When I arrived in Bangkok on my 21st birthday I had the aftermath of an inferiority complex dragging me down, the ghost of an ex haunting me and a failure that wasn't a failure to anyone but me crushing me. Did I expect to be happy, or at least feel okay while I was in Bangkok? No sir, absolutely not. I'd prepared myself for countless hours of crying. And the I found myself in the soi, the side streets of Samsen Road, and things changed. It started with the most amazing piece of street art by Dutch artists Edo Rath and my personal favourite Ox Alien. That seemed like a good omen to me. Not much later I found a few places not far off that wall where, to my own surprise, I felt happy. These places helped me get back on my feet when I was lost and down in a strange country on the other side of the world. And who knows, maybe you'll find some happiness in these places too!

As it turned out, the guy was right: I stayed at The Oasis Hostel twice. It's a nice clean place with the best beds I've slept on while I was in Thailand.The rooms may not be huge, but there's plenty of space to hang out in the yard. They play music in the yard as well, not too loud, just loud enough to have something in the background. Literally the only thing I didn't love about the yard is that the fake grass stays damp for about a day after a rain shower. So one day I put my backpack on the grass, the water was absorbed by my backpack and everything that wasn't covered in plastic suffered a little water damage - including my notes for this post... People are just hanging out in the yard all the time and if you're a bit socially awkward like me the staff will draw you into the conversation and make you feel so welcome. There are usually loads of Dutch people staying at The Oasis, but please don't think of that as a bad thing; we're pretty awesome.
Big plus at The Oasis is the link with OnPoint Travel, run by a Canadian and an Australian guy living in Thailand. They helped us plan our trip all the way from Bangkok to Luang Prabang in Laos. They saved us from at least a dozen panic attacks with their service.
Last but not least: you're super close to all the landmarks and Khao San Road, but far enough away to enjoy some peace and quiet.
(Tye, you owe me a beer now! ;) )
You can choose between pan-fried breakfasts served in really cute pans, fruit salads and pancakes. I've never had a more healthy breakfast than when I was staying in Bangkok. The fruit you buy in Europe has nothing on the fruit served in Thailand. Topped with yoghurt it's probably like the breakfast they serve in heaven. My absolute favorite dish were the banana pancakes with chocolate though. They actually put banana in the batter and this makes the pancakes so much more amazing. The best news of all: the place is open till 2pm so you can have both breakfast and lunch here.


The first few days in Bangkok I had trouble eating, but here that wasn't a problem. The spring rolls were perfect for my upset stomach and I'm still craving them to this day. But if you find yourself at Saam House Restaurant, order the chicken with cashew nuts. It's delicious. The chicken is so tender it almost falls apart in your mouth.
One thing though: if the menu says a dish is spicy, it really is spicy. To the point where tears stream down your face, as my dad found out. Though that might have been his own fault for eating a chilli pepper whole because he'd mistaken it for a piece of tomato. Lucky for him to fruit shakes at Saam House do a great job at extinguishing chilli pepper fire. Do yourself a favor and order a banana, mango, pineapple or watermelon shake with your chicken. You won't be disappointed. I swear, when mankind invents teleportation devices, Bangkok is the first place I'll go, just for Saam House Restaurant.

Honestly, happiness was the last thing I expected to find in Bangkok. Not in a hostel, not in restaurants. But I did. I had some relapses and breakdowns those first few days in Thailand, but these places helped me find my feet in my new gap year situation. Good food and good company, that's all you need in life, isn't it? I hope you'll find those things here too if you ever visit Bangkok.