What was meant to be a quick layover in Bangkok turned in to a couple of fun filled days. We arrived to torrential rain and a 3hr traffic jam from the airport. It was a bit of a rude shock, coming from remote Kalpitiya, but we were ready to embrace the city and enjoy a little more civilisation. 

A work mate of Derek’s parents run street art walking tour through Bangkok. Paul and Carmel kindly condensed their tour into a kids friendly length and we set out on our first morning. I’ve always loved Bangkok but hadn’t been back for a few years. The vibe of the city is still great. It’s gotten a little hip and I loved it.

The kids loved all the funky street art and loved nattering away with Paul and Carmel who they quickly adopted as honorary grandparents. They got on so well that Carmel kindly offered to babysit for us that night. The kids were delight and so were we at the prospect of an unexpected date night. 

We met our friends Karn and Julian for a fun night in great company, commencing with rooftop cocktails at the Marriott. With a Stunning 360 view of the city it’s the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail and take in the city. Karn took us to a local restaurant he described as a little “getto” where we stuffed ourselves silly and sweated buckets from chilli. We topped off a lovely surprise date with sticky rice and mango.

We spent the last day at kidzania. This place was amazing, a big kid size town that the kids have to run. The kids chose from a huge variety of occupations and got paid in the local currency kidzanian dollars. They also have to pay for education for some jobs, so it’s all about them working it out. Parents are encouraged to take a back seat and let the kids do their thing. It’s a great activity if you find yourself with a rainy day or needing somewhere to beat the heat.

We were pleasantly surprised by the fun we had in Bangkok and it was the perfect way to say goodbye to Asia and have us ready for Europe.   

Tops tips for city stays 

– Bike or walking tours – A great way to see a new city, you get to see some really interesting parts and it a quick and easy way to grab some fun facts about the place. A lot of places have rental city bikes. They have pick up or drop off point throughout the city, pay with your credit card and off you go. These don’t have helmets available but organised tours usually always do. With or without kids always check the the length of the tour and that the guides have a bit of personality. There is nothing worse than being stuck on a tour you feel is never going to end. About 2hrs is our personal limit. 

– Roof top bars often provide the best view of the city for the price of a drink. Even with the kids you can always go a little early and have a milkshake for good behaviour.  

– kidzania- even if your not a fan of theme parks, this will blow your mind. It’s so well done and the kids have to use their brain and make decisions. As a parent its really fun to see. They are in a few cities now, check it out! 

This was my fave, completely cut out of the concrete it was amazing. 

This felt so Bangkok.

Tuk tuk’s were more colourful in Thailand. 

Delicious sticky rice and mango.