In January this year we flew out to Bangkok, Thailand's sprawling capital city, to start out two-week adventure (though it was more of a low-key adventure as we wanted plenty of relaxation time, too). Here's everything we got up to in Bangkok:
First up, you can't go to Thailand without going to a temple or grand building at some point. You have your pick in Bangkok, but I'll start with the
Grand Palace which, of course, is the grandest. (And does have temples on site.) The entry fee for foreigners is 500 baht (about £11) and, be warned, everyone needs to have their knees and shoulders covered to visit. Yes, that includes men! If you have rocked up and you're not dressed appropriately, they do sell Thailand's famous elephant pants at the entrance for 200 baht. (I got three pairs for 300 baht at Pratunam Market.)
The Grand Palace was the official residence of the kings of Siam from 1782 to 1925 - nowadays it's used for some official events and, of course, you'll be one of many tourists mooching around the temples and grounds. The most famous temple there is Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of the emerald Buddha. As with all temples, take off your shoes to enter if you want to go in.
Next up, and my favourite temple in Bangkok, is Wat Pho. Which is where you'll find the 46 metres long reclining Buddha - it's quite something. I found the grounds super peaceful, even though there was an event on that day and there were lots of people there. Would highly recommend Wat Pho on your Bangkok to-do list. It's one of Bangkok's oldest temples, and it's not just me who considers it to be quite something - it's classed as one of the best temples in the country. Entry costs 300 baht.
Originally we were going to head to the river to see sunset over Wat Arun (pictured top of this post), which looms impressively on the Chao Phraya riverbank. However, Bangkok traffic is notoriously bad and we would not have made it in time, so we pivoted and headed to The Golden Mount (Wat Saket) for sunset instead (and yes, still nearly missed it there because of the traffic). It's absolutely worth gazing upon Wat Arun though - it is spectacular - but The Golden Mount is unique in that it's on the only hill in Bangkok so it's quite the sunset from there. Entry fee is 100 baht.
Fancy exploring one of Bangkok's famous parks? Then you want to head to Lumphini Park where you might find something unexpected sharing the paths with you. The park is home to countless water monitor lizards, some of which are huge. Like seriously huge. It's wild that they just roam around a public park, but they do, and they're definitely worth checking out. (They look small here, but the video in my
Instagram highlight shows how big they can get - sixth one in that highlight, especially!) From there there's a bridge that connects to Benchakitti Forest Park, which is another cool outdoor bit of Bangkok to explore. It's built on what used to be an old tobacco factory, and the city has turned it into explorable wetlands.
Art more your thing? Take a walk along Charoen Kung Road and around Talat Noi. Charoen Kung Road is a small street lined with graffiti, whilst Talat Noi has the same vibes, but also nooks and crannies to explore - including a Bumblebee from Transformers roundabout - and it's here I found some of the colourful drain/manhole covers I loved in
Japan. There's also So Heng Tai Museum, which is worth a visit. Entry is 50 baht or you can buy a drink inside to gain free entry - the house has stood on the Chao Phraya River for over 230 years.
If shopping is on your mind, there's malls aplenty in Bangkok. We didn't go but the crown of the city is considered to be ICONSIAM, and there's also Terminal 21. Siam Paragon, Siam Square One and MBK Center are all located right next to one another - my favourite Japanese discount store is in MBK Center, Don: Don Donki. And I picked up cute Moomin pyjamas from Slip to Sleep in centralwOrld - be warned though, Thai retail staff will fat shame you as a Western tourist. I picked up a pair in size small and was practically frogmarched to the changing rooms to try on a medium as they insisted I couldn't be that. Guess what, I was a small. Annoying, but laugh it off. (So Heng Tai Museum pictured below.)
As always seem to be the case when we're in this part of the world, got some cute bits from UNIQLO (I've never shopped there outside of Asia). We also went to Chatuchak Weekend Market which is massive mix of treasure and tat, with lots of things for 100 baht (£2.20). And there's also Pratunam Market, a clothes market, which is near to centralwOrld - where I got the elephant pants from! Yes, they are stereotypical but for a few quid, why not?!
There's obviously lots more to do in Bangkok, and lots to do nearby on day trips. We wanted to maximise our time in the city itself, so stuck to these places. I have a feeling we'll be back though! x
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