Choosing Activities in Bangkok

Dream big | Love deeply | Pray often

For my first trip to Asia, I did extensive research to familiarize myself with the weather, religion, FOOD and customs in Thailand. I chose Bangkok because I wanted to experience the city life, enjoy street food and visit the gorgeous temples. I visited from May 26 - 29.

I started using Airbnb on a West Coast trip that my bestie Justine and I took in 2015. We visited the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Portland and Vancouver. Since then Airbnb has been my go-to app for finding reasonably priced accommodations for my trips. As you can imagine, I was ecstatic about their decision to level up and introduce Airbnb experiences. Each city has exciting activities that have been curated ranging from city tours to cooking classes. The reviews are pretty detailed and usually give a good description of what to expect during the activity.

Day 1 - Strike a Pose:

After mentioning taking a photo tour of Havana in my Cuba blog post, someone asked me for clarification on what a photo tour entails.

How it works: Typically it will be in a group setting (the ones I’ve done have been 5 people or less), and your photographer will meet you at a specified location. You will start by discussing the plans for the tour and after, you’ll visit different sites while the photographer takes pictures individually. The photo tours I’ve done lasted between 2 and 4 hours.

Bangkok Slay:

By now y’all should know I love taking bomb photos, so finding a photo tour was a must for me in Bangkok. Honestly, this was the priciest photo tour I’ve booked at a whopping $125. However, I thought it was worth it because it included lunch and beverages which were much appreciated to stay hydrated in hot and humid Bangkok. The high was 95°F that day but I swear it felt much hotter. During this photo tour we visited Chalermla Park; a graffiti park with amazing art, Wat Ratchabophit & Wat Suthat, and took a short boat ride all while getting some amazing shots. The photo tour was a great way to get to know the city and discover areas we would not have found on our own. I appreciated that the tour was off the beaten path and the places we visited were not crowded with tourists. My favorite part though, was interacting with the locals and waving and saying hi to the little kids as we walked around. We wrapped up at Above Riva; a rooftop restaurant and bar with delicious cocktails and a gorgeous view of the Chao Phraya river and Wat Arun.
Here’s the link: https://abnb.me/ClH8XCDaq0

DAY 2 - Good Eats:

I’m quite adventurous when it comes to food and I’m willing to try most things at least once. I decided to take a cooking class so that I could explore the local cuisine, see how it is prepared and decide what foods to eat during the trip. Chicken Pad Thai is one of my favorite meals so I was very eager to try other Thai meals. Thai food usually contains a lot of fresh herbs and spices and is very flavorful and aromatic. Their main starches are rice and noodles similar to other Asian cuisines and typically include beef, chicken, shrimp or pork. We arrived at the meeting location pretty early so we walked over to the Modena by Fraser Hotel nearby for cocktails. There were also some interesting sculptures and a tuk-tuk for some cute pics!

Market to Table:

What I particularly enjoyed during this cooking class was that we went to the Khlong Toey market to shop for ingredients that would be used in class. The market was exciting and full of vendors selling meat, fish, herbs, spices, fruits, pastries and small meals. After shopping, we hopped on a tuk-tuk to get to the cooking school which was a fun experience weaving through the streets of Bangkok. Once we got back to the cooking school, we learned more about the ingredients used and had a very hands-on experience making Shrimp Pad Thai, Tom Yum Soup, Panang Curry and Mango Sticky Rice. I paid $39 for this 3.5 hour experience which I thought was worth it. The class was very informative, the teachers did an excellent job and I added some new recipes to my rotation.

Here’s the link: https://abnb.me/V4cdOBAaq0

Thai mangoes are so sweet! Reminded me of back home.

Day 3 - Riding Dirty:

The last time I rode a bike was in November 2015 in Vancouver. It was all going well until BOOM! - I crashed into a man that was gingerly walking and minding his own business. I decided that was the last time I was going to ride a bike that wasn't the stationary one in the gym! But, here I am FOUR years later to tell the tale of another bike adventure. You know what I call that? Growth. I’m gonna keep it real with y’all; this bike ride around Bangkok was challenging because of the heat and distance. It might also be due to the fact that I’m unfit but hey, moving along! Though the bike ride was a physical struggle, the learning experience was amazing. We really had the opportunity to be exposed to the culture on a deeper level. The tour gave a thorough view of Bangkok from the perspective of locals and the bites along the way complemented the experience. On our first stop we visited with a Thai Family and had a small and delicious noodle dish that was prepared by them. We then stopped at a local bakery to try pastries and spent some time in the market tasting mangosteen, snake fruit and rambutan A++++. The tour guide did an excellent job connecting with everyone on the tour and shared the cultural significance of each stop. We also visited the Wang Burapha neighborhood and Wat Pak Nam which was absolutely stunning inside! The tour also included a buffet style lunch with smoothies for $48.

Here’s the link: https://abnb.me/QOj03Avaq0

Dos & Don’ts:

Don't Wait, Hydrate Bih:
Drink lots of water, especially if you plan to do outdoor activities, that Thailand heat is something else! I was literally pretending to buy something in stores just to soak up a little AC, even for 5 minutes.
Do Cover Up:
If you plan to visit temples ensure you are dressed appropriately with your shoulders and knees covered. Additionally, if you consider yourself a germaphobe, ensure you wear or carry socks as no shoes are allowed in the temples.
Don’t Get Tricked:
To get to and from the meeting areas for the tours I used the Grab App. It’s like Uber/Lyft except you pay in cash rather than with a card. We learned our lesson the hard way after getting swindled by a taxi driver on our first night. I found the app to be safe, easy to use and affordable but as always, be cautious.
Do Bring a Change of Clothes:
Variety is the spice of life! If you plan on taking a photo tour, you won’t regret taking an extra outfit. There will be somewhere to change along the way but discuss it with the tour guide before so they can plan accordingly.

As always, please reach out if you have any additional questions about the activities, accommodations or if you just want to chat! I had such an amazing time in Bangkok and even though my time was short I was able to make some wonderful memories.

Until the next journey...