THE FULL STORY

Is it possible that a fair share of BANGKOK's best food and tipple could be found under one roof and, even more serendipitously, in the same neighbourhood? Yes, says Ambika Muttoo

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Bangkok has long been a city of dualities.

It is a play of contrasts between frenetic street life, gilded temples, and skyscrapers rising beside century-old shophouses. Cutting through this colourful chaos is the serpentine Chao Phraya River, which threads the city together. By day, it glimmers in the heat, carrying long-tail boats and barges to and fro. By night, it becomes a ribbon of light, reflecting the glow of palaces and towers that rise along its banks, as well as the party ferries that cut through like meteor showers. The river is not just a backdrop but a mirror to Bangkok.

Some of the city's prime hotels also lean into the river's edge. Of these, the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok stands tall. You're in a fantastic spot here, right by Saphan Taksin, which is the river's main transport hub. You're also a short boat ride away - this you can get from the hotel's own pier - from malls such as Iconsiam, where shopping and eating can be explored to your heart's content. Some of Bangkok's best restaurants also inhabit the general area - Praya Dining, for instance, which is housed in a Palladian-style mansion, or Supanniga Eating Table with its bird's eye view of the Wat Arun temple. There's Hansa River House in a restored two-storey wooden home, or a visit to Rongros to eat like a local, or Baan Rim Naam, if you're lucky enough to bag one of its limited spots. There's so much going on over the banks and the little alleyways that curl into the city - here's looking at you, Priscilla Ice Cream!