August 8th, 2006, 03:27
I left Phuket last week to come to Chiang Rai with the current BS. We stopped for a very quick two days in BKK. A review:
Flew One Two Go airlines from Phuket to BKK. The flight arrived two hours late, and it took forever to get our luggage. The plane was a 747 and was packed. The taxi line in BKK was very long, so BS and I went up to the arrivals area and got a taxi as soon as we stepped outside the door.
I let the boy talk me into staying at Babylon. I'd never been to Babylon as I'm not a sauna type person. The Babylon hotel area (indeed all of Babylon) is well appointed with an modernistic meets the Orient feel. Very nice. The price in the barracks is 1500 bt per night and includes two passes to the sauna and a breakfast buffet. Not a bad deal. However, Babylon was not really my style of hotel.
Reception area was great. However, we were on the fourth floor, and one always has to take an elevator to the sixth floor (reception) and then walk down to one's floor (and walk back up the stairs and down the elevator when leaving). The room itself was very industrial feeling: burnished concrete floors, exposed pipes in the celing, black and white design. However, the BS said we could get a double bed. We could not. There were two twin beds in the room built into the wall. I haven't slept in a twin bed in years, and worse, I felt too cramped by myself, much less with BS, so he slept in the other bed. The bed itself was a tiny bit hard for my taste (BS complained too), and they used a pebbly-like tile at the head of the bed and on the walls, so when I stretched out, I scratched my hands.
I knew the toilet was a shared toilet down the hall. BS told me the showers were individual, but they were communal. Nice toilets for a communal area. Very clean. The breakfast buffet was a bit slight for a hotel buffet, but one could order eggs, and get toast, fruit, and cereal. The reception area where one eats was very nice. I did go into the sauna to go to the restaurant, and I had a look in the outdoor bar and the disco. All nice. The main restaurant is by the pool and is beautiful. There were only a few menu choices (they change every day), and what we had was okay, but it was as if they tried too hard with the food to make it pretensious and chic (to appeal to us gays). Nothing special at all. I'm also not overly fond of eating in restaurants where most diners are only in a towel.
I'm not a "barracks" type hotel person. I prefer a big bed, an en-suite toilet, elevators that stop on my floor, and later dining options. My other quibble with Babylon is that it is tucked away, so if one wanted late night food or a 7-11, one has to make a journey of it. No late night food at Babylon. However, for someone who likes this style hotel and who enjoys a suana, Babylon can't be beat. It is beautiful, the staff are friendly, and it is only 1500 per night.
Our first night I was very tired, so we only ventured to Soi Twilight into Boys Bangkok. We saw the sex show, and I was reminded I'm not a fan of sex shows. There were a great number of boys not offed yet, but only a few that were my style. Also, after 100 bt drinks in Phuket, I was not used to the 220 bt drinks (almost $6 USD for a small well drink). We then went to Dicks, so I could get the lemon chicken. Not as crispy as usual.
The next day, we had a delightful dinner in Chinatown. However, it was pouring rain when we left, and we could not get a taxi, so we had to take a tuk-tuk to Silom, and then the BS talked me into taking a motorcycle taxi back to the hotel. First time in BKK I've been on either mode of transportation. It was an experience. I had to work that night, so BS met a friend for a movie. After he returned, we went to Bug and Bee on Silom for a very late night meal. They were only serving breakfast, but we made do okay. The meal was good and the surroundings nice. Nothing extraordinary, but worth a visit at 3am IMO.
The next day, we went to the cinema at the Paragon mall. That is a very nice cinema. As it was Saturday, the entire area was packed, and BS managed to lead me through all four of the malls there (without a moment of shopping). We ate at Spice Market on the lower level. It was good. Had a very nice black pepper chicken dish and some interesting fusion spring rolls.
Then onto Chiang Rai. We flew Air Asia. Flight was on time and uneventful.
My quick stop in BKK.
Flew One Two Go airlines from Phuket to BKK. The flight arrived two hours late, and it took forever to get our luggage. The plane was a 747 and was packed. The taxi line in BKK was very long, so BS and I went up to the arrivals area and got a taxi as soon as we stepped outside the door.
I let the boy talk me into staying at Babylon. I'd never been to Babylon as I'm not a sauna type person. The Babylon hotel area (indeed all of Babylon) is well appointed with an modernistic meets the Orient feel. Very nice. The price in the barracks is 1500 bt per night and includes two passes to the sauna and a breakfast buffet. Not a bad deal. However, Babylon was not really my style of hotel.
Reception area was great. However, we were on the fourth floor, and one always has to take an elevator to the sixth floor (reception) and then walk down to one's floor (and walk back up the stairs and down the elevator when leaving). The room itself was very industrial feeling: burnished concrete floors, exposed pipes in the celing, black and white design. However, the BS said we could get a double bed. We could not. There were two twin beds in the room built into the wall. I haven't slept in a twin bed in years, and worse, I felt too cramped by myself, much less with BS, so he slept in the other bed. The bed itself was a tiny bit hard for my taste (BS complained too), and they used a pebbly-like tile at the head of the bed and on the walls, so when I stretched out, I scratched my hands.
I knew the toilet was a shared toilet down the hall. BS told me the showers were individual, but they were communal. Nice toilets for a communal area. Very clean. The breakfast buffet was a bit slight for a hotel buffet, but one could order eggs, and get toast, fruit, and cereal. The reception area where one eats was very nice. I did go into the sauna to go to the restaurant, and I had a look in the outdoor bar and the disco. All nice. The main restaurant is by the pool and is beautiful. There were only a few menu choices (they change every day), and what we had was okay, but it was as if they tried too hard with the food to make it pretensious and chic (to appeal to us gays). Nothing special at all. I'm also not overly fond of eating in restaurants where most diners are only in a towel.
I'm not a "barracks" type hotel person. I prefer a big bed, an en-suite toilet, elevators that stop on my floor, and later dining options. My other quibble with Babylon is that it is tucked away, so if one wanted late night food or a 7-11, one has to make a journey of it. No late night food at Babylon. However, for someone who likes this style hotel and who enjoys a suana, Babylon can't be beat. It is beautiful, the staff are friendly, and it is only 1500 per night.
Our first night I was very tired, so we only ventured to Soi Twilight into Boys Bangkok. We saw the sex show, and I was reminded I'm not a fan of sex shows. There were a great number of boys not offed yet, but only a few that were my style. Also, after 100 bt drinks in Phuket, I was not used to the 220 bt drinks (almost $6 USD for a small well drink). We then went to Dicks, so I could get the lemon chicken. Not as crispy as usual.
The next day, we had a delightful dinner in Chinatown. However, it was pouring rain when we left, and we could not get a taxi, so we had to take a tuk-tuk to Silom, and then the BS talked me into taking a motorcycle taxi back to the hotel. First time in BKK I've been on either mode of transportation. It was an experience. I had to work that night, so BS met a friend for a movie. After he returned, we went to Bug and Bee on Silom for a very late night meal. They were only serving breakfast, but we made do okay. The meal was good and the surroundings nice. Nothing extraordinary, but worth a visit at 3am IMO.
The next day, we went to the cinema at the Paragon mall. That is a very nice cinema. As it was Saturday, the entire area was packed, and BS managed to lead me through all four of the malls there (without a moment of shopping). We ate at Spice Market on the lower level. It was good. Had a very nice black pepper chicken dish and some interesting fusion spring rolls.
Then onto Chiang Rai. We flew Air Asia. Flight was on time and uneventful.
My quick stop in BKK.