We started the day by heading out to find some breakfast. We walked from our hotel to Korea Town / Sukhumvit Plaza and decided on take-out from the Korean Kaborae restaurant. Our order included Pa Jeon seafood pancake, Kimchi Dolsot Bibimbab with egg and a couple of bottles of water. Total cost: 690 Baht, or about $27 CAD. We haven’t hit the markets yet for the famously cheap street food but we’re still eating cheaper than at home and the food quality has been superb.
We took Sukhumvit Soi 12 to a footbridge and into the lovely Benchakitti Park, a public green space right in central Bangkok. The park is large, 180 acres, with a lake and three huge water fountains that we could see from the rooftop where we had dinner last night. We ate our meal in the shade of a covered amphitheater–delicious!–then explored some of the trails through the park, taking photos and keeping an eye out for the giant monitor lizards. I had hoped to see one but they were elusive today.
I went for a quick swim in the hotel pool after we returned, then we went out for one hour hot oil massages that I booked for us before leaving for Thailand. What an experience! When we arrived, we were given an oil sampler that we could choose our massage oil from, along with a lovely drink made of pandan (pandanus) leaf. It tasted a bit herbal with sweet notes of toasted rice. My masseuse was strong and attentive, checking in with me occasionally to make sure I was totally comfortable. She gave me a full body massage that included a hot washcloth cleanse at the end and some Thai massage-style stretching. I’ve had some really great massages but this was the best one I’ve ever had! We were then served tea and our first-ever mango and sticky rice with coconut cream! Wow, so delicious and a great treat to cap off the experience.
For dinner, we went to Belga Rooftop Bar & Brasserie located at the nearby Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit. This Belgian restaurant is rated as one of the top rooftop restaurants in Bangkok. Compared to last night’s rooftop restaurant, the vibe at Belga was classier and more chill. We enjoyed a couple of nice salads followed by their signature Mussels Marinière with frites, and I also had a couple of Belgian beers.
It’s Saturday night in Bangkok! Judging by the steady stream of revelers out on Sukhumvit Road that we passed by on our way back to the hotel, I imagine there’s all kinds of trouble one could get their selves into here tonight. But sitting here at just before 9pm, I’m feeling quite satisfied and ready to call it a day.