At long long last, my first ever travel out of the Philippines! After trying for many years, failed plans and money wasted, I finally experienced the beauty of what’s out there. As per say, “Travel because life is short and the world is huge.” That is why I always want to travel and discover different places and people. I want to explore and discover every place in the world.

I chose Bangkok, Thailand for my first travel abroad because I have read from different travel blogs that BKK is the best choice for first timers traveling abroad. Also, Bangkok is known as the shopaholic’s paradise. I maybe not a hardcore shopaholic but the feeling of buying new clothes is like a therapy for me. So probably I can be also considered as a shopaholic.

So let me take you a quick tour to the Land of Smiles and the beauty of Bangkok.

Our flight from Manila to Bangkok departed at 9 pm. Since it was my first time to fly outside of our country, I was quite nervous. Actually beforehand, I read many blogs about tips and what to bring for you not to be offloaded from the plane by the Immigration. Well, our Immigration is quite strict. Because many Filipinos try to seek a job outside the country that is why they need some requirements to prove that we are only there for a vacation.

MNL-BKK flight is about 4 hours. So we already arrived at around 12 midnight in BKK Time. BKK is an hour late to the Philippines. It was quite fun to look at my watch and always realizing that my watch is 1-hour advance.

After exiting the immigration, we look for our baggage and looked for the counter where I could buy a Sim card. Great thing I came prepared, I already researched where to buy Sim cards, how much are they and what plan to get. I got the True Sim Card. They have this Tourist Sim Card that comes with 4G Internet and 100 Thai Baht credit for call and text which is quite convenient to contact your hotel and the places where you want to visit.

So after buying our sim cards, we exit at gate 4 where you can get a cab properly. Our taxi driver cannot speak straight English so showed my print out map of the location of our hotel with also the Thai name and address of it. Luckily, I came very prepared. It was very nerve-racking since I’m a newbie to this and also I am with my (VERY STRICT) Mom and younger brother.

♥Accomodation: Lemontea Hotel♥
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Location: 55 Soi Petchburi15 Petchburi Rd., Ratchthevi Bangkok Thailand 10400.

After around 20mins drive, we arrived at our hotel. We stayed at Lemontea Hotel. This hotel is a 3-year-old boutique hotel. I would say I am quite satisfied with the location, ambiance and their services as well. If ever I’ll go back to BKK again I will surely book this hotel again. Yes, it is quite expensive compared to other boutique hotels but I think it justified its price for its services.

I booked the hotel by Agoda.com. And upon booking, I requested for late check-in since our arrival time is at 12 am. I read some tips in Agoda and some blogs about this hotel. So I requested for a queen size bed, big corner room located on the upper floor and an odd number which is facing the city. Yes, I was that specific because I want to be perfect so that my mom will not nag at me the whole trip.

See? This hotel is just too cute! hehe. Sorry, it’s a big plus for me if it’s cute. Well aside from its ambiance, its location is what I really love about this hotel. Lemontea Hotel is located at Pratunam area which is just a few steps away from the Pratunam Fashion Market which is Thailand’s #1 wholesale fashion apparels and accessories destination. It also just minutes away from the popular shopping spots and world-renowned malls, including such as Siam Paragon, Pantip Plaza IT Mall,  Platinum Fashion Mall, and Central World.

I’m so happy and satisfied with this hotel. If you ever want to visit Bangkok try booking this hotel. 🙂

 

♥Damnoen Saduak Floating Market♥
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Location: Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi, Thailand.

Going to a floating market in Bangkok is really a must! You never truly experience Bangkok if you never went to. Actually, there are many Floating Markets there. But going to Damnoen is the most Touristy thing to do. Though the prices there are quite higher and be mindful that there are many scammers in the area since many tourists go to this place.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is the biggest floating market in BKK. I highly recommend going there first thing in the morning since it is quite far from the center of the city and also it might get crowded at around 9 am. We actually arrived at 8 am and the place is not that crowded yet.

For full details such as tips, tricks and more about this place, click here.

♥Sampran Riverside|Rose Garden♥
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See and experience the History and Culture of Bangkok here in Sampran Riverside (Rose Garden is the former name of this place.) They offer some shows such as elephant shows, cultural show and etc. You can also buy some medicinal ball and other health and beauty products which are organic. There are also workshops on how to make some herbal medicinal ball, cooking classes, traditional pottery and much more.

Actually, the Elephant Show is quite entertaining. I thought at first that it is mainly for the kids only. The show presented how important the elephant is. The elephants also show their skills. The crowd was amazed and enjoyed the whole show.

 After the elephant show, there is a cultural show. They presented the Thai way of life, their dances, festivals and also funny Thai martial arts fight demo. Actually, my most favorite part of the show is the Muay Thai fight demo. I am not a big fan of martial arts but the choreography of the fight is really funny.

 

♥Pratunam Night Market♥
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My favorite place in the BKK, the Pratunam Market! I totally love it here because you can buy clothes, accessories, bags, shoes, food and more food! hehe.

Pratunam Night Market opens around 8pm-10pm. You can walk in the streets of Pratunam and buy whatever you want and they are really affordable. When I was there I was totally overwhelmed. You know the feeling that you like all the things that are being sold there. The problem is if I really need it. hehe.

The Pratunam Night Market is really big and wide. For you to not get lost there are 3 Landmarks that you should remember and you can easily locate the shops.

1. Infront of Palladium World Shopping – located diagonally opposite of Novotel Platinum and Platinum Fashion Mall.

2. Infront of Watergate Pavillion – Go to the Airport Link Ratchaprarorddeb Station.

3. Near Baiyoke Sky Hotel – I think this is the biggest one.

Aside from shopping, food is always good here in Pratunam. The BBQs were our favorite. In fact, we also bought again the next morning for our breakfast. Actually, I ate a lot here. And because of too much excitement, I forgot to take a picture of them all. Huhu! Nevertheless, I have a very happy mouth and tummy that night.

My first-day haul! Yey! I didn’t take pictures of how the market looks like and what are they selling because I was too busy shopping. Oops! Though, I regret on not doing that.

Also, the Morning market is way cheaper if you want to buy in wholesale. It is open at around  When I went there I was really carrying many heavy plastic bags that is why I didn’t take pictures anymore. So make sure to bring a shopping bag for less hassle and more shopping!

♥Wat Traimit♥
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Location: Traimit Road (west of Hua Lampong Station), at the very beginning of Chinatown.

Temples and Buddhas are amazing here in Bangkok. And one Temple that I visited is Wat Traimit or The Temple of Golden Buddha. The Golden Buddha is really huge and shiny. I even wondered if how much it is. Hehe.

You can also try this tiny coconut. It is really yummy! We have coconuts here in the Philippines, but this one is tiny and sweeter!

 

♥Grand Palace♥
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Location:Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand.

Grand Palace is the most visited and remembered landmark in Bangkok. It is really big and grandiose. Well, it is because it was the official residence of the King of Siam before.

The colors and the structure of the buildings are so inspirational. And I think this place is a good inspiration for Architects.

Tips for those who will go to this place:
1. Bring a bottled water. – It will be very hot in this place since it is an open area. And also water is quite hard to find because sometimes it will be sold out especially during peak dates.
2. Bring a fan. a face towel or a hat/cap. –
3. Don’t or avoid wearing shorts, mini skirts, sleeveless shirts or plunging necklines. – For Thais, this place is treated as a holy place. And as a sign of respect, showing too much skin is prohibited. There are sarongs available if ever you really want to wear shorts but it will be more hassle and time consuming to rent one.
4. Be Patient. – This place is a touristy thing to do. So expect a big crowd of tourist. There will be many people. So always be patient for your turn to pose in a certain area or etc. You don’t want to be bad mood in your most awaited trip right?

 

♥Wat Pho♥
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Location: 2 Sanamchai Road, Grand Palace Subdistrict, Pranakorn District, กรุงเทพมหานคร 10200, Thailand.

Wat Pho or the Temple of Reclining Buddha is a must visit place in Bangkok. You will be amazed by how big the Buddha is. Actually, it is just a 10-minute walk from the Grand Palace. So if ever you will visiting Grand Palace, visit this place also.

See? It is so big and long that it looks like it has been squished inside the building. It is said that it is 15 meters tall, 46 meters long. And It is my first time to see a Buddha in a unique position. Usual Buddhas are always sitting in a meditating position.

Wat Pho is also known as the leading school of massage in Thailand. So if you have enough time, try their traditional Thai massage and get your muscles a treat from walking all day long. We didn’t have a chance to experience it since we went to this place during peak season. People are flooding everywhere. There is quite a long queue for the massage. 🙁

Fresh Pomegranate Juice.

Saw this eye catchy fruit outside the temple and I have the feeling to try it. This Pomegranate Juice is a perfect break from the hot trip. Try quenching your thirst with juice and be surprised with the taste. Well, I quite love it.

 

♥Wat Arun♥
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Location: 158 Wang Doem Rd, Wat Arun, Bangkok Yai, Bangkok 10600, Thailand.

Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn is located near a riverside. It is directly opposite of Wat Arun. You can take a boat and cross the river for you to get here. This place is nice during sunset. Because you can climb up the temple and see a beautiful sight of the city, river plus the sunset.

But sadly when we went there, it is under renovation. Tourists are not allowed to climb up the temple. I was really disappointed at this since I was so excited to visit this temple to have a top view of Bangkok. So I hope when I’ll get back to BKK, the renovations are already done.

♥Hello Kitty Café♥
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Location: SiamSQ1, Bangkok.

Hello Kitty House has 3 floors. The ground floor is a shop where you can buy all Hello Kitty Merchandises and a spa where you can get cute Hello Kitty nail arts, the 2nd floor is the famous Cafe and the  3rd floor contains more tables and also some Hello Kitty statues where you can take your selfies.

I am not really a big big fan of Hello Kitty. But I admit she is so cute and everything in her house is in shades of pink. Sorry, pink lover here! ✌

In their cafe, they sell some hello kitty themed cupcakes, cakes and drinks. For me, it is quite expensive but the hell its hello kitty! hehe.

Because I totally love this place, I will make another post more about Hello Kitty House. So stay tuned sweeties!♥
(*Update: More details about the Hello Kitty House is now up. Click here.)

♥Have Fun!♥

My Bangkok trip was so short but I had a lot of fun. We only stayed there for 3 days and 4 nights. 3 days is totally short since Bangkok has so many things to offer. I was kinda sad and “bitin“( a Filipino word that I cannot translate it into English. It is more like feeling hanging, I think?

By the way, since I felt I have to go back to because I still have a long list of must visit places, I actually booked myself again a flight to BKK this September. And this time I am with my cousins so I feel I will not be that pressured and more patient to located our destinations.

So if you love my suggestions about Bangkok, stay tuned for my future post and adventures. Thanks for dropping by! 🙂

Love, Roxieee♥