We were in Bangkok for a little more than 48 hours…which isn’t very long for a city that is THAT big, THAT varied, with THAT much to see. It was our very first trip to Bangkok, a necessary but also desired stop on our way to Bhutan.We knew, more or less, what we wanted to see in our two days. We didn’t want to go out, a la Hangover style, and waste our days being lost and hungover….and we aren’t big on clubbing, so we were able to spend early mornings out seeing the sights before the hoards. And I mean hoards…the Grand Palace was still incredibly crowded with visitors.
We wanted to see most of the sights you read about in things entitled “Top 10 Sights of Bangkok”. It would be a bit of a long day, but totally worth it.
What made it all easier was hiring a guide for the day. Her name was Mandy (@Mandyguidesmile), and she was awesome (totally unpaid endorsement…we hired her)! She’s a registered tour guide, and helped us navigate the insanity of Bangkok with ease. No haggling with taxi drivers about turning on the meter, no getting lost (though DH is admittedly fantastic with a map…I….not so much), no wondering where to go in each of the temples, and with plenty of information and history to go along with each stop.
-Wat Arun
-Canals
-Grand Palace
-Lunch! (Most important spot of the day when Thai food is to be had)
-Wat Pho (including the Reclining Bhuddha)
-Flower Market
-China Town
-Stop for dim sum & awesome shakes! (Food always deserves exclamations)
-Wat Traimit (including the Golden Buddha)
Wat Arun: We stayed at the Metropolitan by COMO, which was fantastic (more forthcoming). Mandy met us at the hotel in the morning, and we took a cab over to Wat Arun to start the day, which was about 20 minutes but cost us about 60 baht…i.e. $2 or so (oh, Bangkok cab fares are to die for). Wat Arun has the steepest steps, but a great view! It was fun to be able to see so much of the city, and in particular, the Grand Palace.
Canals: The canals were a fun way to spend an hour or so. There is an insane–I mean insane–amount of catfish in the very dirty canals, and they look very well fed. I’m not sure what all catfish eat, but I’m guessing pretty much anything. There are many homes that are on stilts directly over the river…so…well…draw your own conclusions on what sustains all of those fat catfish. You can buy bread at the various temples to feed to the catfish; fish feeding never seems to get old, no matter how old you are.
Grand Palace: The Grand Palace was really crowded. Mandy helped us navigate to the most important locations, but there were people everywhere and most were trying to keep up with a tour guide. Never, ever, stop and wait for one person to go in front of you, because before you know it, there will be a stream of pushing people, shoving you to the side of the doorway, to all get through because I’m sure someone has gotten left and/or lost in the Grand Palace (shaking head). This happened more than once. After experiencing similar things from large tour groups from particular nations at Angkor, I really should have known better.
Lunch: We had Pad Thai and Tom Yum Goon for lunch. It was delicious, and started the great food journey that was our two weeks in Asia. We also tried our first Singha, which was refreshing. Fortunately–very fortunately–for us, it was overcast nearly our entire time in Bangkok. Thank goodness, because it was plenty hot+the humidity, without any sun to add to our pain. I still ordered lots of soup, though. Too good to pass up.
Wat Pho: The reclining Buddha is as cool in real life as it is in pictures. In fact, I think it even looks bigger in real life. Wat Pho is also the birthplace of the Thai Massage, with inscribed drawings demonstrating the practice. The incredible detail, of each of the temples and all of the stupas, is simply amazing.
Flower Market: We really enjoyed a stop in the flower market, which Mandy suggested but which wasn’t initially planned. Flowers are typically purchased each morning as an offering, so going to the flower market is a routine affair. Orchids? Literally entire bunches sell for pennies (not pennies…but for approximately 30 baht, which is a little less than a dollar). Marigolds galore, and all kinds of other tropical flowers.
Chinatown: Chinatown was overwhelming. Busy, crowded, with more plastic sh*t than I’ve ever seen anywhere in my life. Hundreds of different stuffed animal keychains…hundred of different color hair ties…hundreds of thousands of iphone covers…just crazy amounts of stuff. There are also lots of different food stands, including those selling shark fins, which remains quite popular in that community. I particularly enjoyed gawking at the crazy amounts of dried mushrooms. Plenty of whole ducks and chickens, too.
Wat Traimit: We decided to go to the museum at Wat Traimit, in addition to just seeing the Golden Buddha. There is an interesting museum on the junk ships that made the trade route from China to Thailand, carrying things like porcelain and spice. It was a very elaborate and well-done exhibit (though the life size Chinese sailors were a bit creepy). The Golden Buddha, which was covered in plaster to hide the gold, is truly incredible.
Guide: Hiring a guide was a great way to maximize our time, and avoid wandering any farther than needed in our sweaty-tourist state. Could we have done it all ourselves? Absolutely! But in this case, the easy way was the best way, and we enjoyed Mandy’s company all day to answer or silly (and not silly) questions about Thailand. Mandy charges $7/hour.
Cost: Entrance fees to all of these places do add up–we spent approximately 3000-3200 baht for the day, I think, which includes entrance fees for two, all transportation (taxi, tuktuk, metro), and also a private boat ride (which is the bulk of that cost–1800 baht). Lunch for three was a whopping 625 baht (about $20).
Clothes: You will have to either wear or carry appropriate clothing to enter the Wats; women’s shoulders must be covered and they can be strict about no flip-flops at the Grand Palace (like the super cheap plastic ones…I did see some Havianas there). Just to be safe we wore our Toms. I had a cardigan to throw on as needed. And pants for men and women, of course…capris are ok, but nothing more than about ankles can be showing. A long skirt would also work.
For the Germaphobes: After going to the temples in Cambodia where you were not allowed in with shoes OR socks, I assumed the same here. False! Most temples in Thailand do allow you to wear socks. OH HOW I WISH I KNEW. I sucked it up (yes…some of you will be shocked…completely), and took off my shoes at the temples and went inside, cringing every step. There was too much to see to stand outside gazing in. Yes, I wet-wiped my feet profusely that afternoon. Yes, it still bothers the crap out of me. And no, I didn’t get a contagious ailment. If you are germ-phobic, bring socks.
I can say, without much hesitation, that we’ll be back to Bangkok (and….we’d probably stay at the Metropolitan again, too). It’s a fascinating city, with many beautiful sights, and with so many dichotomies of a developing country megatropolis. There is so much left to see! We very much enjoyed our time in Bangkok.
