Temples, Markets and Food in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand is a big, busy city with roughly 8 million people and several unique neighborhoods. Located in the center of Thailand, it makes for a good launching point into the rest of the country. Many people head south to the beautiful islands, but our plan is to head north where it is less crowded. We figured it would be nice to spend a week in Bangkok to see some of the city. While it was an interesting introduction to Thailand I'll be honest, it was a little overwhelming. A few days is more than enough.

Not knowing what neighborhood to stay in, I went to social media for advice leading us to stay in Sukhumvit and Khao San, each for a few days. Both neighborhoods are quite distinctive in their own ways providing entirety different experiences. Out of the two, however, I would recommend Khao San since it is where all of the tourist attractions are and a bit more family friendly.

One of the greatest things to do in Thailand, no matter where you are, is eat the local cuisine. It is the best food I've eaten in all of the places I've been. Delicious smells from street vendors tempt your appetite with anything from kabobs and soups to noodles. Day and night they line the streets, or you can head to one of the many markets in the city. Even the local mall has amazing food. The best part? We were able to stuff ourselves for less than $5 for the two of us.

The main attractions in Bangkok are the numerous temples. It's best to avoid the tuk tuks offering a tour, and walk to most of them. Each one was unique and incredible to see. Many are enormous with elaborate decorations and gilded Buddha sculptures. Every corner was a little different with guardian statues, colorful pillars, and tranquil gardens. We visited a variety of them, the two most notable being the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. My favorite was the latter because it was less crowded and just as impressive.

As mentioned before, Bangkok has several markets. Some float, some take place only at night or on specific days, and some are specialized in what they sell. We decided to go to the flower market called Pak Khlong Talat, which was a great choice. Hundreds of stalls are setup in a warehouse near the river where tables are covered in colorful arrangements of beautiful flowers. People are everywhere haggling, carrying bags of flowers, and crafting garlands and wreaths. Just around the corner the market continues on with stalls selling fruits, vegetables and herbs. It was colorful, interesting and authentic. I think we were the only tourists, getting in the way of locals going about their business.

A week was too much, but you might need more to see everything in and around this city. Some things were more entertaining than others. For example: Chao Mae Tuptim aka the penis shrine, and the cannons at the ministry of defense. The city is big, busy and bustling, but has some charm and much different than anything we've seen so far. I am, however, glad we moved onto the much smaller town of Chiang Mai.

Bangkok, Thailand
Hotels:
Sakura Sky Residence: $26/night
New Siam 2: $28/night

Restaurants:
Terminal 21 Mall: 190 baht for 2 people
Street food: 100 baht for 2 people

Transportation:
Airplane to Bangkok
On foot

Activities:
Grand Palace: 500 baht ea
Temple of Reclining Buddha
Wat Po: 100 baht ea
Soi Cowboy: free
Shrine of the Goddess Tubtim: free
Flower Market: free
Khao San Road: free