What to Do in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok was everything that I expected it to be... and more. It is my favorite city that I've traveled to in Southeast Asia, so far. I love the overall vibe, the wide range of attractions, and the people. They are the friendliest locals I've ever encountered and that is despite of the language barrier. If you are planning to travel to the city, make sure you check out my recommendations on what to do in Bangkok, Thailand.

Tour the Grand Palace and Temple of Emerald Buddha

You can't say you've been to Bangkok unless you visited the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew). This is a complex of buildings that include the royal palace (official residence of the King of Thailand), numerous other buildings, the temple of the Emerald Buddha, open lawns and courtyards. You can visit the Grand Palace (some parts of it are closed to the public) for 500 Baht. It is a must-see and you'll want to take a lot of photos while in there because of the elaborately designed structures that will leave you in awe. 

Take the Khlong Tour

Another great way to experience Bangkok is via the long-tailed (and vibrantly colored) speedboats as they navigate the canals of Bangkok traveling from one side to the other. We took a Khlong Tour that is priced at 700 Baht (per person) and the tour will last for about an hour. We took a few stops along the way including the opportunity to see the statue of the 9-face Buddha. 

Explore Khao San Road

This is the place to go to when you want to enjoy the nightlife in Bangkok. Unfortunately, Thailand was still in a mourning state following the death of their beloved King during our visit. Hence, the mood was quite somber and there were not much partying going on. It was still vibrant though with lots of tourists enjoying street food and having a drink. 

Go Shopping

Shopping was my favorite activity in Bangkok - aside from sightseeing, of course! But it is amazing how many great deals you can find in Bangkok. I loved visiting the Chatuchak Weekend Market (also known as JJ Weekend Market). You can find a lot of locally made, handcrafted items that are sold at great prices. This market, obviously, is open only during weekends so make sure you allot time for the weekends to visit this place while in Bangkok.

Eat Street Thai Food

I love Thai food; save for the overly spicy Pad Thai that were served to us in a few restaurants. Although I am not into spicy foods, the ones that I tried were exemplary. Even the street food was amazing. We spent most of our time in Bangkok enjoy their local dishes and it's one of the things that I miss most about the city. In Bangkok, you will definitely be spoiled for options when it comes to food.

Explore Asiatique

This was one part of the trip that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. Asiatique is an open-air mall that offers plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment options. You can go to Asiatique to eat, watch live performances or ride the ferris wheel, which is 60-meters high with 42 gondolas. Be prepared to wait in a long queue if you do, though! 

Visit Siam Park

If you want pure wholesome fun, a visit to Siam Park City (also known as Siam Water Park) is a must. We purchased a 1-day pass worth 1,100 Baht, which is inclusive of entrance to all park rides and a buffet lunch. It was definitely worth it as we got to try many theme park rides and swim at the wave pool. If you are traveling with kids to Bangkok, I highly recommend you visit this attraction!

Planning a trip to Bangkok? Hope this travel guide helped you with some ideas on what to do in Bangkok, Thailand.

Stay in touch!

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat was one of those UNESCO sites in my travel bucket list. And just recently, I feel beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to scratch it off that list. Angkor Wat is located in the province of Siem Reap in Cambodia. The name literally translates to "The City of Temples". I'm sure you have read about Angkor Wat, like I have, but I was still left in awe by the grandeur and size of the temple complex. I have read several travel blogs sharing tips about visiting Angkor Wat and yet there are still a few other things that I've only known once I got there. Hence, I am sharing five of those for you to prepare should you plan on visiting the site yourself:

It is MASSIVE! 

Contrary to popular belief, Angkor Wat is not a temple, but rather a temple complex. According to Wikipedia, it measures approximately 162 hectares in land area, making it the largest religious monument in the world! To make the most of the experience, I suggest you visit multiple temples because all of them are worth the visit. It took us almost half a day exploring just the main Angkor Wat Temple alone. 

Wear Comfortable Clothes and Footwear 

Due to the size of the temples, you will be walking around a lot, especially if you want to take photos of the temples. Hence, you should wear clothes and footwear that can cope with your activities. I made the mistake of wearing sandals with ankle straps (which I thought would be comfortable enough to wear and walk around with in the temples) and I got blisters on my feet by the end of the day. Lesson learned. Wear your trusty, comfy sneakers - don't even try breaking in your footwear to the temple!

Observe Proper Dress Code 

When visiting temples or other religious sites, it is common sense to wear appropriate clothes. Avoid wearing sleeveless dresses and tops or those that reveal the knees. Make sure it is the appropriate length so that you are given access to the temples. 

Know Your Ticket Options

When you want to spend more than one day in Angkor Wat, I suggest you buy the 3-day tour ticket that costs $40 as you stand to get more value out of that (one day ticket is $20). For our tour, we opted for the one-day ticket since we only had a few days in Siem Reap. But if you must go for the 3-day tour, you won't be disappointed. We tried to squeeze in as many temples to visit during our 1-day tour but we still missed a lot! 

Hire a Guide

As we were planning the trip, hiring a tour guide to Angkor Wat wasn't part of our plan. But we realized it would be a good idea to hire one and it was one of the best decisions we've made. You don't need to pre-arrange this one as you can ask the officials at the gate to help you find a guide. All tour guides are in English. We were lucky with the guide assigned to us because he was highly animated and made sure we enjoyed the tour. Plus, knowing about the history of the temples would give you much better appreciation of the temples than when you were to explore it on your own.

Have you visited Angkor Wat? Don't forget to leave your post link in the comments so I can check them out!