Thailand

This is one of our favorite hotels to stay at in Bangkok, located directly along the Chao Praya River. The expansive pool surrounded by Thai-style wooden pavilions and the restaurant terrace offer direct views of all kinds of river traffic - heavy rice-laden barges, convoys of dozens of antique wooden barges in tow, public water taxis, and "long-tail" boat vendors; a spectacle that has changed little over decades.