Time In Bangkok: Our Review

And so after three full days and four evenings in Bangkok, we are moving on to our next destination. It’s been something of a whirlwind start to our Asian adventure but a more chilled spell is on the near horizon. So here’s a resume of our time in the capital and our recommendations for coping with Bangkok…

• Bangkok is…..

Vibrant, lively, energetic, peaceful, devout. Shiny new, immensely ancient. Respectful and religious; iniquitous, rebellious and debauched. If those words sound contradictory, then they are meant to, because this place has just about everything.

Whilst it is a bustling city full of life and full of contradictions, we wouldn’t really describe Bangkok as chaotic. Our times in Sri Lankan and Indian cities have shown us truly chaotic places, and in that sense Bangkok isn’t on the same scale as, say, Colombo or Delhi. Having said that, it IS bustling, it IS full of culture clashes, it IS in your face. There is peace within its hedonism though, as the Thais throughout the city are quick to demonstrate their renowned friendliness. 

• What to see and do – Temples

Bangkok certainly has more than its fair share of splendid temples, lots with opulent decoration which has to be seen to be believed. Many are truly stunning, the sheer size and scale of the construction, the level of detail, the amount of statuary and artistic flair, is incredible. Some which don’t even make the guide books are spectacular. From the ones we visited, the pick of them is (not in any particular order):

Wat Arun (the Temple Of The Dawn)

Wat Phra Kaeo (within the Royal Palace complex)

Wat Pho (with its colossal “reclining Buddha”)

Wat Traimit (with its golden Buddha, see below)

Wat Chakrawat (complete with live crocodile)

Wat Saket (the Golden Mountain), probably the most unusual and spectacular of them all, with wonderful panoramas of the city from the top.

The Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit has a remarkable history, being the largest gold Buddha in the entire world, weighing around 5.5 tons and with an estimated gold value approaching £30 million. Centuries ago, the Buddha was covered in plaster in order to hide the gold from Siam’s enemies. In 1955 when the King decided to move the Buddha to its current home, the plaster was accidentally cracked in transit, and, incredibly, only then was the truth discovered, that beneath the giant plaster cast was a Buddha made entirely from gold. Amazing.

• Other things to see and do – not Temples

Of course there are dozens of other attractions away from the Temples, too many to list, but a few we really enjoyed are (again in no particular order):

The majesty of the mighty Chao Phaya River as it winds its way through the city, and the huge variety of boats plying various trades thereon. 

Jim Thompson’s House, a beautiful traditional Thai house, built from original material by the rather remarkable Thompson, an American businessman who pretty much single handedly established worldwide markets for Thai silk.

The ridiculously splendid Royal Palace.

The bustle and noise of Chinatown.

Chatuchak Weekend Market, a giant sprawling market full of life and colour selling just about everything imaginable.

Having a massage. Massage houses are, of course, everywhere. Don’t ignore it just because it’s a tourist trap: instead, lie back on a comfy bed on a pavement and lose yourself in half an hour of heaven.

• Getting around

Whilst we walked a lot of the city (Fitbit step count 103,219 in 3 days), public transport is easy, quick and extremely efficient. At your disposal you have the MRT, the Sky Train, tuk tuks and taxis, and ferries across the river, each of which is very useful when the heat has you beaten. The MRT and Sky train are particularly user friendly, so much so that it would actually be hard to get it wrong. 

• How to cope

It’s late January, early Feb. The days start off gently, a pleasant breeze cooling the warm air. Somewhere around 10am someone flicks the temperature control and the mercury rockets up the thermometer; just after lunch the natural sauna kicks in and humidity ramps up. Dehydration is, as ever in this climate, an enemy, it’s essential to have a bottle of water in your hand literally all the time: you’ll need it. Fortunately, reviving fresh fruit smoothies and ice cold coffees abound, both ideal energy boosts.

• Nightlife

We’ve come here to experience the best of all South East Asian cultures, but so far seem to have rather immersed ourselves in beer and bars and rock and roll. Khao San Road is what it is; the adjacent Rambuttri has such a great atmosphere. There are of course many other areas, but personally we found Soi Cowboy too tacky to even dwell for a beer, and by all accounts it’s not the tackiest! For when all that revelry has become too much, spend an evening in the streetfood heaven of Chinatown (local name Yaorawat), with its wonderful atmosphere. Really, in a nutshell, if you can’t have a good time in Bangkok, it’s your own fault!

• Food

Never mind allergies or intolerances, we both suffer from TSDS: Try Something Different Syndrome. Well, you can’t have a blog with our title and be picky with food, can you. Bangkok food has been an utter delight: probably only in the Oaxaca region of Mexico have we come across so many stimulating combinations. Papaya salad with salted egg, in chilli sauce; fried grated catfish in mango and chilli sauce; curries flavoured with kaffir lime; pork in tamarind; a heavenly vegetable dish called Morning Glory…… we could go on and on. There’s an amazing array of different drinks too: chrysanthemum juice, anyone? Street food in its various forms is by far the best bet, whether it’s cafes within markets, stalls with plastic chairs at the roadside, or eateries with outdoor wok kitchens or charcoal barbecues. Fresh, tasty, exciting, cheap. What more could you want?! 

• Did we like Bangkok?

Loved it! All five senses have been battered, and we’ve walked till we dropped, in the intense heat and humidity. Full on days and fun filled evenings. We feel absolutely alive and absolutely shattered at the same time. We think we need to embrace the peace and calm of Buddha’s teachings now, and unwind for a while!

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