Surfcrest
February 19th, 2011, 17:23
A trip to Bangkok for me simply wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Chakran Sauna. Although it still ranks for me as one of the best bathhouses on the planet, it may not be for everybody and it certainly isn't as it was when I first visited a handful of years ago.
First, let me take you there! If you travel on the BTS or the sky train you will need to travel northward to Ari Station. Airi is a beautiful neighborhood with nice homes, a few good lounges, many good restaurant choices and one of the better, cleaner areas for street food. You can eat outdoors without the smell of raw sewage running under you which for me is a must when it comes to simple outdoor eating. The food choice starts as soon as you descend the stairs from the BT S platform with some good salted fish directly under the stairs and a wide selection of grilled items a you walk west toward the Sauna. One treat I enjoy is the fresh squeezed juice, running from 20 baht for a small bottle to 35 for a large.
The BTS runs north south and so you will need to head west for 5 or 6 streets, looking for the Chakran sign at the corner directing you southward for about 50 meters. If you aren't up for the short walk, you can always take a motorcycle taxi or a Tuk Tuk for a few coins at the first street heading west. And as you head west, the eateries will move indoors, most with Thai names and some quite busy with local clientele as well as a few lounges, such a Salt. I only mention this in case you meet someone at the Sauna and you both decide to have a drink afterwards together.
On the strret heading south, you wil find Chakran on your right, usually with someone outside in an orange Chakran shirt. This wil be the fellow that helps you find transportation (if you need it) once you leave. The entry price, once you pass through the frosted glass doors is 230 baht. The attendant will provide a key and direct you up the spiral staircase to the second floor where the lockers are. There is ample signage to direct you to where your locker wil be for the range of locker numbers. Once upon a time you would find 2 towels in your locker, but they have scaled that back to 1 now. I'm not sure if there is a charge for an extra towel, I've never really had the need for 2 unless I'm using the gym as well.
It's probably safe to say that most of the clientele are either Thai or Asian. When I was there last Wednesday evening there were a few Caucasians, but it didn't appear as though they were attracting a lot of attention from the other patrons. It's pretty safe to say that most of the guests at the sauna are interested in sticky rice and this has been how it has been at Chakran since I started going. As I said, the property is still quite beautiful but the service has slid. I noticed a lot of the boys lounging around had very dirty feet and so they probably aren't keeping the floors as clean as they should. If you go, I would recommend flip flops.
The wet areas are down on the first floor. There are a few stairways that will take you down, but not the spiral case that took you up as this one will only take you back to the attendant again. The first floor is like an Arabian oasis. I recall when I first started going there they used to have big billowing curtains and play dreamy ambient music that was fitting with the hanging vines blowing lazily with the light breeze. The curtains are gone now and they were playing western ballads Wednesday night, but the vines seem to have grown, especially from the wood lattice over the stairs taking you back up to the second flor from the other side. The big vines hang down from high up over a small open air swimming pool, complete with a small waterfall. A few years back they installed a few lounge beds that now hang slightly over the swimming pool. While that may take away from the natural view of the property and the pool they are quite popular and they are usually full. Unfortunately for me, many of the boys smoke while lounging around in this area which I find a little overwhelming but nothing like the saunas in Europe I've been to.
There is a bar on this floor, but the service is a little off and as been like this for as long as the curtains have been down (not that there is a co-relation). Deeper into the wet area there is a large jacuzzi, although it is more a large pool with water a little cooler than luke warm and a few weak jets. Nonetheless, I've always enjoyed it especially for the view and to see people going in and out of the sauna and stream room. The stream room is rather large, about the same size as Babylon's but even darker. Perhaps the younger guest's eyes can adjust in the dark better with corneas that haven't hardened up yet, but the total darkness can be a little unnerving especially if you don't know your way around in there. You will notice the smell of watercress that they disolve in buckets near the steam vents. If you are in there for any length of time your skin will have that pleasant, light essence long after you leave. There are two doors leading you in and you can feel your way through the maze once you are in from one door to the next and feeling all sorts of things pleasant and sometimes not so pleasant (depending on your tastes and who you bump into). There has always been quite a bit of light action happening inside. The dry sauna is directly across from the steam room and on the other side of the jacuzzi. It too is rather large for sauna standards and is totally dark except for the light coming in through the window on the door. There is a series of showers along the back wall with frosted glass facing the jacuzzi that let's you see the profile and shape if who's showering, which is quite erotic. In the back corner there is a cruisy washroom.
Heading back up the opposite stairs you will pass under the lattice with more vines hanging down. There are benches under the lattice that allows you some nice views and fresh air when there is a breeze. One set of stairs will take you to a small bar / restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The other set will take you back up to the locker area and another set of stairs taking you up to the third floor. The gym is on the third floor, not a bad sized gym with some decent equipment and usually popular with those looking to buff it up. Outside the gym are some machines and cups providing purified hot and cold water....something Babylon should have. This is also where the entrance to the Heart of Darkness is, an area where a lot more action is happening. I imagine that in the light the design of this area would be quite beautiful with multiple levels and little cubicles tucked away here and there. The problem though is that this area is pretty dark (but not totally dark) and so it is easy to trip on the stairs of the different levels. There is a video room tucked away here and more stairs that will actually take you up to the roof and more outdoor lounging areas. I've never found too many people up and out here, whether it's because it's not easily found or people just don't make it that far for good reasons ;) The view up here is quite stunning though, looking over the neighborhood.....although I wonder what the neighborhood would be thinking looking back at someone standing out there in just a towel.
Even if you don't think you would get anything here or you aren't interested in bathhouse sex the place I think is worth the visit if only for the view of the property and some very beautiful guests inside.
Surfcrest
First, let me take you there! If you travel on the BTS or the sky train you will need to travel northward to Ari Station. Airi is a beautiful neighborhood with nice homes, a few good lounges, many good restaurant choices and one of the better, cleaner areas for street food. You can eat outdoors without the smell of raw sewage running under you which for me is a must when it comes to simple outdoor eating. The food choice starts as soon as you descend the stairs from the BT S platform with some good salted fish directly under the stairs and a wide selection of grilled items a you walk west toward the Sauna. One treat I enjoy is the fresh squeezed juice, running from 20 baht for a small bottle to 35 for a large.
The BTS runs north south and so you will need to head west for 5 or 6 streets, looking for the Chakran sign at the corner directing you southward for about 50 meters. If you aren't up for the short walk, you can always take a motorcycle taxi or a Tuk Tuk for a few coins at the first street heading west. And as you head west, the eateries will move indoors, most with Thai names and some quite busy with local clientele as well as a few lounges, such a Salt. I only mention this in case you meet someone at the Sauna and you both decide to have a drink afterwards together.
On the strret heading south, you wil find Chakran on your right, usually with someone outside in an orange Chakran shirt. This wil be the fellow that helps you find transportation (if you need it) once you leave. The entry price, once you pass through the frosted glass doors is 230 baht. The attendant will provide a key and direct you up the spiral staircase to the second floor where the lockers are. There is ample signage to direct you to where your locker wil be for the range of locker numbers. Once upon a time you would find 2 towels in your locker, but they have scaled that back to 1 now. I'm not sure if there is a charge for an extra towel, I've never really had the need for 2 unless I'm using the gym as well.
It's probably safe to say that most of the clientele are either Thai or Asian. When I was there last Wednesday evening there were a few Caucasians, but it didn't appear as though they were attracting a lot of attention from the other patrons. It's pretty safe to say that most of the guests at the sauna are interested in sticky rice and this has been how it has been at Chakran since I started going. As I said, the property is still quite beautiful but the service has slid. I noticed a lot of the boys lounging around had very dirty feet and so they probably aren't keeping the floors as clean as they should. If you go, I would recommend flip flops.
The wet areas are down on the first floor. There are a few stairways that will take you down, but not the spiral case that took you up as this one will only take you back to the attendant again. The first floor is like an Arabian oasis. I recall when I first started going there they used to have big billowing curtains and play dreamy ambient music that was fitting with the hanging vines blowing lazily with the light breeze. The curtains are gone now and they were playing western ballads Wednesday night, but the vines seem to have grown, especially from the wood lattice over the stairs taking you back up to the second flor from the other side. The big vines hang down from high up over a small open air swimming pool, complete with a small waterfall. A few years back they installed a few lounge beds that now hang slightly over the swimming pool. While that may take away from the natural view of the property and the pool they are quite popular and they are usually full. Unfortunately for me, many of the boys smoke while lounging around in this area which I find a little overwhelming but nothing like the saunas in Europe I've been to.
There is a bar on this floor, but the service is a little off and as been like this for as long as the curtains have been down (not that there is a co-relation). Deeper into the wet area there is a large jacuzzi, although it is more a large pool with water a little cooler than luke warm and a few weak jets. Nonetheless, I've always enjoyed it especially for the view and to see people going in and out of the sauna and stream room. The stream room is rather large, about the same size as Babylon's but even darker. Perhaps the younger guest's eyes can adjust in the dark better with corneas that haven't hardened up yet, but the total darkness can be a little unnerving especially if you don't know your way around in there. You will notice the smell of watercress that they disolve in buckets near the steam vents. If you are in there for any length of time your skin will have that pleasant, light essence long after you leave. There are two doors leading you in and you can feel your way through the maze once you are in from one door to the next and feeling all sorts of things pleasant and sometimes not so pleasant (depending on your tastes and who you bump into). There has always been quite a bit of light action happening inside. The dry sauna is directly across from the steam room and on the other side of the jacuzzi. It too is rather large for sauna standards and is totally dark except for the light coming in through the window on the door. There is a series of showers along the back wall with frosted glass facing the jacuzzi that let's you see the profile and shape if who's showering, which is quite erotic. In the back corner there is a cruisy washroom.
Heading back up the opposite stairs you will pass under the lattice with more vines hanging down. There are benches under the lattice that allows you some nice views and fresh air when there is a breeze. One set of stairs will take you to a small bar / restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The other set will take you back up to the locker area and another set of stairs taking you up to the third floor. The gym is on the third floor, not a bad sized gym with some decent equipment and usually popular with those looking to buff it up. Outside the gym are some machines and cups providing purified hot and cold water....something Babylon should have. This is also where the entrance to the Heart of Darkness is, an area where a lot more action is happening. I imagine that in the light the design of this area would be quite beautiful with multiple levels and little cubicles tucked away here and there. The problem though is that this area is pretty dark (but not totally dark) and so it is easy to trip on the stairs of the different levels. There is a video room tucked away here and more stairs that will actually take you up to the roof and more outdoor lounging areas. I've never found too many people up and out here, whether it's because it's not easily found or people just don't make it that far for good reasons ;) The view up here is quite stunning though, looking over the neighborhood.....although I wonder what the neighborhood would be thinking looking back at someone standing out there in just a towel.
Even if you don't think you would get anything here or you aren't interested in bathhouse sex the place I think is worth the visit if only for the view of the property and some very beautiful guests inside.
Surfcrest