Having "Me" Time

It's Friday evening and the weekend lies ahead.  When I get tired, when I need a holiday sometimes all it takes is a little day trip to revitalize the soul.  Just an hour outside of Bangkok and already it can make one feel relaxed. I see the big open sky high above me and somehow it dissolves away the hassles and tiredness of everyday life.  If you are wondering what to do this weekend, perhaps you can take a little trip to Bang pu (Bangpoo).  It's actually only around 45 minutes away and a good place to just go have a good lunch and come back refreshed. Bang pu is adjacent to Bangkok in Samut Prakarn province and lies southeast of Bangkok.  It borders on the Gulf of Thailand and that's where its charm lies.  You can go have a nice meal by the gulf and it's only an hour's drive away.  A good place to escape the hassle and bustle of modern Bangkok.  A restaurant Alex and I tried and have since gone back is called "Rabiengta- Le" which li...

It's a long weekend in Bangkok and what bliss it is to have a four day weekend.  You do your errands, have family time, have time for friends and still you have time leftover for yourself.  It's a great opportunity to unwind, relax and slow down a little.  It's also a great time to travel.  If you don't want to go to the beach or to the mountains where a significant portion of Bangkok's population has escaped to, you could choose to opt for a day trip to Bang Pa-In Palace  near the ancient capital of Ayutthaya . If you have visitors from out of town, this is a great place to take them without having to drive too far.  The palace is only roughly forty-five minutes by car so you don't feel too exhausted by the time you get there. Bang Pa-In is also known as the summer palace and has a history dating back to the 17th century when King Prasart Thong first had the palace constructed.  The most beautiful building in the compound is the...

Over the past few days I've been recommending the best of what ancient Bangkok has to offer in terms of sites and cultural heritage for those have only a day to spend.  Below is my recommended itinerary and one that I use when I have friends visiting :)  Hope you like it! Morning :  - Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha Lunch :  Pra Athit Road (There are so many restaurants along this road, I'll mention them in my next post) Afternoon :  - Temple of the Reclining Buddha  - Tea at "Vivi The Coffee Place"  - Cross the river to the Temple of Dawn Evening :  - Dinner at "The Deck" Arun Residence I realize I haven't  really talked about where to eat "Lunch" yet and eating is always a big deal of travel.  Somedays on trips one can spend so much time looking for good delicious food it can be a bit of a headache.  In the next post I'll give you some recommendations about restaurants along "Pra Athit"...

There are a few favorite spots of mine outside of Bangkok and the one I like most at the moment is a the little market at Nakorn Chaisi district which is in Nakorn Pathom province.  It's not that far out from Bangkok and is only roughly a half hour drive if you are coming from the Pinklao area.  I've been there several times already and most recently last week.  It offers a combination of good food, good ambiance and is overall a pleasant place to take a stroll. I like it because the wooden shop houses date back roughly a hundred years and bank the Nakorn Chaisi river which is so beautifully peaceful.  It's a small little area and its a lovely place to just take a short walk, buy a few good snacks and food to take home, and have your lunch.  You are not going to get lost here unless you decide to cross the main road or bridge and keep on going.    If you can stand the heat, you can even buy fish food and feed the fish along its banks...