{"id":57971,"date":"2026-02-18T12:48:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T11:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/?p=57971"},"modified":"2026-02-18T15:53:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T14:53:53","slug":"tui-blue-maduzi-bangkok-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/tui-blue-maduzi-bangkok-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"48 Hours in Bangkok: A Whirlwind of Sights, Smells, Flavours & Skyscraper Sunsets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019ve just landed back from a sun-soaked holiday in Khao Lak, but the real cherry on top was a spontaneous flight to Bangkok with my partner, and as one of my favourite characters, Moira Rose, would say, \u201cwhat a deliciously chaotic 48 hours it turned out to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Definitely worth a stay: The TUI BLUE Maduzi Bangkok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"pool
Relax by the pool<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We booked our stay at TUI BLUE Maduzi Bangkok<\/a>, and honestly, it felt as though the city was waiting for us. The location? Perfectly situated in the heart of Bangkok\u2019s vibrant Sukhumvit district<\/strong> \u2013 the modern entertainment hub of the city, packed with restaurants, shopping malls, and bars<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cycling
Cycling the streets and markets of Bangkok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Streetart
Street art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Terminal
Terminal 21 mall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely nailed it. Once we dropped off our luggage, we dashed straight into exploration with a bicycle tour of the Old Town<\/strong>, the perfect way to get our bearings. Pedalling past centuries-old temples and winding streets<\/strong>, the city\u2019s rhythm started to pulse through us.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Back at the hotel, it was shower, change, and off we went for dinner across town at Bimbo Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar.<\/strong> Now, you\u2019re probably thinking, Mediterranean in Bangkok? Guilty as charged. And yes, we raised an eyebrow at ourselves too. But after a week of Thai food (which I adore), we fancied something different, and Bimbo\u2019s rave reviews were irresistible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Neil
At Bimbo Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bimbo
Food at Bimbo Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar in Bangkok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stepping inside felt like walking into a friend\u2019s stylish living room: warm lighting, backlit bottles glinting like jewels, and a buzz that hinted this place knew what it was doing. Every dish we ordered was layered with flavour, bites that made us pause and smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dinner wasn\u2019t the end. We wandered through the streets of Old Town, which we had discovered earlier that day, over to the Sky Bar at Lebua State Tower<\/strong>. Yes, \u201cthat\u201d Sky Bar that shot to fame in The Hangover Part II with its iconic Hangovertini<\/strong>. From the 63rd floor<\/strong>, Bangkok spread beneath us like an endless river of lights and colour, the city humming with life in every direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Skybar of the Sirocco restaurant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But we weren\u2019t done yet. A tousled tuk-tuk ride; wind in our hair, tunes blaring from the driver\u2019s boombox; whisked us into Silom. This district is pure electric energy: epic, crazy and super busy. With its bright lights, stilettos & feathers, it\u2019s the ultimate place for prime people-watching. As many others continued with their \u201cpre-party\u201d drinks, we backdoored it, using the Grab App, taking a taxi back to the now sleepy setting of TUI BLUE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morning (Sort Of)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our 7am alarm rang military-style, only to be ignored for just one extra hour. The cocktails from the night before staged a mild protest, and honestly, the bed was enormous and cloud-like. That extra 60 minutes felt medically necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally upright, we headed for breakfast<\/strong>, one of my favourite hotel perks. At TUI BLUE Maduzi Bangkok, breakfast is \u00e0 la carte and served until 1 pm<\/strong>. You read that right. One. O\u2019clock. Omelettes, fresh juices, pastries and all the coffee one could need<\/strong> set us up perfectly for another city day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Breakfast at TUI BLUE Maduzi Bangkok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Step outside and Bangkok hits you with heat that\u2019s already smouldering at 10 am. First task: sunscreen. Cue internal judgment about who travels without SPF \u2013 yep that was us. With only hand luggage (we\u2019d left our suitcases in Khao Lak), our sprays were too large to pack. The nearby 7-Eleven came up short, but opposite the hotel, we found a mall connected to the metro, and inside, a Boots pharmacy. Talk about a little slice of home. A quick \u2018slip & slap\u2019 later, we were protected and on the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Foot, underground & on the Skytrain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bangkok\u2019s transport made getting around a breeze. Using our Visa cards we took advantage of the Metro\u2019s contactless Tap & Go system<\/strong> and were delighted to see that the Bangkok MRT <\/strong>numbers every stop in addition to their name \u2013 genius for pronunciation-phobics like us. We hopped off at BL31 and walked through Phra Nakhon District<\/strong>. A riot of colour greeted us at market stalls, and the scent of flowers from Yodpiman Flower Market <\/strong>wove through the air like perfume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We strolled past Wat Liap<\/strong>, glimpsed the King Rama I Monument<\/strong>, and stumbled upon sweeping vistas of Wat Arun Ratchawararam<\/strong> across the river. The city revealed itself piece by piece, with every turn offering photo moments or a new scent to savour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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King Rama the 1st monument<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Neil
Neil with Wat Arun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Reverent Pause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stopping for iced lattes, we learned something profound. Today marked 100 days since the passing of Queen Sirikit<\/strong>, The Queen Mother. Our caf\u00e9 server explained that this is a significant milestone in Thai Buddhist mourning, a time when the nation gathers to make merit and pay final respects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Statue at the Grand Palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because of this, the Grand Palace Bangkok<\/strong> was closed to visitors for the afternoon ceremonies. So yes\u2026 if only we\u2019d listened to that 7am alarm instead of snoozing it for just that extra hour, we absolutely could have made it inside. One small lie-in, one missed palace \u2013 the timing couldn\u2019t have been finer if we\u2019d planned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undeterred, we continued on to Wat Pho<\/strong>, an enormous temple complex boasting the famous 46-metre-long gold-plated Reclining Buddha<\/strong>. Surreal doesn\u2019t begin to describe it, even if it was positively packed with visitors. But my Instagram? It looked like we had it all to ourselves \u2013 the fine art of social media storytelling, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Neil
Neil at Wat Pho<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"reclining
Buddha looks so relaxed!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The reclining buddha is 46 metres long<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lunch was a laid-back beer and bite at J\u2019s Restaurant right opposite the temple<\/strong>. Afterwards, we sought sanctuary in the hotel pool<\/strong>, an oasis of icy relief in the humid heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skyscrapers & Skyline Magic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Post-pool refresh, we grabbed a free drink at the hotel bar at 5pm<\/strong>, a fantastic concept that brought fellow travellers together and gave us a chance to swap stories. Many of the guests we chatted with told us they had chosen this particular hotel because the TUI BLUE name reassured them about the quality and experience. I have to admit, I felt like I was in an episode of The Traitors, quietly guarding my own little secret about who I work for\u2026 but it was genuinely lovely to hear all the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight\u2019s adventure was a SkyTrain ride away to King Power Mahanakhon<\/strong>, a towering 78-floor skyscraper with skywalks and views that make your chest expand. Some say it looks like Lego stacked wildly or Tetris in a rebellious mood. As we made our way onto the SkyWalk<\/strong>, the vibe was electrifying. Ibiza tunes playing, mojitos being served, and then it happened \u2013 the sun setting over the skyline of Bangkok. Immense. Honestly breathtaking. The kind of moment you tuck into memory for safekeeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MahaNakhon – the 2nd tallest building in Bangkok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"panoramic
Sip your drink with this panoramic view at Mahanakhon <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Kingpower
Kingpower Skywalk at sunset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We capped things off with dinner high above the city at Nobu Bangkok on the 58th floor of Empire Tower Bangkok<\/strong>. Modern Japanese cuisine with city vistas that stretched forever, and as if on cue, a fireworks display lit the night while we savoured dessert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dinner
Dinner at Nobu Bangkok on the 58th floor of Empire Tower <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Goodbye, Bangkok<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sunday morning arrived far too quickly. Bags packed and ready to head back to Khao Lak <\/a><\/strong>for a few final days by the pool, we couldn\u2019t quite believe how much we\u2019d squeezed into 48 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, it also felt like we\u2019d only skimmed the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bangkok is layered, energetic, spiritual, modern, elegant and structurally chaotic all at once, and we only caught a fraction of what this incredible city has to offer, which, if you ask me, is the perfect excuse to come back and uncover even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because something tells me this won\u2019t be our last sunset over the Bangkok skyline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for more things to do in Bangkok in 48 hours? Read this!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

Book your Bangkok adventure now!<\/h2>
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Get inspired by Neil’s 48 hours in Bangkok, who stayed at TUI BLUE Maduzi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":58057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":6,"loftocean-view-count":610,"loftocean-enable-content-navigation":"","loftocean-content-navigation-position":"","loftocean-content-navigation-heading":"","loftocean-content-navigation-label":"","loftocean-content-navigation-icon":"","loftocean-map-location":"","loftocean-map-latlng":"","loftocean-map-auto-latlng":"","eaven_single_post_hide_thumbnail":"","eaven_single_post_template":"","eaven_single_post_sidebar":"","eaven_hide_before_page_content_ad":"","eaven_hide_after_page_content_ad":"","eaven_advanced_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2542],"tags":[2013],"class_list":{"0":"post-57971","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-destinations","8":"tag-thailand-en"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57971"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58089,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57971\/revisions\/58089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}