Thailand, Round Two, with Bangkok & a Pair of World Class Restaurants, then off to . . .

A year ago, Sarah and I had to pull an unexpected change of plans when our intended spring break destination, Sri Lanka, declared a short term state of emergency just before we were due to head there–a sad precursor to the horrifying events of Easter Sunday 2019. We did eventually get to treasure a relaxing and scrumptious Sri Lankan Odyssey six months later, but it meant we had to think fast and pull together a Plan B, so we did Bangkok on a Week’s Notice!

For this second trip to Thailand we would be spending a only few nights in Bangkok–and coasting through our annual physicals at the Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital–then flying north to Chiang Mai, a much smaller city in the hills with a thriving expat community . . . And another story, of course. Oh, yeah, and grabbing a bite in Bangkok at two of the top restaurants in the world, Bo.lan (19) and a repeat at Gaggan (5). But those memorable culinary experiences will also be another story . . .

Anyway, since we could plan this adventure well in advance, we dug a bit deeper beyond our last visit’s big name, glitzy hotels (which were certainly wonderful) to find something more unique, more cozy, where we might feel more at home—something a bit more Thai. Luckily, we discovered AriyasomVilla, a riotously landscaped boutique hotel (24 rooms) sprouted from a pair of traditional Thai homes connected by a charming newer wing and nearly hidden against the Khlong (canal) Saen Saep at the end of a soi (side street) off busy Sukhumvit Road and that leads to the well known Bumrungrad Hospital—yet a complete surprise to every cabbie and tuk tuk driver who kept shaking their head while we guided them there, cajoling them to keep going, yes, please keep going, it really is there . . .

We knew we had made the right decision when we arrived at AriyasomVilla around 8am—as is typical with our South India location, the flight left from namma Chennai at 1:30am—and, since our selected room wasn’t yet available, they offered us a spectacular breakfast in their open air dining room, then they showed us to one of their unoccupied rooms where we were encouraged to shower, nap, and shed a bit of our overnight flight doldrums for another hour or so till our own terrace room was ready. Oh gosh, should we accept? You bet we did!

The lovely AriyasomVilla was built in the early 1940s, and the granddaughter of the founding couple, Khun Pariya Sheanakul, and her English husband, David Lees, opened the hotel in 2008 after two years of renovation, keeping the distinctive Thai design elements from the 40s and 50s while integrating contemporary amenities. It was David who graciously welcomed Sarah and me to breakfast at Na Aroon, the hotel’s organic veg and pescatarian restaurant and who guided us through the menu to choose a selection including our first taste of pomelos (madly in love!) and the best passion fruit ever! (Not to mention the afternoon luncheon where we had the rich and tangy Tom yum goong mae nam with creamy prawns, oh my!)

So, AriyasomVilla was a grand success and hit all the right buttons: location, charm, comfort, amenities, food (plus excellent cappuccino and a lovely selection of wines), not to mention the quiet, saltwater pool, so we recommend it highly and will absolutely be staying with them on our future Bangkok visits.

In addition to our annual physicals (all good) and lounging at the pool—okay, yes, and our dinners at those two exquisite restaurants—we toured the gigantic Chatuchak Weekend Market where we met a pair of Chennai friends, Jason and Nora, for a rather helter-skelter walkabout among the 15,000 cramped and crowded stalls spread over 35 acres and featuring everything from all manner of unfathomable yet aromatic street food to startling modern artwork to gorgeously carved antique Chinese teakwood cabinets.

So, after wandering the narrow, mind-boggling stalls of Chatuchak and lazing poolside at AriyasomVilla, we were primed for our encounters with those incomparable restaurants, Bo.lan and Gaggan. Would they live up to their reputations or disappoint? Would they be too much of a good thing or too much alike? And how would Chiang Mai, with its peaceful temples and its frenetic night markets and its ubiquitous coffee shops, compare with our visions of a city where we might want to spend a lot more time in the future . . .