It was our last evening in Bangkok before we were off to Koh Samui the next morning, Tiffany and I had just returned from a full day tour and we were sitting and waiting for the rain to pass when Simon approached us and said he had two empty seats for the Bangkok Night Tuk Tuk Tour with Expique. We jumped at the opportunity as a Tuk Tuk tour is something that I wanted to do but unfortunately didn’t manage to until this very evening. And boy how glad was I that two bloggers didn’t show up and we got to go and join this awesome tour.
Simon Philipp is the CEO of Expique which is a young company but definitely has great potential as you can see how passionate Simon is about his work. Together with his guide Gib and the friendly Tuk Tuk drivers we were off for a fun night in Bangkok. Several of the Tuk Tuk cars feature a transparent roof which lets you see more of the city. Our driver’s name was “wealth” don’t recall how it was in Thai but I definitely caught the wealth part.
Klong San Market
Our first stop was at the Klong San Market which used to be an old train station and is a market where the locals come. Here you can find anything from clothes, accessories to street food. I have already been in Bangkok for a few days and had passed a number of street food stalls however I wasn’t daring to try any food, not that there is anything wrong with it but when you are not accustomed to something, you are usually hesitant especially when travelling. But you can’t call yourself a real traveller when you don’t mix with the local culture, so I couldn’t leave Bangkok without trying the street food, so I did and it was a great experience!
Walking through the Klong San Market we also visited a stall that has a huge statue of a Buddhist monk where locals make their offerings by buying flowers.
Did you know that money grow on trees?
Guys give you manicures in Bangkok
We then jumped into the tuk tuks for a short ride towards the Chao Phraya River where we got off and while enjoying the night view of the river tried a local dessert called Sangkhaya which is a Thai Coconut Custard Dip that is served with pieces of white bread.
View of Chao Phraya River
A temple decorated for a funeral
Wat Prayoon
Next stop of our tour was the Wat Prayoon a Buddhist temple which is home to the Buddhas’s relics. It is a very impressive site due to its size and architectural features. In 2013 the Wat Prayoon temple was awarded the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Conservation Award of Excellence for the impressive conservation work carried on the building and the preservation of its heritage.
Wat Pho at Night
The visit to the Wat Pho at night was one of the highlights of this tour. This place is out of this world, a feeling that can’t be described but must be felt. I had visited the temple during the day, but believe me the aura of this place at night is something else. It is so peaceful, no crowds, and you find yourself thinking that you can easily get lost in thought here and spend hours soaking in the peacefulness and the radiant beauty of the surroundings. I couldn’t get enough photos of this place, and as you keep on clicking and clicking to capture this moment, camera, Iphone, you name it …you realize that the beauty can only be captured in your memory and in your heart.
Thip Samai – the best Pad Thai served in Bangkok
Up next was food time and we were taken to a place called Thip Samai which is known for serving the best Pad Thai in Bangkok. You need inside connections to be able to get a table here and people literally queue up to get their turn to try the best Pad Thai served in Bangkok. There are different variations of Pad Thai to choose from, I had the classic and a glass of orange juice which was actually made of tangerines.
Vegetable and Flower Market
We then visited the vegetable market which is open 24 hours a day, following Gib we then walked into a flower heaven. The Flower Market (Pak Klong Talad) is the biggest wholesale of fresh flowers, it gets livelier towards midnight. I have never experienced something like this in my life, I wanted to buy all these flowers then and there, but to take them where? So many colours and so cheap compared to the prices in Europe. I definitely recommend a visit to this market and if you are to stay in Bangkok for a few more days then you should definitely get some of those beautiful flowers.
China Town
The final stop of the tour was at the China Town, the streets were quite busy as during these days the Vegetarian Festival was taking place. As you have seen in my previous post, hotels and restaurants were serving special dishes during this festival.
It was around midnight when we finished with our tour and although we had an early plane to catch, this experience was definitely worth it. Thank you Expique for these wonderful memories and for a fun night riding in the tuk tuk.
With our driver Wealth
Giveaway: Guess what if you find yourself in Bangkok you can get a chance to win a free walking tour for two. All you have to do is contact Expique until 31 March 2016 and use the code Passion for Hospitality to get your prize!
Meet Simon!
Duration of the tour: approximately 4 hours
Price: From 1850THB per person
Private Tours are available on demand
Contact Expique to arrange your tour.
Try saying the Bangkok’s Official Name
