Bangkok is our first stop in Thailand. After checking into our hotel and checking out what our room was like, we needed a little rest and relaxation. We headed straight to the rooftop pool for sunshine and some cocktails which ended up being 2 for 1, BARGAIN!
However, our first evening was not a great start to our time in Bangkok. After walking through Chinatown and not being able to find many places open to eat, or anything really open at all, we resorted to a classic restaurant called McDonalds. Here I ordered a spicy chicken burger saying to myself “it isn’t going to be THAT spicy, I like spicy food” to then taking a mouthful and instantly regretting my decision. Whilst trying to chug down an ice cold drink to relieve the pain of spice and my life choices, it was in that moment I realised our night was not going very well.
After the spicy incident we did eventually stumble upon Khao San Road which is know for its nightlife, bars, restaurants and market stalls. There were also an array of cooked insects such as crickets, beetles, scorpions, and tarantulas on sticks to eat. We didn’t fancy them. We did revisit Khao San Road many times in the evenings as the food was amazing, when we eventually were able to find it. For our first proper meal we had spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken and shrimp noodles, classic good asian dishes. At Khaosan Road we also couldn’t resist having a couple of foot massages, and for Rob this would be his first massage ever! He was a little apprehensive having someone touch his feet but in the end he enjoyed it so much. Massages are offered everywhere around the area and only cost about £3.50 for a half hour massage. Another BARGAIN!
On one of the days we visited the Grand Palace. This was the first temple we had ever been to and made sure we wore the correct clothes to be respectful. So we got some of those groovy travelling elephant print trousers from a lady selling them outside the palace. They ended up fitting me terribly, what a surprise. The length from the waist band to the crotch was literally for miles. I either looked like MC Hammer with baggy trousers, or some cartoon character geek with extremely high waisted trousers. Either way the trousers got us in.
The Grand Palace was decorated similarly to the temples in Chiang Mai but a bit more extra if you get what I mean. Mosaics, gold leaf they had it all. However, the most fascinating part was The Emerald Buddha. Sat in its own separate temple was a beautiful green jade carved Buddha. It was only tiny compared other types of figures we had seen but it sure was glistening. You had to enter the temple shoeless, quiet and without taking any photographs. I also learnt that the Emerald Buddha has 3 different outfits; summer, winter and wet season. It was wearing its winter outfit.
On our way back from the Grand Palace we thought we had to take a Tuk Tuk at least once in Asia. Have you even been to Asia if you haven’t been in a Tuk Tuk? They are everywhere and every single driver will ask if you need a ride. The thing is with a Tuk Tuk is that they cost more than a normal taxi, because it’s tourism we all want to go on one! And we did, it was fun just driving down the roads looking at all the stalls with the wind cooling us down. Tuk Tuk is checked off my bucket list!
After 2 days in Bangkok we flew to Chiang Mai which you can read all about in my previous blog post called “Temples, Night Bazaars and Robs Haircut in Chiang Mai”. Then flew back to Bangkok for another 2 days!
Round 2 of Bangkok started off with the best day I could of imagined. We were heading to Kanchanaburi which is 3 hours west of Bangkok to see the elephants, but before all of that we actually had to get there. We took a 2 hour drive to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, here we saw the headstones of all the prisoners of war victims that died building the infamous Burma Railway. The cemetery is kept so beautifully and it was heart wrenching to see how many people suffered, and at the ages they died. Many of them just ages 22, 23 and 24.
Across the road we took a train on the Burma Railway. We rode from Kanchanaburi through the green scenery across the Bridge on the River Kwai to Wang Pho Viaduct, which is famously know as the Death Bridge. This was an amazing experience, but still keeping in mind all the trauma, death and violence that was created. From here we took a short car ride to the elephants.
We arrived at the sanctuary called Elephant Haven. We were so excited to see the elephants, but first we had some delicious lunch whilst watching some of the guys who work with the elephants play a kick ball tennis type of game, which was quite entertaining. Then it was time ... elephant time.
The elephant excursion started off by walking the elephants through the jungle, they walked as if they were in slow motion, and they are so tall too. There were around 6 elephants that we were walking with through the jungle, eating the leaves, stopping for a scratch against a tree. I truly felt like I was in that Tarzan scene when all the elephants start singing and scratching up against the trees.
After walking for a little while we stopped off at a mud pool half way through the jungle. The elephants began to throw mud on themselves and on each other, as well as rolling around in it. Mud is basically their version of sun tan lotion. Elephants are just like big grey puppies when you see them playing in the mud! I loved it when the elephant in front threw mud on itself and the elephant behind just took the impact of all the mud spraying off.
Then my favourite part; we got to jump into the water with the elephants and give them a bath. We splashed the elephants with water and rubbed off all the mud they sprayed themselves with. The most surprising thing for me about the elephants is how hairy they are, they have hair everywhere! We both splashed and rubbed the elephants with some of them even spraying water back at us. It was so surreal just relaxing side by side with these beautiful creatures without a care in the world.
We walked back to the main camp afterwards and fed the elephants watermelons. The elephants were so happy to be fed and took the watermelon out of our hands with their trunk and shoved in straight into their mouths. Hanging out with the elephants at Elephant Haven was so magical and I will never ever forget such a special experience.
To end our time in Bangkok we headed to our hotels rooftop bar, had some cocktails and took in the night time views. I was able to draw on my cocktail with different colour syrups onto the white foam, whilst Robs was filled with cotton candy.
Bangkok overall was different. It didn’t blow me away in the way some places in Vietnam did but we are happy we visited and got to experience another huge city.
Next stop Thailands beautiful islands!
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