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Why we LOVE Bangkok so much

Why we LOVE Bangkok so much

Bangkok was the first stop on our three-week honeymoon. We had a room booked for 3 days in Bangkok to kick off the trip. We are city people who 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 was liking it as much as we did.

*When looking for the best price and biggest selection of hotels in Bangkok check prices on Booking.com, we’ve found they are the best option and have a great cancelation policy.*

Best overall hotel in Bangkok – The Westin Grande Sukhumvit

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 hang out at night. At bars, you pay about double store prices, but it’s a good place to meet and hang out 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 the 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 girl’s 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!!!

Jamie

Thursday 31st of July 2014

I've been to Bangkok twice, but never thought of doing a food tour there! Maybe next time. :)

Adam

Monday 29th of September 2014

Food tour is one of the best things you can do in Bangkok. It is great to learn what dishes are and what they should cost, this is how we found some our favorites in Thailand.

Rhonda

Monday 16th of December 2013

Your pics brought back great memories... we've been to BKK about 6 times and even though we are NOT city vacationers in general... I am always drawn back.... lol.. must be the amazing, cheap street food!

Hannah

Sunday 27th of April 2014

Great to hear we brought back some great memories of BKK. There is something about BKK that keeps you coming back again and again. I am sure you will be back soon!

Rashaad

Sunday 27th of October 2013

I've been to Thailand (officially) four times, and there also have been times when I've ridden the bus in BKK for free - probably because no one got around to collecting my fee.

While no one is neutral about Khao San Road, I loved the place - provided that I didn't spend too much time there. To me, it's like a miniature New York City - a place that never sleeps.

Hannah

Monday 28th of October 2013

Yeah for FREE buses! Glad to hear we weren't the only ones confused by the free buses...... We too loved Khao San Road, and we love NYC too!

Lina

Friday 26th of July 2013

HAHA the temple attire cracks me up. We just about died too in 100 degree heat, fully clothed, the day after we arrived in Thailand. We were hung over with jetlag and sweating to death!

Hannah

Saturday 27th of July 2013

The attire is very attractive I know!!! The heat was insane!!!! Yuck hungover, jetleag, and the heat sounds TERRIBLE!

Justin

Thursday 20th of June 2013

Wow! Sounds like an amazing honeymoon. I would say that Thailand is one of my top 3 most anticipated destinations for my RTW trip in 2014!

Hannah

Saturday 22nd of June 2013

It really was an amazing honeymoon. Totally different than the standard beach all-inclusive for a week! You must go to Thailand for a few weeks on your RTW. We plan on being in and out of Thailand often on our RTW trip. Maybe our paths will cross and we can explore it together!