Tints of Blue Hotel in Bangkok

One thing I noticed when I was last in Bangkok, was how modern it had become since the last time I was there. Granted, that was 20 years ago. With that there were so many cute boutique hotels to choose from, which is how I ended up finding Tints of Blue Hotel in Bangkok.

The Tints of Blue Hotel is off the main Sukhumvit road where you will find lots of restaurants, shops and even malls. It does take a little bit of effort to find the hotel, but once you get there, it's worth the walk. (Or the yelling at the taxi driver because he can't find it.) And if you feel that the alley is a bit too dark after night falls, the hotel offers free tuktuk rides to the main road and back to the hotel.

Quirky Things to do in Bangkok

When I was in the Thai capital a few weeks ago, it wasn't my first time. So instead of visiting the bog standard tourist hot-spots I was looking for quirky things to do in Bangkok. Here is what I got up to.

Jim Thompson House

The first place I visited was the Jim Thompson House. It is the house of the American entrepreneur who settled in Bangkok and started a silk business. He had a successful career, but unfortunately disappeared on a walk in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia in 1967. His house was turned into a foundation and museum and gives an amazing insight into what Bangkok life was like in the first half of the last century. At least for the fortunate ones.

The White Ivory B&B in Bangkok

For my short 2-day layover in the Thai capital on my way to Laos, I was super happy to have found this cute little place called the White Ivory B&B in Bangkok. It may sound somewhat cliche, but it was such a little oasis in the midst of all the craziness that is Bangkok.

Going Tribal in Thailand

Cute village girl

The best trips are the ones that will take you off the beaten track, places where no one has gone before. Be it a desert, a jungle or remote villages where western civilisation hasn't been able to integrate into the daily grind yet.
Much like the Karen villages you’ll find in the north of Thailand near Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. Me and my travel buddy signed up for one of those treks that take you to these hill tribe villages on a trip to Thailand a few years ago.

For four days we went back to basic. We walked through the jungle, through rain showers and scorching heat, from one remote village to the next. Feeling much like we were going where no other tourist had gone before. We stayed with local families in their wooden huts built on stilts. We had to do without any mod cons like electricity  running water and even without toilets. Going to the loo meant having to climb down a ladder, crawl underneath the hut and do your business right there along with the local pigs, dogs and chickens. It was all wonderfully basic and authentically tribal.

Our last evening was spent with our small trekking group, having dinner on a porch, surrounded by nothing but a few other huts, the rainforest and a sky full of stars. Some local children had gathered around us on the porch entertaining us by singing songs in their native language. Or so we thought. While most of us were enjoying the idyllic surroundings and the delicious food, one member of our group suddenly remarked that the song the children were singing sounded remarkably like Baa Baa Black Sheep trying to find some wool. He was right. And to make matters worse, Baa Baa was followed by its Dutch, German and French colleagues. Suddenly the trekking trip didn't feel so untrodden any more.

Okay, so it wasn't as off-the-beaten-track as we'd hoped. It was still a wonderful way to get a glimpse into Thai life in the country side. Even if we weren't the first ever travellers to experience it.