A small, tranquil, dream in the middle of big, bustling, Bangkok; The Loy La Long is located right on the river and is one of my favorite boutique hotels.  

Staying on the river is lovely, the breeze off the water is cool and refreshing, and it’s also convenient for catching the “water bus”.

There are only a handful of rooms at Loy La Long so it’s a good idea to book early.  I stayed in the black room but there are also five other rooms, the blue, the green, the white, the orange, and the red room/s.

The hotel arranged for my airport pickup.  I was arriving late, after the last airport rail link into the city, which (at the time of my travels and of writing this) runs from 6 in the morning to midnight.  Even if the train had still been running, as a solo female traveler arriving so late at night, I would have had my hotel arrange my pickup anyway.  Not to mention, after an exhausting 20+ hour flight it’s really nice to have a driver waiting to pick you up .  Someone you don’t have to haggle with and who already knows exactly where you’re going.

Upon arrival at Loy La Long I was warmly greeted and served the most thirst quenching refreshment of lemongrass iced tea, which tasted incredible. As I sat and sipped the glass of chilled heaven I’m pretty sure I saw someone steam cleaning my luggage, I’m not really sure, lol, I figure it was probably some sort of precaution against the transference of bedbugs or the like, either way it made my luggage look spiffy clean after its hazardous  journey through the airport baggage carousel earlier. After my luggage and I were greeted we were shown to our room where I promptly fell fast asleep.

Day One

Waking up my first morning with a view of the river right outside my wide windows was enchanting.  

Later that morning I embarked on a day-long tour of Bangkok’s Khlongs in the Thonburi district. A network of canals to the west of the river.

See my post  — Exploring Bangkok’s Canals.

That night I had dinner at the hotel, which had a great little menu for guests.  I had Thai curry and watched the sunset over the Chao Phraya River.

Day Two

One of the great things about staying on the Chao Phraya River while in Bangkok is how easy it is to catch the main water “bus”, the Chao Phraya Express, or the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat at any of their numerous pier stops. 
So, on my second day, I explored all the great sights that just happen to be located right along the river. 

View my post: Top Sights Along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

The Ratchawong Pier is the closest pier to the Loy La Long.

Loy La Long Hotel from the River

If the Loy La Long is already fully booked, there are other boutique hotels along the River and I’d still recommend staying on the river as the best option in Bangkok. Here are just a few (smaller boutiques) that look good to me, I haven’t personally stayed at these places but they looked nice from the river and they have reviews that range from good to great.  
– The Sala Arun,
– Inn a day, and 
– Riva Surya.

Also, located along the smaller canals, which are even more peaceful but a little less convenient to get to is:
– Bang Luang House.

The Loy La Long also happens to be within walking distance of Yaowarat Road, the main street through Bangkok’s Chinatown; which is exactly where I headed for dinner my third night.
Sooo many options awaited me, the street was lined with vendors and lots of restaurants.

Day Three

Now, The Loy La Long is a destination in its own right.  So on my third day I decided to spend a whole day, just enjoying the hotel and I don’t regret it.  I lounged, wrote in my journal, and took copious photos.  I chatted with other guests from around the world and the whole time had incredible fresh fruit drinks and more iced lemongrass tea. 

Day Four

Goodbye Bangkok ~ Hello Chiang Mai

After a leisurely last day enjoying breakfast on the river I said goodbye, grabbed a tuk tuk and headed to the train station…….

…..To catch the overnight train bound for Chiang Mai.