likeee!
We were in Phuket mid of July which is a low season and sadly a monsoon season, meaning much of rains or shades than sun (like we haven’t had enough of the Dubai sun/heat!). So if you plan on going on a tour to Phi Phi island or Maya bay, beware of the waves. If you’re easily seasick, don’t do the tours which require long boat rides!
For AED280/USD75 per pax, the tour will take you to the Phi Phi Don island which takes 40mins on calmer seas, but due to the monsoon it took us 1hr and 20mins of rough seas and people puking around (ironically, our 7month old bambino was sleeping well with the waves). Includinng lunch, the tour further takes you to 2 snorkeling spots including Pileh lagoon, monkey beach, viking cave and supposedly Maya bay (shown in LeoD’s movie “The Beach”) which we couldn’t see due to the rough seas.
If you want to explore Phuket island itself, it has much activities to keep your day occupied: go to Bangla road for early beers and loud music (at night, it sort of becomes a red light), zipline, elephant trekking, jungle safari, atv/quad bikes with friends, etc. But for us, towing a 7month bouncy boy, we went to see the tigers at the ‘kingdom’ and randomly saw a cobra show which was pretty fun and amusing (funny emcee and cobra master performer, you can tell they love what they do). And for my adventure-full and thrill-seeking hubby, a run up the hill by the beach was rewarding especially after taking the views atop the greeny hill. Phuket has been a fantastic holiday. And it’s always just ‘fanta-bulous’ whenever you holiday with your family. Travelling with a baby has its challenges but always worth it. ‘Til our next adventure, au revoir for now.
Temples, night markets, street foods, red lights, and floating markets -these are what Bangkok is immensely popular for. A tourist favorite of the recent years, this city is an awesome juxtaposition of the old and new, solemn and outrageous.
Here are some of the popularly beaten places for tourists where my family of three have gone elbows-to-elbows with around the crowd in Bangkok.
Khaosan road: nightlife, street food, tattoos/henna, street massage, and coconut ice cream!
Wat Traimit: Solid Gold Buddha Temple located in Bangkok’s Chinatown
Wat Pho: the most beautiful temple of the three temples we’ve visited. Home to the biggest/longest reclining Buddha and center for learning Thai massage
Wat Benchamabophit: Temple made of marble, nothing too special inside tho. If you have to visit one temple in Bangkok, I recommend Wat Pho.
Soi 38: A haven for cheap goodness. It has the best mango sticky rice I’ve tried (I’ve had mango sticky rice almost everyday for 8 days in Thailand!). Soi38’s food hawkers start from 5pm in time for the locals coming home for dinner.
Soi Cowboy: This is one of Bangkok’s major red light district, with more western visitors. Close to the end of the road is the ladyboy bar -Cockatoo! No, we weren’t able to get in at any of the bars since we’re carrying a baby … next time, when he’s 13 maybe (hehe).
Damnoen Saduak: The oldest floating market which is an absolute tourist trap! The market is not really a local’s market, all things on sale are souvenirs for tourists and overpriced foods -but we still suck up to it, still a good experience.
Sampran Riverside: Popular for its elephant and cultural show. It also has a small mock up of the floating market. We have tried their organic int’l buffet restaurant -nothing special except for the seafood noodle soup and the fresh tropical fruits from dessert!
There are a lot more to see and do in Bangkok -fancy shopping at Siam center, stroll at the Royal Grand Palace, a daytrip to Ayutthaya, etc. You just got to pick your best bets unless you have a lot of time staying in this awesomely chaotic megalopolis!
NOMADIC PURSUITS 