The first thing that hit me was the warm, humid air, a welcome reprieve from the dry cold air of the Canadian Prairies. The hotel had already sent me a WhatsApp notification, allowing me to use a private driver to meet me at the bustling airport. I arrived in the second week of December. It was crowded, but it would become more so during the holiday season. I was excited. I was also too hot, having worn a sweatsuit for the planeride.

Even early in the morning, there was traffic. The place had to consume a lot of gasoline, was my first thought.

I arrived at the Davis Hotel, too early to check in, so I left my bags and began to wander the streets. Instantly, my adrenaline spiked. Crossing the street felt like a game of Frogger, the one where a frog has to navigate through traffic to avoid being smooshed. No one had warned me about this. Startled, I ended up jumping into a shuttle across from my hotel that was headed to the nearby mall.

The exterior of the Emporium shopping mall was decorated with lavish, silvery Christmas trees and decor. The holidays would look a little different without snow and hot chocolate this year!

The mall was closed, so I ended up finding a nearby cafe, ordered a strawberry matcha, and headed to a park that was conveniently across the street. I used the pedway from the train station, with an overpass; luckily, no dodging traffic.

I spent the morning people-watching. There were joggers, nannies babysitting children in the park, and people doing calisthenics workouts. Since the heat is an issue, Bangkok has done a really great job at creating aesthetically appealing shops and cafes for people to socialize and escape the heat! Once the mall opened, I found local clothing stores and bought some fun pieces: a cute blue-striped skirt, a pastel canvas bag from a local designer, and a soft pink linen set. If you’re a TikToker, I have the haul on my site!

Bangkok, Day Two: I Slept, I Swam, and I got a Smoothie

On the second day, the jet lag hit me hard, and I slept in until the late afternoon. The pools were in the wing of the hotel next to mine, so I filled my bag with a book, sunscreen, and found a strawberry smoothie to accompany me. I love swimming, besides, I needed some R&R because I had booked a food tour for the evening and didn’t want to be too tired for it. Oh yeah, and I saw a Korean Salon, Spring Salon, and got the hotel to book me in for a haircut and hair treatment. I was so cool! They gave me a heavenly head massage and wrapped my head in a bag filled with steam. I left the salon with shiny, smooth hair! I love that aesthetics in Asia are a fraction of the price back home, so if you are planning to visit, save your salon visits for here!

PS: The Davis hotel, where I stayed, was not fancy, but it was huge, clean, and quite affordable by North American standards.

I tried not to do too much planning before I left, but I also didn’t want to spend my precious vacation time deliberating over plans. One of the tours I booked was a night food tour via Tuk-Tuk! We ripped through the city, stopping to eat… way too much food. My favorite thing was a noodle-and-egg dish cooked in a coal vat in some random back alley. We ended up eating our final desserts in the lively Chinatown district, which is a must in the evenings. Also, we visited the flower market, and the tour definitely exceeded my expectations.

Bangkok Day 3: Trains, Canals, and Temples

The next day, the hotel had arranged a day tour for me. The first stop was the Maeklong Railway Market. My driver dropped me off, and I was left to explore. I wandered through the stalls and ended up with fresh coconut ice cream and, later, a large coconut. I was saving my shopping for my final leg of the trip, so I didn’t buy anything else. Instead, I browsed the aisles and bought the best thing, food! I stayed until the famous train pulled through the center of the market. It was wild to see the shop owners pack everything up so quickly and start shouting at the tourists to back up.

The next stop was another touristy favorite. The Damnoen Saduak District. This is also considered a “tourist trap”, however, I was happy to be off my feet after a long morning of market wandering. I bought a cold beer and had the boat to myself, letting the driver speed me through the district’s vendors and homeowners.

Once we had arrived back in Bangkok, it was time to visit two temples. I only made it to one. The benefit of having a private driver was that I didn’t need to follow anyone’s schedule but my own. In the first temple, I relished the quiet, gorgeous temple where no talking was allowed. I skipped the second temple visit when I saw a nearby Michelin Restaurant. I reasoned Thailand might be a place I visit again someday. It was time to slow down.

People always question why I travel alone. Isn’t it lonely? I’ve heard several times. Sure, I can be; it can also be a drag traveling with the wrong person. The truth was, I didn’t have great expectations for Thailand, other than to enjoy myself, and so far I was doing just that. I was not on a schedule, and I was surrounded by so many people that I didn’t feel alone. Well, that was a lot for my first 3 days in Thailand, the next post I’ll try to summarize two weeks spent in magical Chiang Mai.