Thailand Honeymoon: Bangkok

Back in November, Matt and I went on a babymoon turned dream honeymoon to Thailand. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have a seen a few photos from our trip, but today I get to share a full recap of the cities we visited. With the expert help of Mr & Mrs Smith, we spent ten days in Thailand in three cities, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi. Mr and Mrs Smith is a top notch boutique hotel site that helps couples plan and book their honeymoons across the globe.

I will be breaking up our recap in three digestible posts, because there’s just too much to share. Today I will share our first stop, Bangkok!

We headed to Thailand when I was 20 weeks pregnant, and we couldn’t have been happier with timing. After a long flight from New York, we arrived at The Siam at 2:00a local time. It was such a nice treat to arrive at this hotel after a long, looong twenty hour flight. Mr & Mrs Smith picked and organized all of our stay in Thailand, and we were over the moon with their choices of hotels for us.

This boutique hotel is nothing short of amazing. It has an modern-tique aesthetic with vintage Thai ephemera and antique furniture throughout. We didn’t want to leave. Think Asian-inspired Restoration Hardware with a modern setting. The gym had a vintage Muai Thai boxing theme – with a boxing ring included!

The Siam has its own shuttle boat for guests, punctually waiting for us at their own private dock with a frequent schedule of every 20 minutes. This turned out to be the absolute best way to go anywhere in Bangkok, because their traffic beats LA ten times over. On one of our daily excursions we spent nearly two hours in a cab to travel six miles, so we loved having the private shuttle to take us to all of the main attractions. This service is complimentary as well.

Every hotel listed at Mr & Mrs Smith is handpicked by their team, which means consistently stellar reviews from the best and most unique boutique hotels in the world. They offer free concierge service to help you plan your honeymoon beyond just your stay, by suggesting activities, places to see and even help booking your flights. Better yet, if you think you’d be paying extra for a luxury service, Mr & Mrs Smith guarantees the best rates available! They will price match if you find cheaper rates and give you a $75 voucher towards your next stay. I seriously can’t recommend them enough!

(photo above by Christopher Wise)

Things we did and recommend:

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok)

We only spent 3 days in Bangkok, in addition to being jet lagged, so we had to prioritize what we wanted to see. Our first stop was the Wat Phra Kaew temple. It’s the main Buddhist temple to visit if you’re in Bangkok for just a few days and is considered the most important temple in Thailand. To get there, take The Siam’s boat shuttle or hop on a longtail boat and get off at Chang pier. It’s a very crowded stop that goes through a small market with a short walk to the temple. It is a sacred site, so tourists are asked to dress modestly. No tank tops or short shorts are allowed in the temples, so bring a lightweight scarf to cover up. When you go inside the temples, you need to take your shoes off and if you’re going to sit on the floor, it’s a sign of respect to place your feet away from the Buddha. They also have tunic rentals if you’re not dressed appropriately. The site is very large, with lots to see and learn for a whole morning. From Wat Phra Kaew, you can walk to the temple of the reclining Buddha, Wat Pho.

See Also

Romantic Autumn Wedding at 620 Loft and Gardens in NYC

Chatuchak Weekend Market

This is the largest weekend market in the world. Here you will find just about anything you can think of. From food to handicrafts, from antique finds to kitchen supplies. The best day to go is Saturday. This is the place to buy tchotkis, folks. We found lots of beautiful handpainted porcelain, carved wood items, and vintage items. I have a thing for unique handicrafts, so I got my hoarding on here. Matt also scored a few vintage tshirts for less than ten dollars total! The suggestions I have read in so many places to buy it if you love it is definitely true. The market is so large you will have a hard time finding your way back to the store you thought you would go back.

Our last day in Thailand was also in Bangkok, taking a days travel rest before returning home. We stayed at the Metropolitan by Como, a centrally located hotel with a modern + upbeat aesthetic. This hotel is also an unbelievable find for the rate! It has everything you need, and is centrally located in Bangkok. It felt like an oasis in the middle of the city.

Visit our Honeymoon and Southeast Asia Honeymoon boards on Pinterest for more, and be sure to check out Mr & Mrs Smith for your honeymoon! Next week we will share about our next stop, Chiang Mai + tips on what to pack and how we traveled domestically in Thailand.