Bangkok by Tuk Tuk
As the gateway to South East Asia, Bangkok is one city that’s hard not to visit while travelling through this part of the word. We’ve visited South East Asia on many occasions and Bangkok is the best place to start. It’s really easy to sort out your onward travel to the various countries that surround Thailand.
Khaosan Road in Bangkok is the main backpacker area in the city. It’s loads of fun with all the bars and restaurants and it’s great just to hang out, do a bit of shopping or watch a movie or two. Booking bus and flight tickets is really convenient here and travel agencies will also sort out for visa for countries like Cambodia if you still need to apply for one.
There are many ways to get around Bangkok that include taxi, bus, MRT (Bangkok Metro) and Sky Trains. Our preferred option is always a tuk tuk. Tuk tuks are one of the cheapest forms of travel in Thailand and are quicker in heavy traffic to get to your destination.
You can hire tuk tuks for single journeys or arrange a price for the full itinerary you have for that day and the driver will wait for you while you are seeing the sites. One tip that you should follow though is to always agree a price before you get in.
So where should you visit while you are in Bangkok, there are a few options depending on what interests you.
You should definitely visit the Grand Palace which includes Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha). The tickets can be bought from The Grand Palace website and include access to the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textile and Wat Phra Kaew which are located within the Grand Palace Grounds.
The next main site you should visit is Wat Pho, it boasts the largest reclining Buddha in Bangkok. It has the biggest collection of Buddhist images in Thailand. It is also is home to a massage school for traditional Thai massage so it might be worth leaving this your last place to visit so you end the day with a relaxing massage.
If you would like to find out more about the history and culture of Thailand, then the National Museum is a great place to visit. There are displays of textiles, ceramics, Khon masks and traditional musical instruments. There is also a hall dedicated to royal funeral carriages used for royal cremations.
To get close to locals, floating markets are really good places to visit. You can eat some food or do some souvenir shopping all while floating through the market. One of the best floating markets is 90km south of central Bangkok and is called Amphawa. It can get busy later in the day so best to head here first thing in the morning.
There’s loads more to see and do in Bangkok and the surrounding area. Why not have a look on official Tourism Authority of Thailand website for more interesting things to do next time you’re in Bangkok, Thailand.
