The crossroad for any young person coming to Thailand is Khaosan Road made famous by Alex Garland’s novel The Beach and the follow-up movie version starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Since that film, the area’s reputation has grown and now it has less of the air of a seedy overnight stopover with cheap rooms and more the air of an upscale city venue.
It still attracts young travellers, however, and even one time hippies who made the place famous return for a nostalgic look at the place, amazed at the presence of outlets like Boots, Burger King and McDonald’s. Despite this modernisation, there remain dozens of street vendors, bars, and Thai restaurants, and the bargains in clothing, watches, CDs and DVDs are still there for the taking.
Nearby Phra A-thit Road is an area of fancy restaurants, chic bars and a riverfront area that hosts dance and music shows. The well preserved beautiful old wooden buildings shows what Bangkok may have look like in the past. Arrive and depart from here by river-taxi for a great night out.
Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok’s Flower Market
This is the leading flower market in Bangkok and if you want to see what masses of orchids look like, head for this paradise of blooms. Orchids of every shade, birds of paradise, roses and chrysanthemums from Chiang Mai, lotus flowers, and garlands of brilliant orange marigolds demand your attention. If you want to carry some home (remember, some countries don’t permit this) you can buy them boxed up, encased in moist tissues for the journey.
Best time to visit is early morning when the vendors are setting up shop but it is busy day and night.
The market is near the river and you can always ask your river taxi to stop off here for a few minutes. Some canal tours include a stop at the market.
Learn Meditation in Bangkok
A retreat is one of the country’s famous temples is a great way to de-stress. Check out what is available at Wat Mahathat where you can learn meditation from Buddhist monks. Wat Mahathat is located near the Grand Palace and you will receive lessons in meditation while both walking and sitting - in English. Overnight stays are possible as long as you can obey the chief rule of not eating after 12 pm and, of course, refraining from alcohol and sex.
Meditation said the Lord Buddha, tames “the monkey mind”, but it’s not for everyone. Many Asians cannot meditate although westerners often presume that Asians can blank out their minds for periods of times. I know many Thais who have tried over the years to achieve the peace that comes from a long period of meditation, but not all find it possible.
So there you have it, the Hippie Scene brought up to date, flowers to remind you of flower-power days, and meditation on the ways we have changed - all in a few days.
Mari Nicholson - Award Winning travel writer and historian, member of British Guild of Travel Writers.Travelwriters.co.uk, and Society of Women Writers and ...
