Bangkok with Melia Hotels & EXO tours

From the moment I cleared customs in Bangkok, everything was effortless. I was met immediately by an EXO representative in arrivals and escorted straight to a smart executive style minibus complete with bottled water waiting for me - temperature was comfortable and drive was smooth and calm through the famously intense Bangkok traffic !

The hotel’s location in the east makes the transfer slightly shorter. INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit is perfectly placed for exploring. Being just a 3 minute walk from the On Nut BTS Skytrain station you have chance to explore like a local, using public transport as opposed to the roads. Across from the hotel there is a big mall with hypermarket and food court and at night there are street food stalls with lots of locals eating.

The hotel itself has a modern, minimalist aesthetic style, lots of white and a contemporary urban vibe. Rooms are well designed and comfortable, compact in size as in most urban hotels, with excellent blackout blinds for recovering from the jetlag. A quirky design touch has the sink in the bedroom area – a bit different. The wow feature is at the top floor – a show stopping infinity pool on the 34th floor, with a glass bottom that looks down into the tapas bar below and gives spectacular views over Bangkok by day and night, when the city lights spread out in every direction.

Reception is on the 31st floor, first floor of the hotel is level 18, so everything feels elevated above the bustle of the streets below. Kites restaurant ,on 32nd floor is open for all meals. Good breakfast buffet with international options. LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar, on 33rd floor, serves dinner tapas style dishes with brilliant views.

Hotel is a great choice if you enjoy a contemporary city hotel with a strong rooftop scene, easy access to the Skytrain and a reassuringly “local” neighbourhood feel just beyond the lobby.

Our EXO guide was exceptional & collected us at the hotel in comfortable minivans, perfect temperature and endless supply of chilled water. Our day started with immersion into Bangkok’s Buddhist culture with a visit to Wat Pho for the monks’ morning chants and the impressive reclining Buddha. For first 10 minutes we were only people in the room with the 19 monks so was like a private experience – such a privilege and the style of special excursion EXO offers – chant goes on for 15 minutes – I learned to sit with feet pointing away from the monks!

We explored the Grand Palace, home to the revered Emerald Buddha, and experienced the extensive temple complex. The amount of gold gilt is mind boggling.

Meandering through the temple complex brought us to the Chao Phraya River to board our private longtail boat. As it was The spin on the river was perfectly timed, nice & refreshing as air temperatures rose! Our cruise took us past traditional shop-houses and temples, reflecting the city’s rich heritage – we made a stop at Baan Silapin, a restored century-old house turned art gallery.

We continued along Khlong Bang Khuntien to arrive at Poomjai Garden, a tranquil retreat on the canal banks. The owners met us and gave us a tour of the tropical gardens which have been in the family for 3 generations explaining the various plants that are used in the restaurant kitchens. A refreshing signature herbal drink was followed by a delicious lunch in centre of the gardens – it was so quiet & peaceful it was hard to think we were still in the centre of busy Bangkok. After lunch we strolled through the gardens and had tea by the canal before boarding our boat to take us back to our minivan and drive to hotel. Time to relax on the roof top pool for a few hours before getting ready for dinner and night tour of Bangkok.

Next morning our guide escorted us to the airport. EXO service does not stop at the kerb, our guide accompanies us to the check in desk and ensures all is in order, translating if need arose. Once checked we waved good bye and off to the next destination heading North to Chiang Mai.