GUWAHATI/Bangkok: The best part about flying in Nok Air, the twice-a-week flight from Guwahati to Bangkok launched last month, is that the hospitality doesn’t end upon landing at Don Mueang International Airport. On the contrary, it just gets started!
The moment you step into Novotel Bangkok, Nok Air’s hospitality partner, in the Sukhumvit Soi 4 area, you feel at home. So much so that a three-night stay there is all that’s required for guests to get used to a Thai greeting, “Sawat dii khrap” or “Sawat dii kha,” if the hello comes from a female host.
So frequent are these customary greetings (resembling an Indian namaste but with a gentle lowering of the head for respect) that the heavily Thai accented three words keep buzzing in the ears over the next couple of days.
But that’s Novotel Bangkok for you, where comfort and care go hand in hand.
Room with a view
Once ushered into the compact yet comfortable room in the hotel rising up to 25 floors, you get a breathtaking view of downtown Bangkok and a slice of its engineering marvel, the high-rise buildings up front and spreading to the horizon, the super-long flyovers mid way and a track for Bangkok’s Sky or the metro rail.
There are contrasting sights from atop Novotel with a night clubs and bars mushrooming just about anywhere with a popular and pocket-friendly department chain, ‘Seven Eleven’ for competition in terms of numbers and access. The Tuk Tuks (the trademark auto rickshaws of the bustling city) too are just about anywhere just like the street food stalls.
The rates go up when the Tuk Tuk drivers meet foreign tourists. There are some like ‘Chi-ken’, as he introduced himself, who charm tourists in their own happy-go lucky style.
“Come Sir, here’s a Lamborghini waiting for you! Or do you want a Ferrari, we have that too to take you to the shopping district,” he said to a guest in jest.
Once you are done with the admiration of a metropolis that keeps growing and is still very green in patches, there’s a world to indulge inside the centrally air-conditioned room.
There’s a super comfortable bed, a study/work area, a divan to cosy up after a hard days tour of the city, a mini bar, a wardrobe with a safety locker, an iron with stand, a hair drier, torch and more.
The complimentary buffet breakfast for guests with a platter of delicacies from Continental to English to fruits, veggies, meat and what have you, is just about the perfect way to start a long day.
There’s just about everything for one’s appetite at the Food Exchange, the restaurant with luxury in its seats as well. Dine high, low or just relax as you tuck in, on the couches to the corner, there are options galore.
For those keen on taking a dip to beat the humid weather, there’s a swimming pool on the top floor with a spectacular view of suburban Bangkok and the night time illumination adds to the serene ambience.
A dining space at the Red Square Rooftop Bar is just about the perfect place to unwind with a sumptuous spread of veggie and meaty snacks and an array of European cocktails and beverages for the taking.
So all said and done, Bangkok-bound Northeast travellers have, for now, a “Nok” (meaning bird in Thai) and a “Nest” to indulge in and make the most of a Southeast Asian sojourn.
