Planning a trip to a city like Bangkok is no child’s play. One is spoilt for choice, because Bangkok has more than just something for everyone. No matter what kind of a traveller you are, this city is going to surprise you with something you’ll fall in love with. Whether you’re a city soul or a nature lover, a shopaholic or a foodie, an offbeat traveller or the touristy kinds, an architecture enthusiast or someone who gets high on history and culture – Bangkok won’t disappoint you. The internet is overflowing with bucket lists for Bangkok, but here’s an insider’s tip – skip those lists and follow your heart where it takes you because no list can do any justice what so ever to this overwhelming city. Giving those lists a miss, I stumbled upon many a places which don’t feature in Things-To-Do-In-Bangkok lists but capture the beat of Bangkok much beautifully.Yodpiman Flower Market
Anyone can tell you that a trip to Bangkok is incomplete without visiting it’s flower markets. Not keen on following the rule book, I planned on skipping those during my three day trip to Bangkok. But then, a temple trail through the city lead me to one of Thailand’s biggest and busiest flower markets. Crowded with locals and travellers alike, Yodpiman Flower Market was a sight I won’t ever forget. Since flower markets are generally busiest during wee hours of the morning, I wasn’t expecting much from my visit in the evening. But then, Bangkok surprised me with colors so vibrant and fragrances so intoxicating that evening. Yodpiman Flower Market
I’ve been fond of flowers for as long as I can remember. As much as I love receiving them, I love giving them away as well. Giving somebody a bunch of flowers equates to giving them smiles, doesn’t really matter if short-lived. I bought myself a bunch from this flower market, because, well, self-love is the best thing that happened to me! The smiling faces of these venders added to the charm of buying flowers and I indulged in many a conversations with them about the flower market, it’s history, the city of Bangkok and what not. Visiting this flower market opened up my senses and I came back smiling ear to ear. Those fragrances that lingered around in the air are still fresh in my memories.
Origins of Yodpiman Flower City can be traced back to the year 1961. The name ‘Yodpiman’ comes from ‘Yodpiman,’ the race horse of Princess Suthisirisopha. That horse achieved first position in a race on 1st January 1, 1961 and the name of ‘Yodpiman’ market is not only related to that victory but also holds true for a flourishing market as if comparing to the speed of racing horses. I got this interesting nugget of information from one of the vendors in the market.
Yodpiman Flower Market is a part of a bigger complex of Yodpiman River Walk, which is modelled after the old city of Ayutthaya. This complex, though newly built keeps alive the old school spirit of Ayutthaya and makes for a lovely place to spend your evenings. Nestled with a lot of restaurants and cafes by the river side, the place was exactly what we were looking for after a tiring day hopping around the pretty temples of Bangkok. It provided us time to slow down and let the city pass by, savouring each moment.
Chilling by the riverside, I realised that Thailand had treated me so well and a desire to come back again lit up. Seeing the boats all around me, I knew that my second visit would definitely involve a cruise experience longer than the one I had this time at Krabi. I am already checking cruise packages and Star Cruise seems to have some interesting options to choose from. This time, I would definitely not shy away from the flower markets of Thailand as I am sure each one has a story to tell.