Lumphini park is one place in Bangkok you can go to get away from it all.
I got off at Silom metro station and I knew I was close to the park. Although I would need to cross a busy street. Crossing through the traffic can be a bit of an ordeal. The best advice is to follow a group of locals. Cars will try to cut you off, that is a given.
After negotiating the traffic, it is quite confusing to know which direction to head. Eventually I found an opening where I could see trees and the glimmer of water. As I enter Lumphini park wind enveloped me as it blew off the lake.
Boats are available for hire; however, I didn’t see many people using them as the water was murky and unclean. Garbage is a problem in Bangkok and Lumphini does little to make itself any different. Trash is visible in the lakes and along the shorelines.
However, it was amazed to see an abundance of greenery within the city. The concrete, steel, glass and neon of Bangkok can become overbearing. Lumphini is like a mini oasis amongst the skyscrapers. Many people come just to relax under the trees. The trickle of water and the call of birds are meditational.
I chose to walk around the main lake in an anticlockwise direction. Within a few minutes I had come across my first monitor lizard. It was smaller than what I expected.
I came early in the day and there weren’t many people. I walked through the area and saw a lot of the wildlife. Monitor lizards bathed in the sun or sat half submerged in the murky water. It was fun trying to spot them all.
Birds were also attracted to the water. Ravens flew in droves overhead. I heard their calls often and sometimes saw them chasing other birds.
As I passed the third lake I came across a grassy dome area. Unfortunately, the homeless had settled there. Some were sleeping in the sun or being idle on their phones. Not venturing too close to them I walked away, seeing little except their makeshift homes. It did not bother me too much; I think they handled their business quite well. Did I feel completely safe? I’d have to say no to that. But having travelled through public areas in Bangkok I had seen this level of poverty before.
Not wanting to linger I moved towards an area where a festival was being set up. Stage areas, stalls and food areas were open to the public. Past the shops, old show ground rides operated. Dodgy, to say the least, I could see the rust on the moving parts which screamed safety checks needed. I could not imagine anyone taking their kids there. But I guess the flaws would be less visible at nighttime.
Travel Advice
If I was giving travel advice, I’d just say stick to the lakes. We all know poverty exists, but we may not want to see or do anything about it when we are on holiday. An old bare-chested man exercising in a dilapidated outside gym is something I wish I could unsee.
The lake itself is adorable. But trash and the quality of the water really puts a dampener on it. I wouldn’t be the first one to say that parts of the city could be sanitized a bit better. Thailand is still developing as a top tier country, but in the future, we can expect to see the littering issue resolved.
The stroll around the first lake to see some monitor lizards is all you really need to do at this park. It will take you away from the city and it feels as if Bangkok isn’t really in the background. Well worth visiting to get away from the noise of the city.
