If you have visited or lived in Bangkok for a while, you probably have stopped around Central Embassy mall area, a very busy location in the heart of the Thai capital with easy access to some of the best malls and excellent food choices.
But for many, me included until now, it could escape that just a short walk away there is literally an oasis waiting for you to be discovered in the middle of the jungle of concrete that Bangkok can be: Nai Lert Park Heritage Home.
The location is really a hidden gem in the capital, as it is very near from Phloen Chit BTS station, but its access is somehow not so visible unless you specifically look for the place.
What you will find is a very beautiful green park area, taken excellent care of by gardeners and staff, with very cosy cafes and restaurants at its edge to enjoy a relaxed brunch. The park itself is home to the cottage huge house style of the Lert Park Family and the gift to the city inherited from Lert Park, a successful Thai businessman who owned this land area, where you can see publicly displayed some of the pieces of the family collection, such as a beautiful classic Fiat car or some leisure boats docked by the artificial lake around the villa.
In front of the dock where the boats are anchored, there is a tiny but very cosy cafe with a fantastic terrace that offers some traditional coffee (I tried the black coffee with egg, similar to what you can taste in neighboring Vietnam) and food, that has become instantly one of my favorite spots in the city if you want to seat to chill reading a book.
The Home-Museum offers guided tours, but when I visited it, I did not know that you cannot buy the ticket on the spot and you need to book beforehand in their website or by phone, but maybe some other day I will venture to do it, as the price is quite affordable.
In addition, on one side of the park, you can also contemplate a really curious scene as in front of your eyes they will appear huge carved figures shaped like a penis. Yes, you heard right. The shrine displays a wide array of penises figures in different shapes. As this park is also the new location (before it was located nearby in other spot) for the Chao Mae Tuptim Shrine, a very special shrine to honor fertility and the female spirit.
So next time you are around Central Embassy mall area, walk a few minutes and give it a try to spend a few minutes wandering around this park, I can assure you that you will be delighted by the peace, beauty and delicious culinary tastes to make a small break from the big city, still being at the hart of the city.
Nai Lert official website to book tickets for a guided tour: https://nailertgroup.com/th
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