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I loved Thailand the first time I visited it in 2010.
However, I never warmed up to Bangkok before, especially when my two credit cards got stolen (the first and only time I got robbed during my travels) in the hostel.
This time, however, with three weeks in Bangkok as a digital nomad with no fixed itinerary, I found myself loving the City of Angels more and more, especially after I had discovered the charms of Lumpini Park.
Lumpini (also spelled “Lumphini” after Lumphini District, the birthplace of Buddha in Nepal)—is a haven for runners, bikers, and anyone who’s looking forward to a bit of greenery in the midst of the city.
Comprising 57 hectares, it has been called the green lung of Bangkok, with enough flora and fauna and various animal residents (plus some really interesting sculptures too!) that can make your visit there more than worthwhile.
My favorite part of the park is its huge artificial lake. You can go boating there, or just sit by the bank with a special someone or even by yourself.
I also loved running in Lumpini. The outer route is over 2.50 km, and there are road markers to let you know the distance you’ve covered. Every day, you can see a lot of runners here, young and old, men and women, foreigners and locals. Even if you run by yourself, you can always find someone to run along with at your pace.
It’s very easy to be active in Lumpini. There is one free indoor gym, although foreigners do have to pay 40 baht per year. If you want the completely free one, there are a couple of outdoor gyms in the park, plus a number of exercise stations like parallel bars and stationary bikes.
You can go biking here until 3pm, but the fun starts at 5pm when the mass aerobic sessions begin. Beginners’ class starts at 5:30pm and lasts 30 minutes, while an advanced class goes on for 45 minutes from 6pm onwards. I had attended one on Zumba, and that was one of the most enjoyable (and sweaty) moments I’d had in Bangkok.
Humans aren’t the only ones who love Lumpini. If you go there often enough, you will inevitably meet its resident water monitor lizards who aren’t afraid of humans. I would have taken closer pictures of it, if I weren’t so wary of its darting tongue!
Aside from lizards, there are also quite a number of cats in Lumpini, cats which are way bigger than the street cats I’ve seen anywhere else. They’re quite friendly and fluffy, too. Once when I was running, I couldn’t resist from picking a black kitty up at km. 2 and running off with it, kissing its neck again and again without breaking my stride.
The longer I stay in Bangkok, the more I enjoy the city, especially when I find spots like Lumpini Park. It has everything to offer a digital nomad, especially for someone who loves cats (and running)!
How about you? What place do you love most in Bangkok?
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17 Comments. Leave new
@ Sky: Yeah, it’s a great place to just make tambay in 😀
Sayang, kulang talaga kami sa time when we visit there last October. Balak pa naman sana namin dumaan sa Lumpini Park. If you didn’t carry it, we didn’t how big that cat is. Look so cute.
We’ll surely drop to this place when we get a chance to revisit Bangkok.
@ Gaye: Yeah, that was crazy. I was counting my millions of VND at the counter inside the airport and didn’t notice that two women had pushed my pushcart on towards the exit. All my bags were there, including the one with my camera and laptop! I never felt soooooo terrible in my life when I saw them already at the exit. Haaaay Vietnam.
Ang cute ni granma doing tai chi! Off topic: When you mentioned your 2 credit cards were stolen (the only time you were robbed while traveling), I suddenly remembered that time when you said you caught a woman pushing your trolley away at Vietnam airport. Am I correct or guni guni ko ito? Hahaha!
@ Bianca: It’s easy to get fit here in Bangkok, although I admit it’s much easier to get fat, with all the delicious food available haha
@ Gelo: I was so happy to see them, too Gelo!
And I really almost shouted at my monitor, “Oh, she found a cat!” upon seeing your photos with that furry friend from Lumpini Park! Happy for you, Aleah!
Thailand is on my list and I am dying to tick it off my list as I have heard so many great things about the country. This park sounds so cool. I would definitely love the out door aerobics classes!
@ Shaun: Yeah, it’s a huge help. I see lots and lots of runners there!
Great pictures… I’m a runner and it’s nice to see they’ve put up markers to know how far you’ve gone!
@ Shalu: Lots of families come to Lumpini for a picnic or just to hang out. I’m sure if you’re based here, you would also love it.
@ Dana: Yeah, there are lots and lots of things you can do to get fit here.
This park is a part of Bangkok that I’ve never heard about. I now know where I can go for a great workout whenever my travels take me there. And thanks for the warning about the lizards – yikes!
Lumpini Park looks like a nice park that I would love to take my kids too. I think they will love the park very much. Brilliant photos.
@ Photo Cache: I miss them too! Today I went back to Lumpini again and played with a young black cat for an hour or so.
It’s a necessity of every big city to have an open space/park for its citizens to go to when the stresses of daily grind gets to them. This one looks very nice and large too.
I’m a bit envious of your “nomadic” lifestyle. Although on second thoughts, I’d miss my cats too much when I go on vacay for a week 🙂