Days 173-175: Chillin' Out In Bangkok

After China, our next stop was Bangkok, Thailand, where we'd spend a quick three days before heading to Cambodia.  We stayed at the Eastin Grand Sathorn in Bangkok, a hotel we'd highly recommend.  The hotel was connected to a BTS stop, which was fantastic, as the traffic in Bangkok is horrendous. The rooms were modern and spacious, the breakfast was abundant, the price was reasonable and the pool was awesome.  

Pool on the 15th floor of the Eastin

One of the highlights of our time in Bangkok was that we got together with some of Chris' friends from business school who currently live in the area. We went to a delicious Japanese restaurant not far from our hotel and had great time catching up with everyone!  We also got some great advice on where to go and what to do in the area - not just in Bangkok but all over South East Asia. 

Sloanies reunite: Parith, Niran, Gib & Chris :)

We spent a lot of our time in Bangkok just chilling out.  Since we'd spend the next four days visiting temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we decided to pass on the major tourist attractions in Bangkok this time around, figuring we'd be back in the city again before leaving Thailand.  Instead, we went down to the major shopping area to pick up our bus tickets to Siem Reap. While we were there we had a look around the malls and both of us really enjoyed the Siam Center.  While it's technically a mall, it's full of pop-up concept stores showcasing really artistic and unique fashion.  I'm living out of a backpack and don't have the luxury of high fashion, so I really enjoyed looking through these stores!  Even Chris - who abhors shopping - liked it! 

Siam Center

Siam Center atrium

One night we went next door to our hotel to have a delicious dinner at the Blue Elephant. The Thai food was awesome and the building was beautiful.  It dates back to 1903 and was once the Bombay Department Store. Twenty years later it became the chamber of commerce, and during WWII the Japanese used it as a command center.  In 2000 it was restored and is now used as a restaurant and culinary school.  Definitely worth a visit!

We also went to Asiatique on Saturday night.  Asiatique, once a bunch of wharhouses, is now a compilation of restaurants and stores located right on the river. To get there we took a free ferry boat down the river.  Since it was Saturday night, the place was absolutely mobbed. We ate dinner at a French restaurant by the pier which was good, but then headed back early as the place was a zoo!  While the complex was really well done and there were tons of interesting restaurants to chose from, next time we'd probably head over during the week, as the weekend here is crazy! 

We had a great time in Bangkok and look forward to returning. On our next visit we hope to see the Grand Palace, Jim Thompson House and have a drink at Sirocco (rooftop bar notable for its appearance in the Hangover II).