22 – 24 October – Bangkok

What a fantastic fusion of East and West! So much like the Jakarta I grew up in, and yet bigger, better, busier, more successful! I think if I were to sum Bangkok up in a word, it would be Cyberpunk. There’s this fantastic blend of local dirty streets and towering steel and glass skyscrapers, and there’s a sense of Bladerunner, especially at night.

We weren’t in Bangkok especially long, and I really regret that. I think that if I were to redo the whole thing, it would be five nights in Bangkok and three in Phuket to just relax before heading home.

Once again, we bunked up with the Centara chain, this time at their flagship Centara Grand, which is attached to a huge convention center and shopping mall. The entire complex is huge, and probably one of the more expensive places to stay and shop in Bangkok. Nonetheless, I am impressed with the good deal we good. The amenities were stellar, the view amazing, and the food great for the price we paid. It’s also within moderate walking distance of most of the shopping centres in the CBD.

Bangkok’s commerce runs on a 10am – 10pm day, allowing for several peak traffic shifts. This meant that despite the briefness of our stay, we got around to a fair amount of shopping (mostly of the window variety), with returns to the hotel in between.

Getting around the Bangkok CBD is really easy. You can walk at street level (humid, dirty, polluted, crowded), you can take the Skytrain (amazingly clean, very fast and efficient), or you can use the Skywalk. This elevated footpath follows the Skytrain tracks underneath, but is much cleaner and safer than street level. I strongly recommend using it.

On the Sunday, we took the Skytrain out to the Chatuchak weekend markets. The place is huge and mostly seems to cater to those who wish to procure touristy-handicrafts and cheap clothes. Despite its vast size, it’s hugely crowded and I’m sure we were there too long for the comfort of P’s claustrophobia.

That night we went to the night markets and flower markets in Chinatown. This is a great attraction to visit, even if you do not wish to purchase anything. All the flowers for the city are delivered here overnight. They are prepared and sold to shops, hotels, and other outlets all over Bangkok.