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Bangkok was the first stop on our three week honeymoon. We had a room booked for a few nights in the big city to kick off the trip. We are city people, frequently vacation in bigger cities in the U.S. like New York City, one of our personal favorites. So we figured we could fill a few days with the sights, sounds, and smells of Bangkok. What we didn’t plan on is liking it as much as we did.

Khao San Road

This road is the quintessential backpacker road, it is more of an area of town than a single road. This is the place for deals of fun tourists T-shirts $3.33usd, cheap eats 0.33-$1, 1 hr full body massages $8, 1 hr foot massage $5, and the re-sale of what looks to be stolen/pawned backpacker gear. This is also a fun place to hangout at night. At bars you pay about double store prices, but its a good place to meet and hangout with travelers. You could always choose the VIP lounge outside the 7-11, they literally have a patio with seating.

Public Transport

The MRT and BTS in Bangkok are an easy way to get around and avoid the slightly more expensive taxis. In most areas buses run routes and with a little knowledge you can get around dirt cheap. On three of the four times we took the bus it was free. Not sure why it was free, but we didn’t complain about our wooden floor bus.  Ferry boats operate where the subway doesn’t, they do up and down the river from dock to dock.

Can you spot us?!?!?

On the river boat ferry

Temples

We are not huge museum enthusiasts but we fill a day with visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. The detail put into the buildings is just incredible. It was definitely cool to see all of the ornate temples and giant figures. If we were to do it again we would probably miss the Grand Palace and opt for the cheaper Wat Pho $6.50 for two. Another bonus of Wat Pho is the giant “Reclining Buddha”, the 120′ (43m) long golden statue. You will get a similar experience while avoiding the high cost ($26 for two people) to walk the Palace grounds for an hour. I am convinced that you could skip paying at either of these sights. They were collecting money but if you just played dumb you could walk right in. Most temples have a dress code, shoulders must be covered, and pants.  Some temples provided us with sarongs for free, others like the Grand Palace I had to purchase what I call “Temple Pants” for $3usd. As we walked through the Grand Palace I felt deceived and ridiculous with elephant print pants on, as I clearly saw a young girls butt cheek hanging out of her shorts…..

Got to love “Temple Attire” in 110 degree heat!

Street Food!

Saving the best for last, by far our favorite activity in Bangkok was eating. The endless array of fresh fruits, spicy soups, and tasty meals. On our first full day we took a food tour of the city, where we tried nearly everything we walked by. Some things were questionable, but most were great. Wash it all down with a Chang from the convenience store, does it get any better?

Adam & Naga our guide, about to eat pig face sandwich

Fresh authentic Pad Thai!!!

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