Having been to Bangkok several times, I have to work a little harder to entertain myself, but each time, I commit to finding something new. I searched a couple of blogs and came across 17 EPIC Hidden Gems in Bangkok You Haven’t Heard of. Because I agreed with her on a few places on her list, I at least knew we shared the idea of what makes something a hidden gem, and she had a few I had never heard of.

The first place I decided to check out was Natura cafe. What intrigued me was the images of a cafe that appeared to be in a jungle but was within Bangkok city limits. By Uber, the trip would have taken about 15 minutes from my hostel and cost under $10, but if I can save money, I will.

When looking at the map, I noted that the restaurant was only a 15 minute walk from a train station on a line I’d taken the previous year to see the folding market. That meant there was an adventure to be had, and my decision was made!

One of the things I learned in talking with my friend Dave is that we share a desire for challenge in our travels. I remember traveling through South America and finding myself bored. While the geography and language was different, it was too familiar. In Buenos Aires, I was able to tap my phone on a kiosk to rent a bike by the hour, and the streets I rode along were arranged in an orderly grid.

It was in stark contrast to the alleys of Casablanca, the next place I visited. I remember tears of joy welling up in my eyes when I realized I was lost and there was no way my phone app was going to help me find my hostel. It meant I could only get there by asking the locals. That is the kind of challenge that Dave and I find is the real joy of traveling.

Getting to the train station in Bangkok was easy as I’d been before. Because it was a regional train, the only place to find the timetable was posted on the wall of the station so I didn’t actually know when it would depart until I got there. I had an hour to wait so I sat down with the other locals in the shade and watched the world go about its business.

The ticket office opened about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, and I was surprised to find the ticket cost only 40 cents in US prices. It was the third stop from the station, and I did my best to pronounce it so that I knew the train would stop there. I still wasn’t sure until the train actually slowed to a stop at the station.

Fortunately, my map was working as the route to the restaurant was like navigating a maze around the streets and canals that provided conveyance through the neighborhood. I followed the tracks back a little bit before taking a right into a Buddhist monastery. Fortunately the gates to the compound were open so I could cross through to a neighborhood on the other side of a canal separating me from the side the restaurant was located.

Once across the canal, I followed a sidewalk between houses made up of corrugated siding. As I walked, I got glances of clothes drying in the warm afternoon sun or people napping inside as a way to avoid experiencing the heat. It was so quiet that I began to wonder whether there would be a restaurant at the end of my journey.

An Uber unloading people at the end of the street gave me hope. I walked through a gravel parking lot, and the attendant pointed me in the direction of the entrance. The dusty simplicity of the neighborhood I’d walked through to get there quickly faded into memory as I drifted into Eden. Natura had either planted or preserved the trees that provided a canopy from the sun. In some cases, the nature was supplemented with artwork like fan screens with air plants dangling from them.

As I crossed a bridge, I was greeted by the hostess who asked me if I wanted to sit inside or outside. While I often choose the air conditioned space, I had been drawn to this place because of its natural setting so I decided to sit outdoors. Part of my decision was prompted by the giant fans that were blowing across the dining area.

The menu was filled with traditional Thai dishes but produced using sustainable methods. I ordered a butterfly tea and fried fish. The taste was amazing, but it did seem ridiculous to be paying $8 for a meal in a country where most food can be had for less than $2. I chalked it up to paying for the atmosphere.

After lunch, I decided to enjoy that atmosphere a bit by walking around the rest of the garden. Natura is a restaurant with a botanical garden built around it. It provided a lovely oasis in a busy city of 11 million people. At the far end of the property they serve coffee and dessert.

There is a platform built along the canal so you can enjoy your drink as you watch boats go by. I was surprised to see they had a dock and inquired about boat service back to the town center. The woman told me that a couple had reserved the next boat. I asked them if they wanted to split the cost and share the boat, but they said no. I was a little surprised, but they were westerners so it wasn’t completely unexpected. One of the things I do like about most of the world is that they think communally. Unfortunately, this American couple had not adapted.

The cost of the boat by myself would have been about $20 which is not much by American standards but about twice the cost of a taxi and 12 times the cost of the train I’d taken. I was really disappointed because the boat would have taken me to a metro stop on the line that went to my hostel.

I decided to walk instead and headed out of the restaurant. Granted, there was that excitement of trying to figure out how I was going to get home. Not knowing the train schedule, I didn’t want to go back to the station. Instead, I followed the canal a bit until I came to a bridge. As I crossed it, I saw the couple who’d refused my company ferrying beneath me. I thought, “next time I’ll come with a group so that we can justify the cost of the boat.

A meander through a few neighborhoods before getting to a busy street where I flag a motorcycle taxi to bring me to the metro. It wasn’t as fun as taking the boat there, but we did weave through narrow Bangkok streets along the way. I was happy with another successful adventure and looked forward to how I’d fill my last couple of days in Bangkok.