Bonita Cafe & Social Club Vegan Food Bangkok

Posted on November 30, 2013 by koomatzu

With a passion for healthy vegan food, plus a welcoming, cosy atmosphere, Bonita Cafe & Social Club is a highly recommended hidden gem of a restaurant for all to enjoy in Bangkok – whether vegan, vegetarian or proud carnivore.

Hanging out at grandma’s house

The interior of Bonita Cafe & Social Club is decorated in a charming, mismatched style of flowery table cloths, fresh net curtains, embroidered welcome signs, vintage lamps and old china display cabinets. This – combined with old Beatles classics quietly resonating from the wide screen TV, and the odd cat meowing from behind the scenes in the hallway – creates the distinctive feeling of a visit to your gran’s house: cosy, nostalgic and safe.

The atmosphere at the Bangkok Bonita Cafe is made even more pleasant by the welcoming owners (actually, welcoming is an understatement) who obviously put a hell of a lot of love and effort into the restaurant. And just to add to this already relaxed vibe, the cafe even has a modest library area – an old vintage cabinet with a multi lingual selection of books to keep you entertained.

Healthy vegan food in Bangkok

According to their Facebook page, the owners of Bonita Cafe & Social Club are actually pretty serious runners – they even sell special Five Finger Shoes too; They obviously put a lot of care into making extra healthy and nutritious food for other sports enthusiasts. If you’re pretty sick of all the overly sweet and sugary food in Bangkok, you’ll most likely find Bonita to be a refreshing change.

Bonita Cafe & Social Club Menu

The menu at Bonita Cafe only has a couple of pages full of options – strictly vegan only of course – but despite this, it manages to offer a pretty diverse range of dishes. Starters average in price at around 80 baht while main courses range between around 150 baht and 300 baht. Meals can take up to 30 minutes to prepare; the owners obviously put a lot of time and care into food preparation.

The all day breakfast at Bonita Cafe consists of vegan bacon, vegan scrambled egg, vegan sausage, whole wheat toast, beans, grilled tomato, grilled mushroom, roast potatoes, americano coffee and a glass of orange juice – all for 295 baht. You can also opt for the club sandwich with vegan bacon, vegan scrambled egg and avocado; Teriyaki tofu and onion burger with humous; vegan hot dog; and vegan pizza with either bell pepper, mushroom or basil toppings. These dishes cost from 200 baht upwards and include a serving of garlicky roast potatoes and salad.

Other vegan delights at the Bangkok Bonita Cafe include tomato or creamy carbonara pasta (with whole wheat pasta option), and a selection of both sweet and savoury whole wheat pancakes made with coconut oil. Bonita also offers a selection of desserts including vegan, sugar-free chocolate mousse for 100 baht. Personally I thought that the chocolate mousse tasted pleasantly subtle and not too sweet at all (a rarity in the syrup-loving Bangkok city).

As for the drinks menu at Bonita Cafe, there are a great range of teas such as chamomile, earl grey and jasmine (with vegan milk options) for just 50 baht per cup, or healthy, sugar free smoothies from 75 baht a glass. All in all, if you are a vegetarian, vegan or health conscious foodie in Bangkok, you must visit Bonita Cafe & Social Club. Even if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, don’t let the strictly vegan menu put you off visiting.

How to get to Bonita Cafe & Social Club

Bonita Cafe & Social Club is located in the Sathorn/ Silom area of Bangkok. Take the BTS skytrain to Surasak station on the Bangkok Silom Line. Take exit __ out of the station, stick to the main road and keep walking until you have passed the large school on your left hand side. The next turning should be Pan Road – walk up Pan road on the left hand side for a couple of minutes and you’ll find Bangkok Bonita Cafe & Social Club about half way up the road opposite the Family Mart.

Bonita Cafe & Social Club in Bangkok, Vegetarian Vegan Food in Bangkok, Healthy restaurants in Bangkok

Purr Cat Cafe Club Bangkok

Posted on November 27, 2013 by koomatzu

The Purr Cat Cafe Club in Thonglor is a kooky Bangkok tea room owned by a local Thai soap star. If you love animals or you simply want to hang with a crap load of mega fluffy cats with bulgy bum faces while classily drinking tea from a pot, then make sure you get yourself down to the Bangkok Cat Cafe!

A visit to the Purr Cat Cafe Club in Bangkok

The cat cafe is in a cute little building set back just off of the main road. On arrival, you need to remove your shoes outside where you’ll be greeted by a charming butler-type lady with a welcoming change of slippers for you. After feeling all homey and cosy, you’ll then be led over to a sink station to wash your hands – if you touch the cats with unwashed hands or break any other of the cat rules, you’ll be fined 1000 baht.

After being shown into the next room (more like a midway decontamination room), your host will then proceed to squirt anti bacterial gel onto your hands before allowing you to enter the mighty cat lair. Very sterile and perhaps over dramatic but I do love a bit of weird, OCD cleanliness for cats.

Inside the Cat Cafe

The interior of the Purr Cat Cafe Club features a prominent, miniature cat staircase which leads to a second little cat floor full of sleeping felines. There are mainly two seating areas for customers: a play area on the floor with fluffy mats and low tables, and a comfier seating area along the window.

When you take your seat, you’ll be handed a list of rules and a food menu. You don’t really have to worry about the rules too much – it’s pretty much common sense stuff like ‘don’t punch the cats’… You probably need help if you’ve gone to a Cat Cafe to punch cats to be honest.

The Purr Cat Cafe Club menu includes an extensive choice of teas and coffees, plus a few sweet and savoury dishes such as caesar salad, ice cream and chocolate cake. The prices are fair – a pot of tea costs 150 baht, coffees cost around 100 baht and a serving of cat shaped cookies with chocolate dipping sauce costs 80 baht.

I think it’s more of a cafe to just drink rather than eat to be honest – it feels a bit wrong eating in a room packed full of cats climbing on the tables and sitting next to you while licking their tiny, little cat gonads. I personally think that the cats should be the ones washing their hands.

One of the cats fell asleep on my camera bag, that was awkward. I’m still picking the cat hairs from my camera to this day… Sorry for having to wake you, little bum face cat dude 🙁 🙁 🙁

How to get to the Purr Cat Cafe Club in Bangkok

You can have a taxi take you to Sukhumvit Soi 53 or, alternatively, take the BTS Sky Train to Thonglor station. The Purr Cat Cafe Club in only a 10 minute walk from the station – take exit 1 and then turn into Sukhumvit 53. The Cat Cafe is a 5 minute walk past a couple of wine bars on the left hand side. Just keep an eye out for the sign.

Chatuchak Weekend Market Bangkok

Posted on November 24, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok Shopping Budget: $

Average clothes prices: 200 baht

Standing proudly as the most famous of all Bangkok’s shopping markets and shopping centres, Chatuchak Weekend Market’s huge maze of stalls and shops will surprise even the most seasoned shopper with it’s huge size (man, if I had 100 baht for every time I’ve gotten lost and stranded in the clutches of Chatuchak market…). Being strictly only a horticulture market during the weekdays, Chatuchak market is only properly open as normal on the weekends.

So, what with Chatuchak market’s huge popularity with both local Thais and tourists from all over the world, I’m sure you can imagine just exactly how crowded it gets during this small window of shopping opportunity on the weekend. This is a slight drawback of Chatuchak; the market complex seems to just suck up all the tropical Bangkok heat like a giant sun trap and get’s super crammed full of shoppers jamming up the paths while taking selfies on their iPhones. Not a good combination if you have a distaste for overcrowded labyrinths of trinket shops.

Shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market

But, and it’s a big but, despite these frustrations of Chatuchak, the weekend market does sell some really cool stuff with decent prices. The atmosphere is nice and friendly, with genuine sellers that don’t pressure you or charge ‘foreigner prices’; many of the shops actually have written, set prices, unlike other Bangkok markets where you may be expected to haggle or pay whatever the seller feels like charging you at the time.

The market complex consists of a large outdoor section, set out in a kind of ring shape. This outdoor section is surrounded by a maze of sheltered indoor shops which eventually lead outside of Chatuchak market. On the outskirts of the market and within the outdoor central part, you can find some cool bars and food stalls to sit and chill out away from the crowded main street.

What to buy at Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak is a pretty good all rounder market – you can buy anything from home furnishings to knockoff sunglasses; handmade silver jewellery to colourful, bohemian accessories; and second hand, retro clothing to cute, likkle puppy dogs (yes, real puppy dogs). Everything is conveniently organised into sections to make it easy to find what you’re looking for but, if you do get lost at Chatuchak, you could easily miss a whole section of goods.

Clothes for sale at Chatuchak weekend market include a large amount of second hand items, Levi jeans, used sneakers & converse, bohemian dresses, indie design clothing, street-style caps, knock off brands (Hollister & SuperDry), sunglasses (fake RayBans) and the latest Thai fashions.

Prices at the Chatuchak Weekend Market range from 20 baht for a cheap pair of earrings, to 500 baht for an intricate, hand made pair of earrings; or 150 baht for a simple top or t-shirt, to 400 baht for a unique design dress. There are some really cool clothes designs and cute accessories for sale; men have a pretty decent selection of printed T-shirts to choose from too (not the tacky Chang beer style T-shirts you might find in other markets either).

How to get to Chatuchak Weekend Market

Both the MRT and BTS lines run directly to the market at Chatuchak: Take the BTS to the terminus station, Mo Chit, or take the MRT to Chatuchak station. The stations are absolutely crammed full of people making their way to the market on the weekends, so it’s easy to just follow the crowd of people there. However, the stations are clearly signposted for the market as well.

Once you exit either station, you’ll notice people walking into Chatuchak park – walk on into the park and follow the pathway to the left hand side until you exit again through the opposite gate. Cross the road from the park and you’ll find Chatuchak market directly in front of you – just find one of the shop arcades to enter.

*I hate to nag, but beware of pickpockets when shopping at Chatuchak – pickpockets have been known to slash open bags from behind shopper’s backs.

Yong Lee Thai-Chinese Restaurant, Bangkok

Posted on November 20, 2013 by koomatzu

The simple and modest Yong Lee restaurant in Phrom Phong is a great little Bangkok eatery to sample some hearty, local Thai cuisine with a Chinese twist.

Eating locally in Bangkok

In the typical Thai eatery fashion, Yong Lee has an open shop-front peering out onto the street past a jungle of tropical potted plants. The inside is simple and humble in layout: a scattering of plastic chairs, worn wooden tables and old fashioned floor tiling from way back in the 60s. The restaurant has obviously been popular for a long time; apparently established in 1944 according to one of the many browning newspaper cuttings framed proudly on the inners walls.

I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty grubby inside – browning food splatters decorate the walls like badges of honour, and a thick covering of dust lines the shelves and their neglected knick knacks. However, just like the ‘Greasy Spoon’ cafes in England, the grubby ones always come through with some of the best food – good old greasy fry ups! I don’t know what the equivalent to a Greasy Spoon would be in other parts of the world… greasy diners in America?

Anyway, I digress, my point is that Yong Lee is pretty grubby, BUT it’s also authentically Thai in the same way that a greasy spoon is authentically British!

Thai-Chinese cuisine at Yong Lee

Yong Lee serves a choice of wholesome, simple food in a traditional, family run, independent Thai restaurant. The owners are of Thai-Chinese descendant and speak a little English as well as Thai and Chinese. The menus have been well-used and tattered over the years – a good sign of a typically popular Thai restaurant. Menus are conveniently written in both Thai and Chinese with pictures on the specials menu too.

Dishes at Yong Lee are a little pricier than standard Thai street food prices but still pretty reasonable – Most standard meals cost between 90 and 140 baht on average. You’ll find a variety of traditional Thai dishes such as Tom Yam and fried cashew nut chicken, as well as more adventurous Chinese style dishes such as beef tongue soup, steamed bass in plum sauce, and fried pork bowels. Mmm fried pork bowel.

How to get to Yong Lee Restaurant

Yong Lee is located just a couple of minutes walk from BTS Phrom Phong station. If coming via BTS, use exit 3 and enter Sukhumvit Soi 39. Cross onto the right hand side of the road and you’ll find Yong Lee’s on the main road after about 200 metres. It’s kind of hidden behind overgrown, potted plants so just look out for the entrance of the brand new, posh looking ‘Gallerie Apartments’ next door.

Double Dogs Chinese Tea Room, Bangkok

Posted on November 17, 2013 by koomatzu

Love tea? The Double Dogs Tea Room in Bangkok’s China Town is pretty much the king of tea rooms. Chinese tea rooms at least anyway…

With a calm ambience, and a spacious, simple interior with plenty of authentically Chinese finishing touches, Double Dogs provides a cozy and welcoming environment for some quiet tea drinking in Bangkok. Located just off the hectic main street of Yaowarat, the tea room makes a stark contrast as a peaceful escape from the outside hustle and bustle of China Town.

The calming Double Dogs tea room is filled with charming, old-style, Chinese wooden furniture; brightened up by harmonious lamps and lights in all corners; and elegantly decorated with oriental scrolls and cabinets full of traditional teapots. A huge cabinet runs across one wall of the main tea room which displays a huge range of traditional teapots for sale. Similarly, the counter area teams with lucky cat knick knacks, exotic teas and all things Chinese that customers can buy.

All you can drink tea at Double Dogs

Bangkok Double Dogs have an ‘all you drink’ offer on a selection of special teas. For 180 baht, you can treat yourself at the ‘tea buffet’ to a choice of five teas such as Wulong, Phu-er, Jasmine white tea, Chrysanthemum and Shui Xian tea.

Once you’ve ordered your first cup of tea, the friendly staff will bring over a delightful dish full of accompanying Chinese and Japanese snacks such as almonds, dried fruit and seaweed crackers. Perhaps the best part of the ‘tea buffet’ though, is watching the tea master guy work his thing at the tea station full of dozens of special, tiny teapots.

Double Dogs Tea Room does also have a standard tea menu however – you don’t have to go for all you can drink tea. They also serve a range of snacks and Chinese desserts to enjoy with your tea. What’s especially great about the Double Dogs sweet menu, is that you can choose a selection of four Chinese cakes and snacks for 95 baht. This is great if you’re an indecisive dessert orderer, or for simply sampling and sharing the intriguing Chinese treats such as peanut rolls, red bean buns and taro mooncakes.

How to get to Double Dogs Tea Room in Bangkok

Double Dogs is located on the main Yaowarat Road directly opposite Yaowarat Soi 4. The area around this section of Yaowarat Road is great for wholesale and bargain shopping – in particular, it’s ideal for exploring the side streets and their cheap jewellery and accessory shops.

Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant Bangkok

Posted on November 14, 2013 by koomatzu

Cabbages & Condoms is a rather infamous restaurant and tourist attraction in central Bangkok mostly famed for it’s delicious Thai cuisine and unorthodox condom theme.

The concept

The Cabbages & Condoms restaurant is actually run by a local charity, PDA, that works to promote aids awareness and education on family planning within the community. Not only does it help reduce the amount of pregnancies in Thai teens, but it also helps support local development in Thailand.

Despite the serious message behind Cabbages & Condoms in Bangkok, the restaurant takes on a rather light hearted and creative tone. Look closer at the pretty lamps and light shades, and you’ll notice the light shining through an intricate structure of condoms.

These quirky touches run throughout the restaurant: life-sized cops made out of condoms, a game show style spinning wheel of sexual diseases, and complimentary condoms in place of standard after-dinner mints… it personally puts me off my dinner a bit though. I’m such a prude…

However, despite what some people might find to be a slightly crude theme for a restaurant, the whole setting comes together quite tastefully and elegantly. The Cabbages & Condoms restaurant offers an ambient environment of charming fairy lights, colourful decor and traditional, Thai wooden furnishings.

The upper floor of the restaurant overlooks a natural courtyard area sheltered by interspersed tall trees for a more wild and pleasant feel. It’s perfect for a romantic or special dinner while on holiday in Bangkok – or simply a change of scene for expats.

Cabbages & Condoms menu

The menu at Cabbages & Condoms offers a variety of simple, affordable Thai dishes and more extravagant, expensive dishes (expensive for Thailand anyway). Dishes start from 120 baht for mains like Fried Bean Curd & Cashew Nut, Pad See-Ew (fried chicken and noodles with soy sauce) and Som Tam (papaya salad).

Middle-of-the-range options on the Cabbages & Condoms menu include Beef Massaman Curry and Chicken Panang Curry for 250 baht. Finer dishes such as lamb or steamed whole bass with fresh mango sauce cost up to 400 baht per dish. Cabbages & Condoms have a great and extensive menu for sampling the Thai cuisine while in Bangkok – or just for a change of scenery for expats.

How to get to Cabbages & Condoms Bangkok

Take the BTS to Asoke station on the Sukhumvit line. Cabbages & Condoms is located on the right hand side of Sukhumvit Soi 12 just a few hundred metres from the station. It’s about a 5 minute walk down the Soi.

Balco Rooftop Bar & Bar B-Q Restaurant Bangkok

Posted on November 10, 2013 by koomatzu

The Balco Bar and Bar B-Q is a rooftop bar in Bangkok very different to the other upmarket, chic rooftop bars of the city. Set on the riverside of the Chao Phraya river, the Balco Bar offers a much more casual atmosphere, with reasonable prices and a relaxed atmosphere. The Balco Bar isn’t just a rooftop bar, it offers an authentic, Thai dining experience with stunning cityscape surroundings.

A typical night at the Balco Bar

I don’t mean to generalise, but let’s face it, Thai people LOVE barbecues. Not barbecues as we know them in the west, but barbecues as in the Thai style of cook-it-yourself grilled meats. And shit loads more meats. That’s a Thai-style barbecue restaurant. And so the Balco Bar and Bar B-Q offers a pleasant, laid back atmosphere of contented Thais, grilling the crap out of their big, proud piles of meat.

Despite it’s rather exclusive location above the expensive River City Shopping Centre, there’s no need to worry about a dress code at the Balco Bar and Bar B-Q like at the other Bangkok Rooftop bars. Just turn up in flip flops and a t-shirt and no-one will bat an eyelid – they’re all too busy drinking their beer towers and incinerating their bacon.

Despite this chilled out atmosphere though, the service is superb and the charming staff are always on hand to help you with their superior barbecuing expertise.

A view from the Balco Bar

The Balco Bar and Bar B-Q is set among a myriad of foliage and hidden amongst it’s own rooftop garden. Being on the 5th floor of the River City Complex, it’s not as impressive as other Bangkok rooftop bars such as the 65th floor Sky Bar, however the Balco Bar does boast a different perspective with tranquil views of the river.

It’s a pleasant experience to sit and watch the boats go by amidst the cityscape backdrop along the Chao Phraya river. The Balco Rooftop Bar does however seem to have quite a few obstructions that hinder this romantic riverside view. On top of that, the bar area features live music in a popular Thai fashion; an entertainer in a sequin dress and cowboy hat, singing unpleasantly out of tune in a karaoke stylee – You get the picture. It does kind of ruin the mood a little, but it’s all in good fun.

Balco Bar and Bar B-Q Menu

The Bar B-Q menu at the Balco Bar Bangkok is very reasonably priced for a rooftop bar in the capital city. Prices start from 120 baht for your typical Thai dishes, however, as you may have guessed from it’s name, barbecue style food is more of it’s specialty. You can order sets for the barbecue or individual items such as bacon, seafood, steak, chicken, prawn, noodle and vegetables.

Individual items cost between 40 baht and 80 baht for a small portion (perhaps 4 or 5 pieces of meat, for example). Sets start at 245 baht for one person or 450 baht for two people. This includes a variety of meat, noodles and vegetables. In keeping with the authentic Thai style of dining, beer towers are also available at a very fair price as well.

How to get to Balco Bar & Bar B-Q

You can catch a ferry to River City from Sathorn Central Pier; take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and follow signs for the ferry. If you wait at the middle pier, you can catch a public ferry to River City for just a few baht. Make sure to get off at pier number 3, Si Phraya – on some ferry lines this is sometimes the first stop.

When you get off the boat, walk down the lane and turn left at the end, then walk past the Sheraton Hotel and you will see the River City complex. Alternatively, you just catch a taxi straight to River City. You will need to take the elevator inside River City to the 5th floor.

Steve Cafe & Cuisine Bangkok

Posted on November 7, 2013 by koomatzu

Off the beaten track and hidden among rickety, wooden plank pathways along the Chao Phraya riverfront, Steve Cafe & cuisine is truly a unique, hidden gem amongst the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. If you’re an expat wanting to try something different in Bangkok, or simply on holiday longing for somewhere a little more adventurous and local, the laid back Steve Cafe may be just what you’re looking for.

A journey to Steve Cafe

It’s certainly not an easy feat trying to navigate one’s way to Steve Cafe. Balancing your way along the maze of thin, creaky boardwalks; squeezing through drunken, saucy gangs of fishermen getting lairy on Sangsom; and dodging old locals hauling rice sacks on their backs is a mini adventure in itself. (It’s not that bad – I just got REALLY lost. Follow my directions below to avoid the rabble of local drunks)

Navigating your way to the little riverfront restaurant is all part of the fun of visiting Steve Cafe & Cuisine in Bangkok though. The quaint, little alleyways and energetic atmosphere of these riverside stilt houses represent authentic, local Thai culture perfectly.

The fruits of a successful search

When you arrive at Steve Cafe, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the contrastingly clean and inviting-looking riverfront building tucked away at the end of a winding alley of ramshackle, wooden planks. Greeted by a welcoming sign on the teak wooden doorway, you’ll be asked to remove your shoes and stow them on the homey shoe rack next to the entrance.

The layout of Steve Cafe is authentically casual, bright and airy: simple white furniture lines the terrace along the river front, while the inside section features cozy sofas and mismatched seating. The basic setting is complimented with the odd charming, subtle decoration such as rambling roses climbing pillars, minimalist Thai temple paintings on the walls, a typical Thai spirit house embellished with offerings of flowers, and random old stuffed toys in hanging cages… wait, wtf? Creepy.

As for the view at Steve Cafe, the opposite side of the river provides a rather sparsely populated view: void of impressive Bangkok high rises or grand, Thai temples as you might get at other famous restaurants on the Chao Phraya river like Amorosa. When visiting Steve Cafe, expect a more simple, broad riverfront setting – just sit back and appreciate the rare calm of the big city.

The soft, lapping sounds of the river, along with the decent mix of popular, easy going background tunes from artist’s like Jack Johnson, give Steve Cafe a pleasantly relaxing ambience. Furthermore, despite the humble surrounding landscape, it’s still fun to watch the little boats and ferries go by, and the giant, creepy river fish thrashing around in the water while the locals feed them from the busy neighbouring dock.

The menu at Steve Cafe

The menu at Steve Cafe is thickly packed with a huge range of both traditional and modern Thai dishes. Typical meals cost between 140 baht and 200 baht for simple dishes like Pad Thai & fresh prawns or Southern style sour soup with lotus stems & tofu; or up to the 400 baht mark for more elegant dishes such as deep fried sea bass with herbs.

Food is reasonably priced considering the decent portion sizes and quality – dishes are obviously cooked with love at Steve Cafe. You’ll find pretty much any Thai dish you can think of on the menu at Steve Cafe from dry curries, soup curries and sour soups, to veggie dishes, salads and stir fries.

How to get to Steve Cafe

Steve Cafe is set in a peaceful area, hidden behind a beautiful temple and museum through the local back streets. The best way to get to Steve Cafe is by ferry. You can take the BTS to Saphan Taksin pier, then take the ferry to pier no. 15, Thewet Pier. This should cost about 15 baht depending on which boat you board.

Once at pier 15, walk straight down the road for a couple of hundred metres until you reach a small bridge on the left hand side. Cross the bridge, turn left and follow the road around the u-bend. Just ahead on your left hand side there should be a narrow alleyway – walk down and turn left at the end. This will take you a temple entrance.

Make your way behind the temple until you come to a parking lot with a museum on the right hand side. Just past the museum is a wooden walkway towards the river that leads to Steve Cafe.

Website: www.stevecafeandcuisine.com

Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park Bangkok

Posted on November 4, 2013 by koomatzu

Hidden behind Chatuchak Park, far away from the busy main road, the Butterfly Park offers a tranquil sanctuary from the craziness of Bangkok city. If you fancy a peaceful bike ride amongst natural surroundings, a visit to the Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is a must.

Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park

The park itself is surprisingly huge considering it’s hidden away location off the Bangkok beaten path, perhaps even bigger than the more famous Lumpini Park. You won’t find so many of the pretty flower displays like you’ll see in the standard public parks of Bangkok – the overall look of Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is a little rough around the edges: overgrown and slightly hilly.

However, this wild, natural environment offers an inviting landscape of solitude with plenty of picturesque lakes to add to it’s beauty. As you wander around the spacious Bangkok park, you’ll notice the odd couple snoozing on the grass, workers taking a sneaky nap in one of the podiums and cheeky groups of local kids skiving off school.

At the northern entrance of the park, visitors can relax in the quiet cafe and restaurant which serves cheap Thai meals and smoothies. There is even a mini amusement park where kids can ride their bikes around a miniature track.

Cycling in Bangkok

The main focus of the Bangkok Butterfly Park is the large cycle path that runs through it; 99% of the people you come across in Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park will be riding a bike. It’s not ideal to explore the park on foot due to it’s huge size, but the flat landscape and wild surroundings make for an ideal bike ride in Bangkok.

Unfortunately, I never actually found where exactly to hire the push bikes that I saw everybody else riding. Apparently, if following my directions to the insectarium below, the bike hire area is located to the left of the bridge in the opposite direction to the Butterfly Gardens. I have a feeling they may be available from the Dream World amusement park pictured above.

Bangkok Butterfly Garden & Insectarium

As well as being ideal for cycling, Wachira Benthat also has it’s own butterfly garden and insectarium. The insectarium has some beautiful flower displays and a range of butterflies to admire and photograph. What’s best of all though, is that admission is free!

To get to the butterfly garden and insectarium, it is easiest to enter the park from Kamphaeng Phet 3. Enter the park through the large vegetable garden courtyard, then straight on across the right side fork in the path. You’ll notice a ‘relaxation area’ just ahead to your right: just past here is a rather ugly, metal bridge. Cross the bridge and turn right for a couple of hundred metres.

How to get to the Butterfly Park in Bangkok

The best way to find the Bangkok Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is to take either the MRT to Chatuchak Park or the BTS to Mo Chit – either way will take you directly to Chatuchak Park. You then want to make your way to the other side of Chatuchak Park from here – It can be kind of frustrating trying to find an exit so just try and make your way out at the opposite side first!

When you exit the park, you’ll find yourself on Kamphaeng Phet 3 road. Walk along this road to the right and you should pass a complex called Jatujak Green. Eventually, you’ll find yourself at the gates to a vegetable courtyard that leads to Wachira Benthat Park.

Asiatique Riverfront Market Bangkok

Posted on October 30, 2013 by koomatzu

Bangkok shopping budget: $$

Average clothes prices: 100 – 300 baht

Asiatique is a charming riverside market in Bangkok, very similar in layout to the designer shopping villages found across Europe. With it’s wide range of entertainment, bars, restaurants and unique boutique shops, Asiatique attracts a mixture of both local Bangkok Thais and tourists from all over the world.

Not only do the shopping arcades of Asiatique provide a romantic setting of quirky decorations and creative shop exteriors, but the riverside market also offers Thai cabaret shows and deluxe ferris wheel rides for 250 baht a go. As for the food at Asiatique, there is a huge choice of ice cream parlours plus pizzerias, kebab vans, chicken spit roasts, French gourmet and Japanese restaurants to choose from.

When it comes to the shops of Asiatique, the shopping experience is rather similar to that of Bangkok’s famous Chatuchak Weekend Market – plenty of cool, indie clothes and accessory shops; cute hand made jewellery boutiques; and numerous textile and souvenir shops. The only difference between the two markets really, is that Asiatique is considerably smaller than Chatuchak and therefore less frustrating. On top of this, the charming style and pretty lights also add to Asiatique’s more chilled out ambience.

Asiatique Market is conveniently divided into different sections: the first section closest to the Bangkok riverside is dedicated more to unique boutiques and fashionable clothing. Here, you can find cool dresses, casual tops, funky fedora hats, punky caps and cute, handmade jewellery. You can pick up a unique pair of elegant, hand made earrings from 95 baht; a pair of denim shorts for 99 baht; or a cool, printed men’s t-shirt from 150 baht a piece.

The other half of the shops at Asiatique, nearest the roadside of the shopping village, cater mainly to tourists. Shops in this section tend to sell a repetition of bohemian style clothing, ethnic jewellery, colourful bangles, soft furnishings and Thai trinkets.

There are a particularly high number of pashmina shops which sell beautiful scarves and wallhangings in this area. The only drawback with these, is that the salesmen are unpleasantly over-keen and, although the pashminas are high quality, the prices aren’t so cheap. Pashminas will typically sell for around 400 baht while wall hangings will cost from 1200 baht for an elaborately embroidered small size.

Do make sure not to accept the first price offered in these shops though, as the salesmen working in this chain of stalls tend to start at an extremely high amount – expect to haggle the price down a lot. They’re very greedy! You can’t really innocently have a nose and window shop at these stalls either – they’ll pounce on you as soon as you stop to take a sneaky peek. Shame, I do love to have a nose at pretty things…

Anyway, this roadside section is highly useful for souvenir shopping or buying home furnishings – there are some lovely ornaments, lights and soft furnishings kicking around. In this part, expect to pay from 20 baht for the cheapest pair of earrings, 150 baht for a standard scarf and from 60 baht for some of the wooden bangles. There is also a decent range of better quality, ethnic jewellery at a higher price too if you prefer – around 400 baht for a hand made leather and charm necklace, for example.

How to get to Asiatique Riverfront

Asiatique is open from 6pm until midnight, 7 days a week. The weekend gets super busy at Asiatique, however week nights at the riverside market are pretty quiet. The easiest way to get to Asiatique Bangkok is to take the free shuttle boat; this leaves from Sathorn Central Pier which also happens to be attached to the Saphan Taksin BTS station.

So, you can either take the BTS to Saphan Taksin or, if you’re staying near the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, you can catch a ferry to the central pier. The pier is very clearly signposted for the free shuttle boat – it runs from 6pm until 12pm.