Ban Mong Lai

As it was so hot and we had no pool, we thought it might be cooler and more refreshing to head out of the city and visit a national park with some amazing waterfall plunge pools called Erawan Falls (yes, the same ones they go to in Race Across the World, episode 5). We began early by getting a microbus to the nearest big town and then a local bus to the national park. The microbus driver was a bit of a maniac and spent the whole two-hour journey swerving in and out of cars and putting his foot down so hard the bus began making warning beeps that he was going way over the speed limit. After that ride, James and I felt a bit motion sick, so it was quite nice getting on the local bus, which went at a slow cruising speed with little to no swerving, even without AC, for the rest of the hour-and-a-half drive.

The national park was very much like most American national parks, with a paved walkway to the pools and even optional golf buggies to and from the start. There are seven levels of pools, and the first one was very busy, as were the next two pools. We decided to stop in the fourth pool for a swim. It was very hard to get into them as the roots and rocks were slippery, and the tiny baby fish kept nipping at you as you tried to enter. The water was so lovely and refreshing, and with the mandatory life jackets, it was nice just floating around. The fish were quite distracting, though, as if you stayed still for even a second, you'd get nipped, which I didn't like.

We then hiked to pools 5, 6, and 7 to swim in each. Seven was definitely the best and the clearest but full of more photo seekers. It was so nice though; I could have stayed there for ages, but sadly the next bus was soon, and the 1.5-hour gap between them meant we had to get this one.

We arrived just in time and began our long journey back the way we'd come. When we arrived in Bangkok, the bus dropped us off right by a street food market, and as it was 7 PM at this point, we were starving, so I suggested we get dinner there. It had so many local food options, with no foreigners in sight, a proper local hot spot. I bought a variety of meat on sticks, some noodles, and huge prawns that we had to de-shell ourselves. It was pretty delicious. Then for dessert, we shared a coconut slushy drink that was also delicious. We headed back to our room tired and ready for bed.

On our final full day in the city, we visited the royal palace. We got up early and ate breakfast at a local cafe (it's very hard to find anywhere open before 11 AM here) and then caught the speedboat to the palace entrance. That night the heat had broken and the rains had begun, so it was raining quite a bit upon entering the palace grounds. The palace buildings were beautiful. The architecture is so different from anything Western you see, and the detail in the decoration is so amazing it's a lot to take in. I have to say it wasn't very good at telling us anything about the royal family, but it was all pretty interesting to look at and explore. We went inside a temple where we had to take off our shoes and saw a super precious jade Buddha (no photos inside allowed) and also saw a miniature version of Angkor Wat.

After about two hours, we got tired and headed to a highly-rated cafe where we had a beautiful lunch. Then we headed into the city to Decathlon to buy some beach stuff. We bought snorkels and masks and water shoes so we don't get any sea urchin stings. I also managed to find some purple shampoo for my blonde hair (to get rid of the brassy tones that creep in) in the shop opposite. We then decided to go off the beaten track and take a local bus. I sat next to an old gentleman who immediately wanted to know where we were from and how long we were staying. I don't think they get many foreigners on the local buses. It dropped us just by our rooms, and we rested and ate dinner later on by our rooms.

Considering we felt a little uncertain about what we were going to do in Bangkok when we first arrived, it felt like we'd done a lot by the time we left. I'm sure we'll be back as well, as it might be where we fly home from too. Till next time, Bangkok.Read more