Everything Random

I have always wanted to visit Bang Kachow again but have not had the time. It is not very far from the city but it takes a commitment to go there. It can never be just a morning affair, because there are just a lot of things to explore with nature. Bang Kachow is not called Bangkok’s green lung for nothing. Also, there are a handful of food options to try so even a day is not enough.

When my wife suggested spending a weekend there – I dropped all other plans and booked. I can remember very well that it was 1030 pm, just before bed time, that I paid for a weekend reservation at the Coconut Lane.

I have always wanted to visit Coconut Lane. A few friends have been raving about its food – as they do have a very good restaurant, and also its architecture – modern, eclectic, and place-based. So I did not hesitate to book a room for the three of us – my wife and daughter only this time, as my son is already studying uni and not anymore living in Bangkok.

My daughter had an evening performance at school, so we only managed to leave Sathorn around 730 in the evening. We were greeted by Pil at around 830 and showed us our room and explained what the property has for us. We were practically floored.

The Room

Our room sits in front of a swamp punctuated by lush vegetation. The room design was energy-efficient (you can open the doors to the verandah on cool rainy nights and doors to the toilet and the small foyer can be closed so the A/C will not overwork). The furnishing was modern and stylish and the highlight of the room was the bed – it was just so comfortable that you will be happy not leaving it the whole day.

The Property

And whoever designed this place (I heard from Pil it was an architect from one of Thailand’s major hotel chains) was just a genius. The whole building, roughly 450 square metres, is not your usual rectangular block of concrete. It looks like a triangle with a large rectangular base, that as you enter, you will think it’s a narrow structure, but you will be surprised that it expands to a whole wide verandah overlooking a huge garden of endemic shrubs and trees.

The Cafe

Waan was our gracious host at the cafe while Pil was busy at the kitchen. The property is packed on weekends for a good reason as the service team concocts healthy and delicious breakfast. We over-ordered on the first day and learned our lesson. Everything is delicious and abundantly-sized that we were not able to finish them. The fresh juice, the home-made granola, the bread toasted to perfection, the fresh fruits – everything is just perfect that our daughter was looking forward to breakfast the next day. And the coffee was just what I needed to fuel my writing streak for the day. All these, set against a cool and airy atmosphere full of positive vibes.

The Hosts

Waan and Pil are very friendly, charming, generous, and helpful. It is quite apparent that they really love the work that they do, have a tremendous respect for their team members working at the hotel and cafe, and very attentive of needs of guests. We got good recommendations for places to go to, assistance to get transportation to visit the market, and stories to help us understand the philosophy of the place and the history of the surroundings. I think their warmth gave the place its positive energy, and a balanced chakra. They decorated the place themselves, so it exudes their spirits.

Recommended? A hundred percent yes.

Are we coming back?

As I write this, I am trying to find a window in their booking system for the time that my son comes back to Bangkok for a semestral break. They only have two rooms, so it’s quite a challenge. So that’s a definite yes.