With impressive architecture, sprawling markets and fascinating museums dotted throughout the capital Bangkok has loads to keep guests occupied throughout the day before its legendary nightlife gets underway. The majestic Grand Palace and the enduring Wat Arun are amongst probably the most photographed landmarks in South East Asia and offer an enchanting introduction to the Far East for the hundreds of vacationers reserving low cost flights to Bangkok every year.
Temples & Palaces
A lot of Bangkok's most famous architectural sights lie in and around the winding Chao Praya River within the Old Town region of the city. These are inside easy reach of widespread backpacking haunt Khao San Road and nicely linked to different areas of the capital by water taxi.
Wat Arun
The 5 spires of Wat Arun (aka the Temple of Dawn - pictured above) tower over the adjoining river; an image which takes delight of place in many a vacation photograph album. The temple consists of 4 intricately decorated and slim spires that surround a taller central spire. This taller spire might be scaled utilizing the steep flight of stairs carved into the stone.
Wat Arun looks notably spectacular at sunset although the quietest time to go to is early in the morning from 8.30 am onwards but earlier than the crowds arrive.
The Grand Palace
Arguably the must-see sight of a trip to Bangkok, The Grand Palace (main image) was built in 1782 and was home to the Thai king for one hundred fifty years. These days the palace is a popular traveller attraction that features the majestic Emerald Buddha, a statue carved from an enormous block of jade that dates again to fifteenth century AD. Solely the king of Thailand can come into contact with the statue, which is testament to its revered status. It's housed throughout the Wat Phra Kaew - essentially the most revered Buddhist temple in Thailand.
Wat Sacket
Wat Saket (aka the Golden Mount) combines distinctive architecture with panoramic sights over the city. It's a 300 step climb to the highest of the overgrown man-made hill that sprouts incongruously from the encircling concrete, however the view is definitely well worth the climb to look out over the city.
November is a particularly fascinating time to go to Wat Saket when it hosts a traditional temple fair and an annual Buddha worshipping ceremony. Crowds of worshippers flock to the temple during this era and it's ideal to visit in the course of the day.
Wat Pho
Simply 10 minutes from The Grand Palace is Wat Pho - a soothing temple on the banks of the Chao Praya River. The golden reclining Buddha statue is the centrepiece of Wat Pho which stands at 15 metres tall. It can also be an important place to enjoy a conventional Thai therapeutic massage - a more intense take on the relaxing western version.
Markets
The considered markets in Thailand conjures up photos of boats gently floating alongside narrow canals promoting recent produce. Whilst a few of the best-known floating markets require a day journey from Bangkok there are some attention-grabbing markets to visit throughout the capital itself.
Chatuchak Market
This huge 35 acre market provides over 9,000 market stalls every weekend and sells pretty much something you may imagine. It's divided into 27 sections with a large walkway circling the outside of the market and numbered alleyways to help newcomers find their means around.
Anyone prepared to haggle can depart Chatuchak with a collection of unbelievable bargains. The market gets particularly scorching throughout the hotter months of April and May so it's a good suggestion to reach early and bargain hunt before it heats up.
Bang Nam Pheung
Tucked away in a horseshoe of the Chao Praya River, the Bang Nam Pheung market is full of all kinds of fascinating native produce - the fascinating array of unique fruit will probably be an eye-opener for anybody new to Asia.
Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market
This has the charm of a small localised market and isn't as touristy as among the more frequented floating markets that surround the city. A lot of the market is stationed on land however there is a choice of small boats that float alongside, cooking-up delicious Thai food.
Museums
Jim Thomson's House
Anybody that's trying to delve somewhat deeper into Thai culture should pay a visit to one of Bangkok's fascinating museums.
Jim Thompson's House is certainly an unlikely identify for a vacationer attraction however this former of house of a US expat houses a powerful assortment of artefacts, historical wall hangings and different fascinating objects.
The Museum of Siam is an interactive narration of Thai identity. There are many interactive games to maintain both kids and adults entertained, like excavating a mock archaelogical site and firing historical weapons. Bangkok National Museum is extra traditional fare, housing relics from hundreds of years of Thai historical past including ornate royal chariots.
Melissa Newman wrote this article with the intent to help you find
cheap Bangkok Flights and choose the best flights deals with
Globehunters.
