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Bye Bye Bangkok!

Raven and I are on our way to Krabi, Thailand via a 15 hour overnight bus. I spent a lot more time in Bangkok on this trip than i ever thought i would, but it was nice to get to experience a slower pace and accumulate some favorite "hidden spots". Bangkok favorite places:

El biografo hostel: This "place" really made the "place". I suspect I wouldnt have enjoyed bangkok nearly as much if i had not stayed here. The staff was extremely kind and helpful, and the hostel had a good vibe for meeting people.

Oasis Silom: This rooftop pool is open daily from 8am-8pm. You have to walk through a hole in the wall apartment complex and ask the man behind the desk for pool access. Only 100 baht ($2.75) and you can stay as long as you like. Bring your own towel and some snacks/water as it isnt porvided. Theres also a small gym you can use.

Samyan Mirtrown: this became my favorite mall to visit in Bangkok. An underground tunnel connects this mall to another mall across the street and to the metro. This mall is open 24hr and has a rooftop you can visit for free. A lot of young people come here with friends to enjoy the skyline view at night. Mirtrown has a ton of familiar food options, but it also has some food stalls on the underground level where you can try more cheap thai style food in an air conditioned environment with seating. A couple stalls down here sell random things, like tools, clothes, accessories etc. A good bet you can get anything you need and a tasty bite to eat here.

Mall Sushi: The name is in thai, but if you go to the B floor of the mall across from Mirtrown you can get delicious sushi for a reasonable price. Self serve and charged per peice of sushi, usually ranging from 10-35baht ($0.25-$1.00). I would have never tried this place without a recommendation from my thai friend, James. The sushi is not in any kind of fridge when you grab it, which normally would scare me off, but this place is extremely popular with locals, and the salmon is particularly delicious.

Hong Teong Long: I regret not finding this place sooner. A shanghai style restaurant serving dumplings and other chinese dishes. The reviews braced me for terrible wait times and service, but that wasnt our experience at all. My tip: going later in the day is better. This place is open from 11am-4am and i really regret not having a chance to go after a night at the bars, because I think thats really where this place excels. Dumplings arent perfect, and dough is a little thick, but fillings are delicious as well as all other dishes ordered.

Heaven Bar: This is a cute rooftop bar that wont give you a dizzying price tag or make you feel surrounded by other tourists. It was a short walk from where I stayed, which is why we went often, but I enjoyed it. Not super high up, but a nice view anyway and they always have live music or a dj!

Wintage Mall at Bangsue Junction: I went to Chatuchak weekend market many weekends, but quickly discovered this vintage mall across the street is the place to go. The last time, I didnt even bother to go to chatuchak and came straight here. It has 5 stories of vintage consignment stalls. Tamagotchis, gameboys, plushies, so much clothes of all kinds, brands like angel blue, hysteric glamour, vivienne westwood, camera stores and tattoo shops. Cool bootleg and retro stuff for cheap. Theres a food court on the top floor and also some food vendors on the third floor balcony, where you can eat with a view. There is a nice bar on the third as well floor where you can relax for a bit and get beer or coffee.

University Flea Market: This one is tricky because it took me awhile to realize it only happens sporadically. Every couple of months during the weekend there will be a flea market full of students selling used clothes, collectibles, etc at Chulalongkorn University. This is one of Bangkok's best outdoor markets you can see in my opinion. Its very lively, clothing is stylish and the prices are cheap thanks to this being a market primarily used by university students. Food stalls are here and a street over if you need s bite to eat while browsing the vendors' amazing collections. Raven and I got asked to have our photo taken street-snap style here. A good place to hit after the market is Centenary Park for sunset/dusk. The university is often holding events at this park on the weekends, I saw a childrens festival, and art gallery, and an orchestra band.

Charoen Krung: This is a road with a lot of street markets in the evening time. This place is always buzzing with people. Lots of lights and food options.

Lumphini Park: i dont think anyone could call this huge park a hidden gem, but the swan pedal boats are free which many people may not know. You can see wildlife at this park like monitor lizards!

Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park: A small boat will take you across the chao praya river from the district of bangkok to the district of samut prakan. Once you cross, youll be greeted with bicycle rentals. renting a a bike and exploring this park and the peninsula was one of the highlights of bangkok for me. Once you explore the park a little, venture further using the small, elevated, above water, safety-rail-less, concrete paths that run through the jungle and connect everything. Its a bit hard to describe, but feels veryy amazing here! Go on a weekend so that you can see the bang nam phueng weekend market, we thought it was the friendlist and one of the cheapest markets.

Taking a ferry: I recommend you take the ferry boat from MBK mall to Wat Saket (the golden mount temple) This is the best way to experience the ferry boat in Bangkok in my opinion, because the lines the run on the Chao Praya are extremely hectic. Many locals use this service just like a bus for getting around and it is very cheap at around 12 baht ($0.33). You can see peoples lives and lots of graffiti along the river. The ride is both refreshing and exciting.

Sit on a Pier at Night: Who needs to spend a lot of monet at a riverside resort restaurant or bar. A nice way to enjoy the Chao Praya river at night is to grab a couple of beers from 7/11 and head to a pier. You can enjoy a beautiful skyline view of the city and an cool local vibe from thai people fishing. It was fun to watch the boats go by at the pier on charoen krung alley 40. Lit up boats of different sizes will go by.

update

Raven got here on the 24th of Jan! We hung out in bangkok for a little over a week, then took a trip to the nearby national park, Khao Yai. We are on the train back to the city now. We barely caught it! We talked a bunch last night about what we wanna do with the rest of our trip. Its looking like we might do taiwan and then japan, not before we spend some more time in thailand though.