Pete's Wicked Travels

A large part of my February trip to Bangkok was dominated by visiting the city’s museums. I don’t think it’s really known for its museums and I certainly hadn’t heard much about them before traveling there but they came as a very pleasant surprise on my trip.

The first one I visited was the relatively new Bangkok Art and Culture Center. The museum opened in July of last year and I when I visited it I got the feeling that not everything was up and running yet. Whether it was completely operational or not, the museum was fantastic. First of all, the building itself is 11 stories tall. It houses the galleries, an auditorium, a library and a host of small businesses. I really liked the modern design of the building and, although I’m no art critic, I enjoyed the contemporary Thai art far more than the American I’m used to. It’s focus on contemporary art contrasted well with the sightseeing I’d been doing at national historic sites and temples. It really gave me something of break from what had been a trip oriented toward Thailand’s past rather than its present.

After visiting the ultra-modern Art and Culture Center, I went to see the Jim Thompson House. I’ve always enjoyed visiting homes with interesting architecture (Falling Water is a particular favorite) so I braved the touring hordes and made my way to this fixture of Bangkok tourism. I was wary of going at first because it’s the second most visited attraction in Thailand and I always chafe at the idea of mandatory guided tours but I’m really glad I ended up going. Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur who built this home in Bangkok during the 50s and 60s. The home itself is best described as a complex of six buildings that sit on a canal in the center of Bangkok across from the stadium.

The buildings are traditional Thai houses transported from across the country and combined to form a really fantastic home. As impressive as the buildings themselves are, it’s Thompson’s art collection that’s really a selling point of the tour. Much of the art is Buddhist with the typical wooden and bronze images of Buddha but a significant portion of it is secular in nature (there was some really fantastic Thai porcelain). The art comes from all around South Asia including Burma and Laos. Since I wasn’t traveling to either of these nations, it was nice to be in a museum with some of their traditional artwork on display.

The Thompson House was probably the best part of my trip to Bangkok simply because it was absolutely unique to the city. I really enjoyed it and I’ll go back if I ever find myself in Bangkok again. On the downside, I didn’t make it to the Museum of Counterfeit Goods. It was kind of a random choice on my list but I thought it would be fun. But the two museums that I did get to visit were fantastic. Perhaps if I travel to Bangkok again I’ll fit the counterfeit goods museum into my schedule.

admin Southeast Asia Asia, Bangkok, Museums, Thailand

You could take advantage on some benefits you can get when staying on hostels. These travel accommodations are generally affordable, clean and provides quality amenities that would provide you a comfortable travel experience. Aside from the good food these hostels offer to its guests, these alternative places to stay on your trip are comparable to your school dormitory in which you are provided with sufficient amenities to have a wonderful rest for your travel. In most cases, hostels accommodate students traveling for educational and guided tours. Checking into these cheap accommodations is also highly advisable especially when visiting sophisticated places such as London. Travelers can effectively cut their travel expenses by spending the night in one of these budget rooms instead of checking into a hotel suite.

Hostels are also excellent when it comes to meeting other people within your travels. The setting of the place is highly suitable for open conversations since most of these hostels have common areas to which the guests can get to know other visitors. Moreover, most of these hostels have bars that serve affordable drinks and beers that you can share with other hostel guests. Staying on a hostel is a great way of getting in touch with other people without affecting your limited budget.

The best way to have a great time staying on these hostels on your trip is to have an advanced research on which of these places have quality amenities. You may find great hostels by asking some of the local residents or you may want to check out available hostel websites on the Internet. Make sure that the hostel of your choice offers a comfortable bed, linen covers, shower and more importantly, free meals.

One of the major benefits of staying in a hostel is that the accommodation rates are much cheaper than hotels. You can easily cut your traveling expenses if you stay on these places rather than spending hundreds of dollars in luxurious hotel suites. Other great experiences of staying in a hostel are the group activities arranged for group trips. Most hostels hold a simple gathering for their guests to provide an excellent setting for bonding with other travelers. You may expect different types of visitors checking into these hostels thus you may have a wonderful time conversing with other people coming from other parts of the world.

Most of these hostels allow you to use the kitchen and laundry areas for your convenience. In some cases, hostels offer cookouts with the visitors as a way to bond their guests. Aside from kitchens for you to prepare your meals, you can also take advantage of cleaning your clothes with the available laundry machines.

Hostels are great for many reasons and I wouldn’t stay anywhere else when I travel!

admin Hostels Hostels, places to stay, travel