From Miles to Smiles Stylish travel for professionals seeking luxury at affordable prices
Bangkok is an intoxicating mix of hedonistic pleasures. From glistening temples and palaces to boundless shopping opportunities, pulsating neon, and heaving bars to gridlocked traffic and blaring horns. Bangkok can be a frantic assault on the senses, with even the hardiest travelers soon wearying of the madness.
Escape the Crowds in Bangkok
Before you throw in the towel and flee the city, here are three relaxation options to revive your flagging energy. Suitably refreshed, you can prepare once again to indulge in a city that barely even naps, let alone sleeps. Take a day out and follow this bliss-inducing itinerary.
Foot Massage
Adverts for foot massages line every corner, and young girls coquettishly attempt to coax passersby into their salon to be presented with a bewildering array of options for the travel-weary body. My favorite Thai indulgence, however, is the foot massage.
The description simply does not do this treatment justice, so if you have never had one before, pick your establishment and settle in for one of the best value treatments you will ever experience.
For around $5, you will find your calves and feet soaked in soapy water, gently dried, and then massaged and pummeled into mellow oblivion. Firm, sweeping strokes expertly release tension from your muscles while you sip green tea and relax to the sound of tinkling melodies. After an hour of this divinity, you will practically float from your reclining chair.
Image via Flickr by TravelTheGlobe4Less
Swim in a Rooftop Infinity Pool
Bangkok is notoriously crowded, with a population of around 8 million and more than 21 million visitors every year. Ranked as the most popular city in the world for travelers in 2016, real estate is crammed into every nook and cranny. Though this does not augur well for finding resort-style establishments with huge pool decks, it does mean that you can take your pick from a variety of fabulous rooftop swimming pools.
Take this one at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Bangkok, where the expansive, infinity pool plunges into an abyss. You can revel in magnificent, far-reaching views as you slot in a morning or evening workout or simply gorge on sultry sunsets while lounging on your sun bed sipping a cocktail.
Become an Expert Mixologist
Not far from the hotel Indigo is The Alchemist, a cocktail bar playing live music on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Here you can become a master mixologist in your very own cocktail class or leave the theatricals to the bar staff and simply indulge in a few colorful creations while chilling out.
A Perfect Day of Relaxation
If you feel like indulging in all three, it might be best to give your muscles a swimming workout first, head for the foot massage next to release any pent-up tension, and finally let your hair down over cocktails. Just be careful not to get too carried away — you might reverse all the good you’ve done!
What’s Your Favorite Relaxation Activity in Bangkok?
Do you have any other suggestions for relaxing things to do to escape the Bangkok hustle and bustle? Maybe you’ve attended a fabulous yoga studio or undertaken some other awesome activity. I’d love to hear about it below.
Read offline
You can now read this article offline and get GPS-guided travel directions to the attractions featured in this article by downloading the GPSmyCity app.
I would love to spend time becoming an expert mixologist. It would be a really fun way to spend a relaxing day. It would let me sit at a bar, learn to make some drinks and then drink those drinks.
No one should miss the Thai massage when visiting Bangkok. I love Hotel Indigo, located at the fascinating part of the city close to Skytrain. A stylish, contemporary, “feelgood” hotel. Their Rooftop pool is absolutely fantastic.
I think foot massage is unique to Bangkok, other experiences can be had elsewhere too. Well I missed that 🙁 Crowds of Bangkok are unique too. I loved the street food too.
Sounds good to me! I would love to get my feet massaged in Thailand or swim in that rooftop pool. I’m a big sucker for the relaxing stuff pretty much anytime I travel. I’ve never been to Bangkok, but hopefully I get around to it so I can explore the city and get some relaxing massages 🙂
I just got back from Bangkok for the first time. I wish I had read this before I went! These are some great tips. I did get a Thai massage though. AMAZING
$5 for a full foot massage?! I would probably get one every single day… maybe twice a day! lol!
I really want to try that infinity pool!
Yeah tell me about it. I was having plenty of them on that trip!
Sounds incredible… the rooftop infinity pool especially!! I am based in Maldives half the year so would love to venture for a quick trip to Thailand. Will be sharing this post! Thanks for the tips!
Kristie
Definitely all three, one after the other. Imagine all three at the same time though? Foot massage by the pool with a cocktail.
My favorite was liked so much the foot massage. Very cheap and so relaxing….I’ve done some times when i was in Bangkok and i liked so much!
Love this approach – for any big city too! The few times I’ve had a massage while traveling has made such a great impact on my trip. It’s another way to experience a culture as well.
Foot Message should be on to do list during every trip. I have had the pleasure of having a foot message through a yoga studio in New Delhi, which took the whole tiredness away and we were able to enjoy our day trip which included a lot of walking.
Sounds like a great day enjoying Bangkok. I think I’d I could only pick one it would be thr infinity pool! Looks amazing.
I think rooftop infinity pools are always quite the experience. It feels like swimming off a cliff
You had me a at “foot massage” 😀 Nothing more relaxing than that! I’ve heard that in Bangkok they have a fish massage too where you put your feet in and have the dead skin nibbled off by fish … is that a thing?
That sure is but it’s not for me. I was actually at a spa in the Philippines last week and they had one.
I would love to swim in an infinity pool after a foot massage! That describes my perfect day!
A $5 foot massage would be welcome anytime and swimming with a view. Who doesn’t love a roof top swimming pool?
I hate having my feet touched, the food massage would kill me! But I know I’m strange. Give me the infinity pools any day
Well funnily enough, much as I love the foot massages, if I have a pedicure I find it almost unbearable. Gently touching my feet is almost painful
That foot massage sounds pretty good to me! Good ideas 🙂
One of my top favorite things I did in Bangkok was hitting the salon for a full body scrub and foot rub. I never do that sort of stuff back in the states. Next time, I’ll have to hit up the Alchemist to though. That sounds like so much fun! Thanks for sharing!
Yes that is the great thing about Bangkok. Spa treatments are so well priced. It is no wonder you don’t do it so much in the States as it is seriously pricey!