MISS LEADING TOUR GUIDE
BANGKOK
Thailand’s capital – the big B! Bangkok is a city like no other, at least for us. Bangkok is a big city but one to two days is enough to get a good feeling of this place. This is a crowded bustling city full of affordable luxuries, from thai massages, exotic fruits to street vendors serving up some of the tastiest foods in the world.
There are basically two areas to choose from for lodging. The old Bangkok vs the new Bangkok – we chose the old, since its more popular with backpackers and we were not disappointed. We checked in at the Korbua House, nearby the ever famous Khao San Road. If you can, stay in this part of town where it is bustling with backpackers from all around the world and it offers a much more authentic feel of Bangkok.
The other side of Bangkok is comprised of all the fancy hotels and eccentric malls. From our hotel, go on the Banglamphu river walk from Pinklao bridge. We walked to the river where you can board a local ferry that makes stops to downtown Bangkok. It’s a great alternative to get to the downtown core. This gives you a chance to ride along with all the locals. Once downtown, you can head up to one of the roof top bars and enjoy some very expensive drinks and views of Bangkok, or go shopping at some of the best malls. You really get to see the depth of Bangkok and its insane traffic from the rooftop bars. Don’t try to get into a cab to go anywhere. Since there is so much traffic, you are better off on foot. We started off the next day walking around Khao San Road and eating endless amounts of Pad Thai and seeing the Grand Palace. Our entrance fee was covered since it was the King's Birthday! Remember to dress conservative when visiting these palaces as a sign of respect, but if you do forget, they provide you with shawls and skirts.
After spending some time at the palace, we decided to check out the ever famous floating markets. Do consider going to the floating markets, also known as Damnoen Saduak for a unique experience. We took a half day tour to the floating markets where you can buy fruits and snacks. Enjoy the experience of haggling a good price for some bananas or some Mango sticky rice from an adjacent boat and watch as the locals go on about their shopping here. There were many places to have lunch here and we indulged in a hearty bowl of thai basil fried rice. Look for tours from your hostels that include both the floating market and the Maeklong Railway Market.
Thai Chillies
Plenty of fruits
Thai Chillies
This train market is so fascinating. Why? Because a local train runs through it several times a day. This is no different than a usual market. You can buy fruits, vegetables, seafood, hot food and even popcorn. When the train arrives, there is an announcement made, and all the vendors retracts their umbrellas to make way for the train. It definitely is a sight to see!
By night time, we always went for walks as there are a plethora of bars to step into and enjoy cheap beers and night markets everywhere selling you almost everything.
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Bangkok was truly a quintessential south east asian experience for us to say the least. Its laid back attitude will always keep travellers coming back to this city.
