The kids selected an evening tour of Bangkok, alas it was more a city tour with food than a food tour but we still enjoyed it.

Like all good tours we had a range of transportation types, including a sunset river ferry to the spectacular Wat Arun.

We tuk tuked (not sure that’s actually a verb but I am going with it) to the flower market street where they sell flowers 24 hours a day. It’s a bit strange that there’s such a demand but I guess there is! Lots of religious offerings probably help. Marigolds, jasmine, orchids, lotuses and loads more I have no idea about but are very pretty 😍

It was almost the festival of Loy Krathong, a festival of light where you float small, handmade floral creations on water with candles to make wishes for the future and ask for forgiveness for the past. There has been an effort to ensure the krathongs are made of biodegradable materials (banana leaves, flowers, bread) that don’t pollute the waterways. Some are made from the cornstarch beans that often come in packaging with (garish) colouring to appeal to young kids. (Yes, including labubu-like ones!)

We did managed to fit in a little snack of skewers of marinated meat, cooked over coals on the roadside. (See there is some food on this tour!)

Did you know that Bangkok’s actual name is the longest city name in the world? Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. The locals shorten this to “Krung Thep” which means the “City of Angels”. (more details here)

About half an hour before the tour ended the rain started bucketing down. For any of you who have not been in a tuk tuk before, let me inform you that they are far from water tight!

Our final stop was to get some actual Thai food, but that did require about a two metre dash from the tuk tuk into the restaurant. Luckily, the restaurant staff are well prepared for such weather and so had golf umbrellas at the ready in an attempt to keep their future customers dry as you enter.

As well as the food (which wasn’t that exciting obviously as we have no pictures of it), we learnt how to fold lotus flowers (that our guide had bought from the flower market) and got to take them home as a gift.

It was a nice tour, even if the focus wasn’t on food. I think that a guided tour is a nice way to start in a new country or city as you get a good overview of the place, and a chance to ask a real local questions.

We just need to remember to be prepared for that moment at the end where you wonder if you should tip and how much – so awkward for Aussies who rarely tip 😬 On this one it didn’t seem necessary so we didn’t tip.