The Good Life

Bangkok had never held much allure to me before.

I always felt it was too much like Manila -- traffic, polluted, chaotic and a bit on the sleazy side. My first time there was last early 2000 during one of our Sy clam trips again and to be honest, all I remembered was a butterfly park, a river cruise and a golden temple. This was before Bangkok became the hottest (and cheapest) shopping mecca in South East Asia.

Last July however, I went back for a work trip (I've been back twice or thrice since then but always on short business trips) and stayed over the week-end.

Top Bangkok thrills:

The accomodation - One of my most, if not the most favorite, hotel so far is the Metropolitan -- minimalist design, large rooms, aromatherapeutic toiletries (como shambala - peppermint, lemongrass scent), organic breakfast (check out the white omelette), separate spacious shower and tub, plus lots of freebies to bring home (including shoe/ laundry bags changed daily! ha!).

the pool where supposedly the sun doesn't shine because of the tall buildings bordering around

the very cool "clock" in the lobby reflected on the wall thru a projector

the spacious room

french toast for breakfast (and I never eat breakfast!)

The food - My favorite food in the world is Thai. Ask my sisters... everytime we eat Thai food I always declare my love for the cuisine. Love love the green curry with chicken and eggplant, pad thai with lots of dry chili and bean sprouts, lamb or duck red curry, beef salad, sticky rice with mango, i could go on and on. I inherited my love for spice from my dad (including the tolerance for alcohol) and I feel it's one of the things that make me less girly... I refuse now to answer my boyfriend's question if something is spicy or not because then I'll see him all sweaty and trying not to show he's unaffected after I assure him a certain dish is not spicy for me!

Red Duck Curry

The classic: Pad Thai

Thai Spices wash down perfectly with an ice-cold local Singha beer

The "high-brow" food - The most decadent buffet I have been to... Four Season's Brunch in Bangkok is an absolute must. My first time to encounter a foie gras station, a fish roe station (with the server wearing rubber boots knee deep in a koi fish pond), an actual champagne/ cocktails station (not like the one in Manila where there are only 2 - 3 bottles displayed). There were the usual staples - a live grill station for lobster, lamb, prawns, beef, etc., a chinese station for dimsum, a thai station with satay and local salads, an indian station with curries, a cheese and cold cuts station, ... it wasn't about quantity (no "filler" dishes) but about quality. Drool.

Next time, I am going back and spending the afternoon there filling up with bellini's and gorging until the buffet closes!

the cheese station where i discovered i just didn't like brie, but also reblochon & camembert

champagne cocktails station

foie gras station

slabs of foie gras... the whole courtyard smelled of the grilled meat

i can only stuff two kinds of foie gras -- with custard (heavenly) & parfait

the fish roe station with huge balls of fish eggs

The views - Ironically, I don't have photos for these (of course, I only got photos of the food! ha!). Dined by the riverside with a fabulous view of a golden Buddhist temple illuminated at night. Had drinks at a skyscraper with a towering view of the cityscape twinkling with neon and glitter. Love the contrast.

The spa-culture - Thailand has always been known for its soothing massages and tranquil spas. The last one I had before was in a spa by the street wherein one can choose a masseause from a "fishbowl" and I shared a common room. This trip, I tried the Oriental Spa signature massage wherein the luxe experience started with a boat trip across the river from the hotel to the spa. The experience with the private room, rain shower, clean and complete amenities, and pampering touches were spot-on. The massage itsef was above average. As long as I fall asleep, at least I know it was relaxing enough (even though the words of my boyfriend refusing to sleep during a massage because he feels it's a waste resonate in my head). In addition, I rediscovered my love for toiletries, aromatherapy products and candles which Thailand's local brands does so well with the nice packaging and heavenly scents.

the private room at the Oriental Spa

The shopping - Best way to describe it... shop til you drop or until your cash runs out (which it did...!)! From the top designer brands in Paragon to the local designers at Siam Center to the "imitation" bags at Siam square (they did look real!) to the maaaadness of Chatuchak market. Shopping mecca indeed. Particularly love the cool loose distressed neutral looks from the local designers.

In the end, it may not be love at first sight with Bangkok for me but the love affair will certainly continue...

The Perks

the view from my hotel window

the hotel pool

don't you love the open bathtub so one can watch tv while bathing?

i'm a sucker for nice bathrooms, a bath tub, rain shower and spacious countertop

love the wood panels

my first time to see this: TV screen linked to the mirror in the bathroom sink so one can watch tv while brushing teeth, washing hands... you'll never be bored doing mundane tasks!

The Pavillion, KL's latest high-end mall

Celadon, a modern Thai restaurant at Pavillion with great spicy duck salad

My first visit to Kuala Lumpur was a disaster. It was during one of our annual clan trips with my entire Sy family. The hotel was supposedly really new and in a nice location but there was no water for two mornings. There was supposedly a nice beach we were gonna go to but we ended up riding in the bus for 5 hours back and forth only to stay in Penang overnight and barely seeing sand. The sights would be supposedly be breath taking including a visit to the famous Petronas Towers but we ended up seeing it only from a distance and having our picture taken with it in an empty parking lot with the actual Towers miles away! The food would supposedly be authentic but it turned out we ended up eating at a roadside restaurant (barely a resto) with flies all over the place and no toilet bowl in the restroom, only a hole in the ground (the worst restroom I have EVER seen)! The only consolation was that it's a funny story to tell and laugh about, for now at least. But that time everyone was up in arms threatening the travel agency!

This June, I visited the city again (for the 3rd time as the last was 2 years ago for a business trip as well). I stayed at the Hilton KL, right across the train station to the airport. Love the room. When I travel, I don't like the thought of saving one's money by staying in dirt cheap and dirty places. Why be not comfortable especially since you're already far away from home?

I never really like visiting Asean countries often because I feel it is too much like Manila. Everyone drives, no one walks, the air is polluted, the taxis cheat you, malls are the main tourist sights, the other tourist sights seem contrived, the city is chaotic... The only silver linings are the local brands (hello VNC), the discovery of more exotic eateries and the service of a luxury hotel stay.