Day three of my Thailand adventure was my last full day in Bangkok before I’d take off elsewhere (I would have one final half day in Bangkok at the end of my trip, but it wouldn’t be quite as much time). So I was determined to make the most of it.
I again got up early and had a delicious hotel breakfast. I was not feeling quite as warm that morning for some reason, so I opted to get in a swim before taking off. Since the weather hadn’t cooperated the evening before, I was definitely craving some pool time.
After my swim, I took off for the day towards the river. My goal was to go to Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, which was on the other side of the Chao Phraya River and a ways down from there. I’d read one of the easiest ways to get there was to take the local ferry so opted to do that.
The ferry ended up being very easy to use. Bought a ticket from the booth on the pier and then hopped on when it arrived. It took me down the river a little further where I got off right in front of the temple.
I was realizing maybe I should have skipped the swim and taken off a little earlier. It was boiling hot out in the direct sun and there was limited shade around the temple.
Still, I wandered around and enjoyed the sights (and the complimentary small bottle of water) before stopping at a coffee shop nearby to refresh. I had a strawberry mango tea which was so delicious.
I could feel my energy fading in the heat. After all the walking of the day before my body just couldn’t quite handle it. I’d been wanting to maybe do a museum in the afternoon anyways, so I headed to the National Museum Bangkok. I took the ferry back across the river and then walked over, though I ended up running into road closures that made my route take longer. I was in Thailand right during the queen’s birthday, which is a huge to-do in Bangkok, so they’d closed off some roads around the palace.
Purple ribbons were everywhere to help celebrate the queen’s birthday
I actually ended up enjoying the museum pretty well. There were a couple of different structures on the grounds, a house and temple. It also had several different galleries featuring artifacts and art from Thailand. Feel free to peruse the gallery below.
The museum itself was airconditioned, though to get to different galleries you did have to walk outside. And I could tell I’d just kind of exhausted myself and was feeling a little dizzy and dehydrated after an hour or so.
Knowing I needed water and maybe some food, I opted to go eat at the museum café. Now, normally I avoid cafes at touristy spots other than for things like coffee or beverages maybe. But I definitely didn’t want to walk any further, and besides, I wanted to finish up the museum after I’d refreshed and wasn’t certain I could come back in after I left.
So I sat down at the cafe. It was outdoors, but shaded and had lots of fans. Honestly, AC is nice, but fans are really what you need when it is that hot and humid. The air circulation just feels so good and helps zap the moisture away from your body.
At the cafe I had Thai basil fried rice with chicken. It was actually super tasty. They brought the chilis on the side, but I went ahead and added them. The first two days I had been careful with my stomach adjusting so hadn’t indulged in much spice yet, so it was good to finally get to experience some of the heat Thai cooking is famous for.
I seriously was impressed by the food quality, especially because the prices weren’t super inflated like they sometimes are at tourist stops. I went ahead and had two bottles of water and an ice cream, and by the time I was done was definitely feeling much better.
I finished up at the museum, seeing all of the galleries. I was glad I’d chosen to refuel so I could enjoy the rest of the place. One of my favorite parts was the “garage” that housed some of the royal chariots which were incredibly ornate and impressive.
Having seen everything the museum had to offer, then walked back to my hotel to have another lazy afternoon by the pool. Honestly, I figured I should make the most of my pool space as the next two hotels I’d stay at wouldn’t have one.
After relaxing for a while, I headed back out to find some dinner.
I saw good reviews for a place called Steve Cafe and Cuisine on the water. The name made me chuckle a little, and made me think maybe it was overly touristy, but sitting along the river sounded perfect, and they had pretty good reviews.
So I walked over, admiring temples and other sights along the way.
At the restaurant I was asked to take off my shoes. In my research on Thailand I’d been warned some restaurants might do this, but I still was a little surprised at first. I stowed my shoes in a locker they offered and then headed in.
Barefoot I walked over to my table along the waterfront. Once again the restaurant was outdoors, but shaded and had good fans. And the views were lovely.
I watched as the sun sank down, though the sunset wasn’t great since clouds were starting to roll in.
I started off with a Thai milk tea, which was so refreshing and delicious. Then for my dinner I had the soft-shell crab with black pepper. I realized after ordering it I hadn’t tried soft-shell crab before, only traditional crab removed from its shell. I’m not a fan of eating things like shrimp tails (I know some people don’t mind it but it’s a texture that really bothers me). I was a little nervous, but I told myself to be brave, and that I wouldn’t know if I liked it or not until I tried it.
It actually was really delicious. The shell wasn’t quite as crunchy as a shrimp tail, though still probably not my first choice of texture. Still it was fun to try something new and it was flavorful and different.
Since the sunset wasn’t spectacular, I didn’t linger too long after finishing my food. I opted to walk back to my hotel. One of the roads I’d walked up on the way there was pretty deserted, so I was a little nervous walking in the dark. I took a different route, a little longer but sticking to more major thoroughfares. There were plenty of other people still out though, so at no point did I really feel unsafe.
At my hotel the weather was actually still behaving to my relief so I went for one last swim before concluding the evening.
Join me next time for more details of my trip, and my next destination… Khao Yai National Park!
Day two of my adventure in Thailand started with an early morning in Bangkok. I actually originally woke up at 4 AM (curse you jetlag), but did fall back asleep until 7, which was when I’d set my alarm for in the first place.
I headed downstairs to grab some breakfast. One criteria I almost always have in picking my hotels is that they have a breakfast available (preferably just included in the price). I actually am a person who really needs some sustenance in the morning to function on the regular. So when I’m out trekking it’s imperative I eat something.
My hotel had a nice variety of food, some more “Americanized” options like eggs, ham, toast. But also some rice and some kind of stir fried meat and peppers, which I found very delicious. Having filled up I felt ready to face the day ahead.
My first stop was the Grand Palace. My research before the trip had indicated it was a must see in Thailand. Hence making it a priority for the day. I had heard it was good to get there early, avoiding both the heat and the crowds. So I went as soon as it opened at 8:30.
The Grand Palace is essentially a large complex including the royal residence (Thailand still has a monarchy) as well as a temple, and some other structures. I went ahead and rented an audioguide to be able to get some more information as I walked around.
It was very warm in the sun, so I was definitely glad I’d gone early in the day, though I still had to stop and buy water more than once while walking.
I took lots of pictures so make sure to scroll through the slideshow below to get some views of the beauty of the Grand Palace.
I also took advantage of the museums in the complex while I was there. One was devoted to the temple and another called the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles was essentially devoted to the fashion worn by the queen mother. I enjoyed both, especially some time in the air conditioned buildings instead of the intense heat of the sun.
When I finished at the Grand Palace, I decided to walk over to Wat Pho, a nearby temple complex that houses the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
I walked around a bit inside the complex, admiring the various parts of the temple especially the enormous reclining Buddha (pictures just don’t quite do it justice). The temperatures were definitely rising though, so I opted to get some ice cream and water for lunch before deciding I needed a longer break in air conditioning.
My ticket to the Grand Palace also included a show called the Khon Thai Masked Dance performance. It was only available in the afternoon, so I hadn’t worried about it earlier. But now it seemed like a good option.
So figuring I’d already paid for it anyway and could use a break inside, I hopped on one of their open air trolleys to get over to the theater. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take my hat off and as we were driving it came flying off into the busy road. Of course, it wasn’t like I could easily ask the driver to stop so I could fetch it. So I just resigned myself to losing my hat. The good news was, I’d brought a backup one, not to mention I was sure I could find a cheap one elsewhere if I really needed.
At the theater, I headed inside and found a seat. For the next thirty minutes I watched various dancers perform. They did some dances showing the various time periods of Thai history, a couple showing off different regional dances, and also did a retelling of one of their traditional stories in dance form. All in all, very beautiful and enjoyable.
An example of what some of the costumes looked like
After the performance, I hopped back on the trolley to head back to the Grand Palace. They stopped to let some people out on the far corner of the palace, and I realized it was right near where I’d lost my hat. I figured it had probably been run over, but honestly, since I was in the area I figured I’d check.
As I scanned the road, I saw nothing, but when I happened to look off the road I saw a hat sitting on one of the posts that keeps vehicles off the curb. I ran over, and there was my hat in perfect condition.
A Thai man who had apparently either seen someone grab it and put it safely there or perhaps done so himself was delighted to see me get it. He smiled and said something in Thai, and I just grinned feeling so incredibly lucky.
The heat was only continuing to get more intense so I headed back to my hotel to enjoy the pool for a bit. I admired a few things along the way, but otherwise just went straight back. Definitely a good choice!
Government offices were decorated with white and purple ribbons for the Queen’s birthday, which was happening later in the week
That evening, I headed out to find dinner. I figured I’d venture down to Chinatown to do something different. I saw some good reviews for a fried noodle place not too far from Chinatown, so I headed there. The place was called Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai, and it had a Michelin award.
I decided to try something different and chose the fried noodles and shrimp. I also had a coconut beverage which was delicious. The noodles came out and I was not impressed. The shrimp didn’t taste very fresh to me. The fried noodles had a weird slimy and gluey texture underneath the crispy exterior. (I actually did end up having these noodles again later in the trip and decided they just aren’t really for me texture-wise). They also brought some kind of a sour soup that was okay.
I left the restaurant, initially thinking maybe I could walk down to more of the real part of Chinatown and walk around. But I was pretty tired out from the day, so I opted to instead to just walk past The Giant Swing, a tall red structure outside of a temple that used to be used for ceremonies. It wasn’t very far out of the way on my way back to my hotel.
I actually ended up being very glad I didn’t go all the way down to Chinatown as it started raining really hard. I was thoroughly soaked by the time I got back to my hotel, even with an umbrella.
I’d hoped to swim again in the evening, but sadly the weather foiled those plans (also doing some thunder and lightning… never a great idea in an outdoor pool).
With all of those adventures behind me I headed to bed ready for more excitement the next day.
Another year, therefore it’s time for another vacation. And for the first time since 2020 I’m finally doing another solo trip!
For those who don’t know, I’m a huge fan of solo traveling. While there are definitely advantages to traveling with friends, family, significant others, etc. I find that solo travel truly is a magical experience that I hope everyone can experience at least once in a lifetime. Maybe I’ll write a whole post about it in the future, but for now just know this is a journey taken, planned, and experienced by me alone.
So this year’s destination is… Thailand! I’ve had a couple people scratch their heads about that one. But let me explain the factors that led me to decide Thailand was the perfect destination to head to this summer.
Something new: I have done a large amount of travel in Europe. And while I do hope to do more in Africa and South America, I’ve been uncertain about venturing to either by myself (if any other solo female travelers have experiences in either please give me your tips), and Australia is expensive, far away, and can require a huge amount of time to get around. Therefore, a country in Asia was the logical choice.
Safe: as hinted at above, I wanted a relatively safe country, especially one where women have expressed they feel they can travel alone without too many problems. Sure, all travel involves risks (I’m sure you’ll hear me tell a couple tales along the way), but I do try to minimize risks where I can. I found a website dedicated to solo female travel that uses a couple factors to rank countries on their safety for women (US travel advisory, UK travel advisory, Global Peace Index, and actual women’s experiences). For those who have been so worried when I’ve mentioned Thailand, take a look at where the US falls on that list in comparison (hint it’s certainly not at the top of the list).
Affordable: Australia was ruled out largely because plane tickets tend to be outrageous, and prices in the country itself are pretty high. Thailand on the other hand was in the off season, is a cheaper country as it is, and I was able to find a good deal flying out late on Memorial Day weekend and returning midweek in June. I’ve heard some people say “chase the deal not the destination” and I think that is the perfect representation of how I often plan trips. It’s less to do with my dream bucket list, and more to do with what is affordable for me to try something new.
Something important to me: one hobby I’ve gotten really into lately is the study of nature, birds in particular, but also plants, arthropods, mammals, reptiles, etc. A number of years ago my family took a trip to Costa Rica, and it was one of my favorite trips ever, namely because we much of the trip was dedicated to seeing the wonders of the natural world and the amazing biodiversity available there. So, I was eager to go somewhere that might also offer those opportunities. Tropical destinations tend to work well for this, but especially ones that have established some amount of eco-tourism (natural parks, protected animals, etc), I visited Colombia a number of years back, and while there certainly is the same amount of biodiversity there, animals had been hunted for years and were therefore extremely cautious around humans. So while I knew there were all kinds of amazing animals not too far away, we saw very few. One of my biggest hopes in Thailand was to visit some of the national parks and see some of their amazing wildlife and plants.
So with those factors in mind, Thailand was my pick. And sure enough I found a good enough deal to decide it was worth doing.
But you’re going by yourself? Aren’t you scared? I’ve had a few people question me, and had more wishes of “safe travels” than I normally do. But the reality is I’ve had people question me almost every place I’ve gone. France? Terrorism. Colombia? Rampant crime! Greece? Drug use! And no, I’m actually not kidding. The few countries I haven’t had people say anything about are probably just ones people know next to nothing about (IE Croatia…).
At this point I’ve traveled to thirty countries, and four continents. Sixteen of those countries I visited by myself. So the reality is I’m an experienced traveler, I know what I’m doing, and I know how to be cautious.
So, I’ve spent enough time hashing over why I chose Thailand. Let’s breakdown day one.
Well… technically it’s day three? Because the amount of flying it took to reach Thailand had me there two days later. I did look, but I found no direct flights to Bangkok from the United States (if someone finds one, let me know so I can grumble about it). This meant I had to fly to another destination closer to Thailand and then to Thailand itself. And the more layovers you add, the longer things take. Especially when one of your flights (Los Angeles to Taipei) is fourteen hours.
I flew China Airlines, a new airline for me. All in all I give them a solid B+. They served decent food, had some good in-flight entertainment options, and all in all got me where I needed to be with very little hassle.
Regardless, let’s start with day one of actual travel beyond just flying and hanging out in airports. I arrived in Bangkok around ten in the morning. Not my favorite time to get started on a day of traveling after being jet lagged, but nonetheless it was the time I was dealt.
I got through immigration, and while waiting for my bag, went to grab my debit card to withdraw some Thai Baht (money) to have on hand. I’d heard most places in Thailand didn’t take credit card (this definitely proved true– only used it a couple times). As I went to grab my card, suddenly I couldn’t find it. I had a brief panic thinking I’d left it home, only to find it had slipped inside my immunization records. Relieved I took out some cash to have on hand, picked up my bag, and headed on my way.
Now to get to my hotel.
So normally with big cities I’m good at using public transport. I’ve become pretty expert at metro systems, and even some bus lines I’ve been willing to tackle. But it turned out the hotel I’d chosen was pretty far from metro lines or the sky train, so it meant I’d have to make a couple transfers, some of which would involve buses. It sounded like it would take a while, not to mention possibly be confusing, and challenging with luggage. So I did what I normally don’t do when I travel and treated myself to a ride.
Initially, my instinct was to go with a taxi, but unfortunately I had pretty big bills, and wasn’t certain if a taxi would be able to change them. I really wasn’t familiar with the money yet. And besides, there was an option I knew might be a little more expensive but definitely easier.
So I went with another choice. Essentially it’s like the Asian version of Uber, called Grab. I started trying to call for a car, but for some reason my credit card decided it was a time to flake out and not work in the app. I stood outside fiddling with it for a few minutes, but finally had to give up and go back into the air conditioned building to figure it out because even a few minutes of standing still outside in the shade was unbearably warm.
I’d been warned Bangkok was hot and humid, but my goodness people were not kidding. Definitely felt the warmest of any place I’ve ever been before.
Thankfully I did get my card to work and my driver appeared a few minutes later. I’d just gotten in the car and we were pulling away, when suddenly police were pulling my driver over.
I sat there in confusion as they pulled my driver away to go fill out some kind of paperwork. As my driver spoke almost no English, and I unfortunately do not speak Thai (I tried to learn a little but it is a HARD language), I had no idea what was going on. He returned a few minutes later with a paper in his hands. Best I can figure he maybe broke some kind of rule about where the Grab cars are allowed to be or how long they can wait and got a ticket? I’m still not certain. But he was heading in the right direction and otherwise seemed to be doing what he was supposed to (he had a great rating on the app too). So I just sat back, keeping one eye on the route map and the other on the window to enjoy the new city around me.
I arrived at my hotel around noon. I was staying at Lamphu Treehouse Boutique Hotel. Sadly not actually a treehouse (I mean I knew that going in, but still). It was a ltitle early for check in, but I figured if nothing else maybe I could sit for a bit or store my bag and go walk around. Thankfully, my room was ready so I was led up to the fifth floor and shown inside.
My roomViews from the hotelMe jet-lagged but happy!Hotel exteriorThought this was a cute touch!
The AC felt amazing, even more so when I opened the balcony door to step out and take some pictures. I was quickly realizing the heat in Bangkok was no joke.
Nonetheless, I had a half a day to kill, and didn’t want to spend all of it in my hotel. Initially, my instinct was to try to find a place with AC, but on second thought, most of those museums and such were further afield. And I wasn’t sure I was down for that either. I was wiped out from the long trip. So I figured… keep it simple, go get some water and something to eat. Hopefully use it as a chance to change out some baht for smaller bills to use later.
I looked for “grocery stores near me” and there was a 7 Eleven just a couple blocks away. So I headed over to that.
I then got my first experience with the joys of crossing Thai city streets.
An example of a busy Thai street
The street I was on didn’t have a crosswalk sign. So I figured oh well, just follow traffic that should work. Except even when cars weren’t coming one way, they were turning from the other direction. And even when lights were red, motorbikes seemed to still come through the intersection regardless. I stood there for a few minutes just waiting for things to be clear, feeling insanely nervous. Finally I caught a small break and I got across and headed into the store.
My family has always had a tradition in hot and humid places of getting a bag of some kind of chips and a drink. Honestly my appetite disappears when it’s really hot, and those two things kind of help replenish what my body needs when it sweats.
I also added an ice cream bar for good measure.
Heading out I debated heading back to my hotel, but part of me was worried I’d just end up crashing there, possibly even falling asleep and messing up my new sleep schedule. Okay, well I’d find somewhere outside to sit. Sure it was hot, but if anything it might help me adjust?
I started walking, not seeing much. Thought about just eating the chips while I walked, but remembered reading somewhere that’s kind of uncouth. And sure, I know sometimes I’m going to look like a dumb tourist, but when it can be avoided I do try to be respectful of others’ cultural norms.
So I looked on my phone and saw there was a park not too far away.
I headed in a beeline for that, stopping to take a few pictures of various things I thought were pretty.
At the “park” I realized it was actually more of a temple grounds. And I had no idea if eating there would be disrespectful. If I pictured going into a church and eating, that seemed incredibly rude (at least in most people’s views), so I opted to not do that.
Definitely looked more like a temple than a park!
I saw a man just sitting on a curb eating. But I kept walking, thinking I’d find a bench or something. Just a couple blocks later I gave up and sat on a little curb beside a canal. It was kind of dirty, but it worked, and I was able to eat my ice cream before it was totally melted.
When I was finished I looked at my map again. I figured I’d go with one of my original plans and go to the Golden Mount, a nearby temple with some good views of the city. It was very close by, which I figured would be good on a day I was jetlagged. I’d also seen it in several guidebooks.
At the Golden Mount I paid for my ticket and began the ascent up the steps to the temple. It’s quite a climb, but was well worth it for beautiful views and more. Admired the architecture, the serenity of the temple, and Bangkok itself.
I used the bathroom there and had my first experience with being asked to remove my shoes for a bathroom! They provide flip flops for you, but still kind of weird to experience.
Though the climb was great, by the time I got back down, my body was soaked in sweat. I knew I needed water ASAP, and definitely more than the small bottle I’d had for “lunch”. My face was feeling like it was burning, which usually means I’m beet red and people start worrying I’m going to pass out (not usually the case I’m just very Northern European in my heritage and the slightest heat really shows). Regardless, I was feeling kind of dizzy, probably a combo of the jetlag and heat.
So, reluctantly, I headed back to the hotel to cool down. I grabbed two large bottles of water on the way to make sure I was really hydrated. Back at the hotel, I put on my swimsuit and headed to the pool.
I spent the remainder of the afternoon just relaxing. It was definitely what I needed. I have a tendency to overexert myself traveling, I very often end up coming home with some kind of bug because my body is just so tired it can’t fight off germs anymore. So, determined not to have that problem, I went ahead and gave myself some grace to relax a bit.
Dinner time soon rolled around. And right about that time it started pouring rain.
I’d looked a bit on Tripadvisor to see what was nearby restaurant-wise, but wasn’t seeing a lot of options. Under normal circumstances I’d probably walk around a bit, but with the fatigue and the rain I opted to keep things simple. Tripadvisor did say there was a restaurant connected to my hotel, and it actually had decent reviews. Downstairs, however, there was no indication a restaurant was there. And sure enough there were a few signs in the lobby saying the restaurant had moved and pointing a little down the road. I hesitated, but eventually decided it was worth just getting some food so I could get to bed early and finally sleep (the thing I really wanted to do after such a long day).
I headed down the road with my umbrella and found the restaurant. I ordered Pad Woon Sen, a dish of glass noodles, egg, herbs, vegetables, and a protein of my choice (I did chicken). It was actually really good and hit the spot. I also had a mango smoothie, which was so refreshing.
Finally I headed back to my hotel and allowed myself to crash. I definitely was ready for a good night’s sleep in hopes of more energy the following day. I admired the views of the Golden Temple lit up in the rainy night from my hotel room before turning in.
Well, hopefully you’ll stay tuned for future adventures. The first day definitely was less busy after all the travel, but there is so much more I’d love to share with you if you want to follow along!
To Roam the Roads of Lands Remote 