Latest update: 4 October 2023
Seen enough Buddhas and temples in Thailand? In the metropolis of Bangkok, you can spend a day at the pool, but if you want to go out… Try these alternative Bangkok tips: a cat cafe, a dog cafe, and a glass viewing platform.
Caturday Cat Café: cat cafe in Bangkok
All cat ladies unite! Bangkok has several cat cafes, and I end up at Caturday Cat Café. This is a popular choice: you have to wait a while for a table late in the afternoon. Upon entering, we must take off our shoes and disinfect our hands. The thought that a cat cafe is dirty and unhygienic fades away immediately. The staff is also cleaning continuously. I would not want to eat off the floor, but you know what I mean.
What to expect from a cat cafe in Bangkok
It’s very crowded inside. Especially Asian people, couples, and families are attracted to the cat cafe. Most people are easygoing. But, of course, an annoying little boy chases all the cats, and a lady chases the best selfie with a cat and doesn’t mind lying over your table.
Fortunately, most people leave after an hour or so, giving just a little more space to walk freely through the cat cafe and take pictures. The cats mind their own business. Some are chilling, and others want someone to pet them or give them a snack.
The entrance to Caturday Cat Café is free, but you have to, of course, get a drink. And while you’re there, have a cake like this one. Yum!
TrueLove at Neverland: dog cafe in Bangkok
TrueLove at Neverland, the name is confusing (who also thought of Michael Jackson?), but this is a dog cafe. Or actually, more of a dog experience. You can’t just come and drink a cup of coffee; you have to buy a ticket. The reviews about TrueLove are very on and off: one finds it fantastic, the other terrible. So I wonder if it’s worth 500 Bath to me.
My curiosity wins, so I make sure to get to TrueLove early. There are two daily sessions, one at 12.30 pm and one at 3.30 pm. You can buy an entrance ticket from 10.30 am. Because it is extremely popular, especially among Asians, it is worth buying a ticket in the morning.
A session with the dogs
The session starts with two drinks (included in the price) and a slice of ice cream cake (not included in the price). Meanwhile, the employees release groups of dogs in the playground. We can’t reach them, but we can watch them already. They are mainly huskies and some others. We first see a funny movie about the dogs explaining what will happen. Make sure you have a spot outside (table 8, for example) because you’ll have the best view.
Another advantage of table 8: you are the first in the kennel and avoid the queue for the photos. Once you’ve pulled the plastic protectors over your feet and your hands have been washed and disinfected, make your way to the right at the rear pen. There, the employees will help you take a picture with many dogs around you. Then you have plenty of time to walk through the play area and interact with the dogs (while the rest of the people queue for 20 minutes).
Dog cafe in Bangkok: worth it!
Playtime with the dogs is about an hour (including the photo). So you have plenty of time to take pictures and get annoyed with people who constantly pull dogs towards them and lie on top of them as if they had never seen a dog before. So the number of people to dogs is somewhat skewed, but I think the care here is good. And the dogs also have enough rest in a day because there are only two one-hour play sessions per day.
The lady from TrueLove (I think she’s the manager) likes me, so she’s constantly giving me tips on where to stand for the photos and occasionally brings a dog to me. It’s chaos at the end of playtime. The dogs have to go in the kennel, and for that, we have to all be in the right place. Check out the video! It’s a madhouse! The second video is the slo-mo, not the best quality, but fun to watch.
Tip! TrueLove is in the lovely neighborhood of Ari. Check out my blog with Ari tips.
MahaNakhon Skywalk: 310 meters high on a glass floor
The MahaNakhon is one of Bangkok’s newest attractions. At the end of 2018, the Skywalk opened on the King Power Mahanakhon tower. When it just opened, Instagram was full of photos of people staring through a glass floor into the depths. The height doesn’t seem fun to me to all, but since I’m in Bangkok, I’m going anyway – everything for the blog, right?! Armed with a camera and a fear of heights, I buy a much too expensive ticket (1050 Bath, about € 30). It is often cheaper online. When entering, I must hand in my bottle of water at security. I’m actually still outraged about that.
View over Bangkok
With the elevator, I end up on the 74th floor for the first view of Bangkok. Still nice and safe behind windows. So far, so good. I quickly move on to the next point, windowless, so I can take pictures of the view. Unfortunately, a lot of smog is in the air, which doesn’t really help the photos. Still, it is an impressive 360-degree view. But that’s not what I’m here for.
MahaNakhon Skywalk with fear of heights
At the top of the MahaNakhon tower, a glass slab slopes down on which visitors can enjoy the view. Or rather: a terrifying experience. Bags and cameras are not allowed, and I must wear plastic shoe covers. You can only take photos from the side, so a selfie with just the two of you is not an option. I’m guessing that’s to prevent people from damaging the glass by dropping a hard object.
It takes me a few minutes to muster up the guts to take the first step on the glass. Fear of heights sucks. On the side of the glass, my best friend is fumbling with the camera. Although it feels like he’s taking hours, in reality, it’s probably minutes. But I had hoped for seconds. The scariest thing is that first step, but there is absolutely no way I’m going to walk the Skywalk. So I sit down, wait (an eternity) for the picture, and then I’m off.
There is also a rooftop bar at this height, but it is much too hot during the day to take a seat. So if you go, consider going at sunset. So that you can enjoy the view in the daylight and the thousands of lights in the dark. It will be a lot busier, and you can spend a maximum of ten minutes on the Skywalk. You can sit on the glass plate for as long as you want during quiet hours.
MahaNakhon Skywalk: the verdict
On the way back down, you pass the tax-free shops. The full experience takes me only half an hour. Was it worth it? Mwah… The Skywalk was smaller than I expected, and I would have preferred to go to a sky bar to sip some chill cocktails for the view over the city – which is also a good Bangkok alternative if you are tired of the temples. The MahaNakhon Skywalk, on the other hand, is something unique, and I am proud that I did not let my fear of heights hold me back.
Buy your ticket online in advance.
That’s it for my alternative Bangkok tips! If you have any recommendations, please put them in the comments.
Meer Thailand inspiratie
Handige links voor je Thailand trip
- Accommodatie. Favoriet blijft toch Booking.com. Verblijf je het liefst in een hostel? Check Hostelworld.
- Activiteiten. De leukste tours en activiteiten boek je bij GetYourGuide en Viator. En WithLocals heeft ook leuke tours. ‘Gratis’ wandeltours boek je bij Freetour.com of GuruWalk en voor fietstours moet je bij Baja Bikes zijn.
- Attracties en musea. Neem ook een kijkje bij Tiqets voor tickets voor musea en attracties (je krijgt 5% korting met de code KIMOPREIS22)
- Autohuur. Ik huur het liefst bij EasyTerra en Sunny Cars vanwege hun all-inclusive / worry-free aanbod. Als je meer prijzen wilt vergelijken, kun je bij Discover Cars terecht.
- Geld. Op sommige plekken wordt je Nederlandse bankpas misschien niet geaccepteerd, regel daarom een prepaid creditcard bij Revolut.
- Reisgidsen. Krijg je al helemaal zin in je Thailand trip? Snap ik! Om je voorpret verder aan te wakkeren kun je alvast een reisgids bestellen, bijvoorbeeld bij Bol.com of Amazon.
- Simkaart. Pas op voor onverwachte hoge bel- en internetkosten. Koop een lokale simkaart ter plekke of regel er eentje online via Airalo.
- Trein, bus en boot. Reserveer bussen, treinen en boten in Thailand met Busbud, 12Go of Omio.
- Vliegtickets. Vergelijk je opties! Check in ieder geval Momondo, Skyscanner en Kiwi.
- Verzorgde reizen. Liever compleet verzorgd op vakantie? De keuze is reuze: van ANWB vakanties tot Sawadee, of liever Tui, Corendon, Shoestring of de Vakantie Discounter? En dan heb je ook nog D-reizen.
- Yoga retreat. Of, ga lekker op yoga retreat in Thailand.
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First published: April 2017. Updated since.
