Saturday 30th September 2017, we took an early morning 9 hours and 50 minutes direct flight to Bangkok with Qantas Airways. Most of the day was spent travelling and we ended up with a late check-in however made it in time for sunset.
Checking into the Lebua Hotel, reception is lovely and we were escorted to our fabulous city river view room. I think this is a really nice service to provide in a 5-star hotel, it definitely makes you feel like you are going to be looked after.
After only being in our room for 10 minutes there was a knock at the door it was the room attendant with a bunch of red roses. My first impression was how sweet then he said “happy honeymoon”. I immediately giggled inside and thought James must have arranged some flowers, hotels don’t greet guests with roses let alone red ones. I smiled and thanked the room attendant. James looked as surprised as me and implied he didn’t buy roses but it made sense that he knew about it and I vowed to get to the bottom of it later.
The sun was setting so we refreshed and headed up to the rooftop to the famous Skybar for cocktails . This is where “The Hangover” was filmed. The view is spectacular here and the cocktails delicious.
As much as we wanted to enjoy a local restaurant’s cuisine we couldn’t part from the sensational rooftop view of Bangkok lit up at night so we dined at Breeze on the rooftop.
I have never seen a rooftop so magnificently designed. Sydney where I live is a fabulous city but I have to say when it comes to after dark enjoyment like this we don’t have it. The food here was divine and the hospitality superb. Even though you are eating dumplings and small dishes don’t expect a cheap meal. You pay for service and quality.
We had the opportunity to get to know the manager who was so sweet. She was actually Singaporean who has been living in Bangkok for many years and loved her Managerial role at Lebua and had apparently been poached from another hotel.
Dining Recommendations: Dumplings and the Wagyu Beef
After a not so heavy dinner, we had a couple more drinks and took a taxi to Onyx nightclub approximately 25 minutes by car.
The taxi driver dropped us off a few minutes walk away under the Sirat Expy Toll Road, in what looked like a dodgy area however the street had young people staggered all around and that’s when I knew we were definitely in the right area once on Thanon Watthana Tham Road.
Upon entering Onyx, security checked our Ids and we were given a free drink card each. Gotta love the customer service touch there not something you see much of in Sydney.
James and I explored the club, the dance floor downstairs was packed like sardines so we headed to the bar and seating area upstairs where you could still dance and had a view of the sardines below.
The atmosphere was exciting and not like anything I’ve felt at home.
We had a fun night of dancing to house electro music.
The following day after a well-deserved sleep in, we roamed around the city from one shopping complex to another. The city is so humid and the great thing here is that a lot of the shopping malls are connected so you can escape the humidity and mad traffic below.
Believe it or not, the shopping malls didn’t appeal to me, they all seemed to be either high-end fashion or have the same common stores in every country like Zara and H & M. I was hoping to find something more unique and locally made. Alas, I returned to the hotel empty-handed.
Our accommodation package included canapes and drinks at the Lebua Tower Club lounge on the 52nd floor. We sat at a table with a perfect view of The Chao Phraya river and took in the sensational sunset. Sunsets and sunrises no matter where you are always impeccable, it’s natural beauty draws you in.
The canapes were ok, it’s not an option I would suggest paying for however it was part of our package. Unlimited drinks including cocktails was a great way to start the evening.
A couple of hours later, we caught a taxi to a restaurant I pre-booked from home called Namsaah Bottling Trust. This charming pink early 20th-century villa with a restaurant and cocktail bar is located on Silom Soi 7 Road off Silom Road. At first, I wondered where the taxi driver was taking us but thankfully for Google maps on our mobiles, we knew we were on the right path.
I loved the ambiance of the gorgeous pink establishment and the warm hospitality received on arrival. The wooden floorboards, artifacts and moody red lighting also add to the atmosphere.
We sat upstairs and I was given a shawl to keep warm as it was quite cool with the air conditioning system. The service and food were good and the restaurant was not at full capacity which was nice.
Dinner for two cost us approximately:
Total Bill for 2 Person $2895.42 Baht = $111.16 Aud
Per person $1447.71 Baht = $55.58 Aud Per Person
Dining Recommendations: Masssman Beef Curry
The following morning Monday 2nd October, our private tour guide and driver picked us up at the hotel for our Half Day Bangkok City Temple Tour With 3 Most Distinguished Temples.
Our English speaking guide met us at our hotel at 9 am and the tour started with the visit to Wat Trimitr. Here we saw the renowned Golden Buddha that stands at 10 feet (3m) high and weighs 5.5 ton. The image was built with pure gold with the fine art of Sukhothai period around the 13th century. It was recorded as the world largest Buddha image made of gold by Guinness World Book of Record.
We continue our drive to Rattakosin Island passing through China Town and flower market. Upon arrival at Tha Tien pier, we took a 5 min boat ride across the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun, known as the Temple of Dawn. With its magnificent 259 feet (79m) high pagoda-style monument, situated just beside the Chao Phraya River, Wat Arun is one of the most astonishing landmarks in Bangkok with a spectacular view from the surrounding. We crossed back to the other side of the river again a short boat trip, not the 1 hr trip as advised and took a short stroll passing through the market and street to Wat Pho, well-known for its huge Reclining Buddha, measuring an impressive 150 feet (46m) long and 49 feet (15m) high. Founded in 1781 by King Rama I of Chakri Dynasty, Wat Pho was the first university of Thailand that taught a wide range of knowledge ranging from astrology, literature and medicine. It is also a temple museum that contains many hard-to-be found artifacts and inscriptions.
Due to the tour finishing quite early the tour guide asked us if it was okay to make a stop to Gems Gallery before we return to the hotel. James and I knew what she was up to but still went. I had been to a similar place in Singapore and didn’t mind and it was a good opportunity to look at jewellery and souvenirs. The jewellry was lovely but not enough for me to buy, however, I did buy myself a gorgeous ceramic elephant. The tour guide returned us straight to our hotel, we gave a tip, however, I was not satisfied with the trip not including all that was stated. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed the cultural day.
The remainder of the day we chilled at the hotel, enjoyed 5pm canapes at the lounge and dined at Breeze upstairs on the roof for our final night of an amazing view of Bangkok, however, mother nature was cruel and bestowed rain upon on our evening but thankfully we still got to experienced outdoor uncover dining.
Bangkok is a hectic yet interesting city, was nice to explore more than just the airport this time.
Make sure to take some time to enjoy a bit of Bangkok along your path within Asia.
christinetravels 