When I came back from Asia this past summer, the one place that people wanted to hear about most was Bangkok. It’s definitely been on my list for a while now – more specifically since a little movie we know as Hangover came out. In a tumultuous city known for their eclectic party scene, trannies and ladyboys – let’s just say I was a bit more than curious. In Singapore, we’d gotten a taste by checking out a tranny bar on our last night but when we arrived in Bangkok, it was a whole new ball game. We visited Nana Plaza on our first night – just to get it out of our system – which comprised of three levels of back-to-back strip clubs (ladyboy sightings included). At first, we were really excited to check out the red-light district in Bangkok but we noticed the plaza was only moderately filled, offering subpar entertainment at best. Let’s just say, it wasn’t fulfilling all my Hangover fantasies other than confirming my initial idea of Bangkok being a highly sexualized city.

 

Other than being widely known for their red-light districts, Bangkok probably has the most amount of street food I’ve seen yet. Street food is generally a popular quick eat all over Asia but Bangkok, in particular, had a food stand on every street corner I turned. They specialize in meat skewers and there was one of everything you could think of. Needless to say, we lived off of these skewers for most of our 4-day stay. Hard to resist when they were so cheap and delicious and, not to mention, always within reach. However, as much as we loved them, both my sister and I ended up getting the stomach flu after we’d left Bangkok. Safe to say, eat with caution for those planning to visit! Speaking from experience, there’s honestly nothing worse than getting food poisoning while traveling.

 

Amongst the chaos and bustle of Bangkok, there lies many temples and palaces that brings in large crowds. We’d plan to go to the major three temples but only ended up making it to two of them. You’d need a good two hours to explore each one thoroughly and not to mention, the smoldering temperatures were enough for me to just hide out indoors for the rest of the day. The first one we visited and also my favourite out of the two, was Wat Pho: Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Pictured above). The funny part is the moment we stepped into the temple doors, we were instantly rejected upon inspection of our attire. I guess we never got the memo that in order to enter any temple in Bangkok, all shoulders and legs must be covered. Dressed as a normal person wanting to survive the 40-degree heat, we were wearing tanks and shorts when we arrived. However, I’m sure many tourists make this mistake as there were many clothing stands nearby that sold scarves and long skirts for those needing to cover up before entering.

 

Once fully covered up with our newly purchased scarves, we entered Wat Pho. To enter the main building, where we’d find the largest reclining Buddha we’ve ever seen, you had to go barefoot as well. I found Wat Pho to be one of the more unique experiences of all the temples I’ve been to in Asia. One, I was really impressed by how massive the golden Buddha was and two, the exquisite detailing of the architecture with their golden accents in the entire complex was a standout to me. You can check out the full photo of the reclining Buddha in the photo gallery at the end of this post. Everything felt very grand and regal from the moment I stepped inside. Pictured above, right outside the main building with the Buddha, you can see my makeshift outfit. Adorned with scarves from top to bottom, I was literally dying from the heat but the way of dress is very important in showing respect within the palace – so I learned.

 

The Grand Palace (pictured above) is literally right next to Wat Pho, which makes it easy for visitors to plan their day. However, make sure to come early if you want to see both in one go, as we had to come back again to see the Grand Palace when we ran out of time the first day. The Grand Palace was stunning as well with similar themes of intricate gold pointed rooftops and spectacular archways. I’ve probably never seen so many beautiful structures all in one place. However, it was completely packed with people that taking any photos by yourself was a complete war zone. It was only just as the palace was closing that I was able to snap a few shots without anyone photobombing.

 

Both the Grand Palace and the Wat Pho temple were undeniably spectacular architecturally. The moment I stepped into either complex, it was obvious from the getgo that Thailand has a very distinct taste for style and design. As many beautiful palaces I’ve seen thus far, I’ll always remember how unique the Grand Palace was. Just seeing how much work that went into every detail – from the walls, interior, flooring, framing and roofing – was a feast for the eyes. My only complaint, of course, was that it was scorching out. Wat Pho offered a complimentary bottle of water with every admission ticket but for the Grand Palace, you’d have to bring your own. Luckily, there were refillable water stations throughout so you could explore the entire palace without passing out from heat exhaustion.

 

The highlight of Thailand was definitely our day trip to Elephants World – located in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. It was around a two and half hour drive to get here, taken with a private tour service. I’m not going to lie, I was initially against the idea of going to Elephants World as I was terrified of being so close to a live elephant. However, after looking up good reviews of peoples experience and seeing how much fun they were having, I was pretty sold. Also, when one comes to Thailand, it’s almost a MUST to visit an elephant sanctuary during their time there. I figured it would be an experience of a lifetime, so why not? As soon as we arrived, I knew I’d made the right decision as we were welcomed to a serene place, a hundred miles outside of the city.

 

I ended up loving Elephants World way more than expected. After having some time to take photos with the elephants, the first thing we were instructed to do was chop down crops to help feed the elephants. Before coming, I had no idea we’d get the chance to experience collecting and physically learning how to make their food. After feeding them the crops, we mashed up a big basket of bananas to feed the elephants next. We would roll the mashed up bananas into a huge ball and feed the elephants ourselves. I was pretty scared at first – being so up close and personal – but once I got the hang of it, it was actually a lot of fun. Elephants World did a great job of giving visitors the full experience of interacting with the whole herd of elephants while making you feel comfortable during the process.

 

Another thing that made Elephants World so amazing was how beautiful it was to be completely surrounded by nature. Other than having fun playing with the elephants, it was so lovely to see the majestic backdrop of greenery in the distance as we made our way into the waters. I enjoyed the scenic views of Kanchanaburi just as much as my time with the elephants. Pictured above, you can see that I’m fully clothed as I’m immersed in the waters of Thailand. As a sign of respect, swimsuits are absolutely not allowed in elephant sanctuaries. Good thing for me that I have two pairs of these same exact shorts 🙂 On a side note: Thailand is known for their vicious mosquitos so definitely remember to bring lots of mosquito spray when visiting the countryside! Other than that, I’d say I couldn’t ask for a better day. I overcame my fear of being attacked by elephants and learned how joyful and gentle they can really be.

 

The highlight of the day had to be when we were instructed to clean the elephants. I was in charge of brushing the elephant down while my sister would rinse them off. I quickly learned during our day there that smearing mud onto the elephants was a way of playing with them. A few of the guides at the sanctuary also smeared a bunch of mud onto the both us, which is how we ended up getting just as dirty as the elephants. When playtime was over, it was our job to make sure the elephants were cleaned up by the end of the day. We did this while in the water and then had some time to enjoy ourselves. As a small souvenir and to keep us hydrated throughout the day, we were also given water bottles and pouches to carry around with us. I found this to be extremely cute as it was definitely a day to remember. We then took a nice warm shower before leaving Elephants World and then sadly, it was time to go back to Bangkok.

 

Back in Bangkok, we had quite a night filled with district-hopping from one place to the next. We visited Chinatown (pictured above), Khao San Road, a rooftop bar and another stripper complex all in one night. Because Bangkok is known for their chaotic jam-packed streets, we needed to get to our destinations fast with no time to waste. Luckily for us, Bangkok offered Grab, which is their version of Uber – except better. Instead of riding in a car, we got to experience Bangkok like a local by riding on scooters throughout our time there. It was honestly my favourite part of being in Bangkok – zooming through the city on the back of a scooter in record time. In the above photo, you can see one the best things to do as a local in Bangkok: open-air dining. I lived in rompers during my trip to Asia and this night was no different. I wore a simple stripped romper with my Rebecca Minkoff crossbody as a lightweight purse to carry with me on my scooter rides – gotta be stylish yet discreet!

 

We tried many different types of food while in the city, from the freshest seafood in Chinatown to delicious sliced fruits sold on the streets. Naturally, we had to make a stop at the restaurant known for having “the best pad thai” in Bangkok, named Thip Samai. Pictured on the top left, you can see that the chefs were literally cooking on the streets right in front of the store. When we arrived, there was a long line to get inside but fortunately, it moved rather quickly and we were seated before we knew it. We ordered a shrimp pad thai wrapped in egg with their world famous orange juice (pictured bottom right). The pad thai was definitely good but I wouldn’t say it’s the best I’ve ever had. The orange juice, on the other hand, was mind-blowing. I kid you not – it was the most flavourful orange juice I’ve ever had, with real chunks of ripe oranges mixed in with it. If anything, a visit to Thip Samai is a must just for that orange juice.

 

On our last night in Bangkok, we had reservations to Gaggan (pictured above) – known as the best restaurant in all of Asia with two Michelin stars. I’m not going to lie but for the steep price of $360 CAD per person for 25 courses, I was expecting the best meal of my life. We arrived at a gorgeous two-story building, where we were led to the best seats in the house – the Chef’s table. It was by sheer luck that we were chosen, along with nine others, for these seats and we were definitely not complaining. Sitting at the Chef’s table meant that we got to witness firsthand how each and every one of our 25 courses was prepared. As well, as each course was presented to us, we were given a personalized description of the dish from the Chef himself. It was the first time I’d ever experienced dining alongside a group of strangers as we polished off 25 courses all at the same time.

 

Gaggan, an Indian restaurant, was definitely a very unique culinary experience. This was obvious from the beginning when we were given a menu with only 25 emojis on it. We’d find out what each emoji represented as the dishes came out in consecutive order. It was kind of like a fun game of guess to see what dish would come out based on the emoji. Pictured above are only nine of the courses. You can see the first and last eight courses in the photo gallery at the end of this post. I loved how every dish was literally a work of art with very distinct flavours in such small bites. One of the more memorable dishes, eaten using only your tongue, consisted of three different sauces with the words “lick it up!” written on top of them. The flavours were honestly delicious with all three complementing each other perfectly. If you’re a big foodie, I’d recommend checking it out based on the experience itself. However, in terms of feeling like we had a substantial meal, I would say it fell a bit short in spite of being spot-on with the flavours. You can see the full emoji menu at the end of this post.

 

As much I wanted to love Bangkok, I’d say four days were more than enough for me. By the end of it, I’d just about had enough of the heat and was ready to get out of this crazy city. Bangkok was just as I’d pictured it – chaotic, a mix between being run-down and regal with many ladyboy sightings. Bangkok is undoubtedly an exciting city with a very open mindset but I felt a bit let down by the red-light districts. For those who know, many people come to Thailand to see the infamous ping pong show; it was disappointing when we couldn’t find it anywhere or it was only viewable at certain times. However, I will say both my sister and I were seriously impressed by the rooftop of Vertigo and Moon Bar. It was by far my favourite rooftop experience of my entire Asia trip (see photo below). Not only did it have the most magical 360 views of Bangkok but I loved the intimate vibe of the bar, located 61 floors up on the Banyan Tree Hotel. Being a lover of rooftop pools, we ended the trip with a visit to our own rooftop pool right on top of our Airbnb (pictured above). I can’t say I loved Bangkok but I’ll say, you have to go at least once in your life 😉

 

If you enjoyed this post and would like to see more like these, please subscribe and follow us on Instagram @michellesinstyle!

 

 

Bangkok Photo Gallery