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Get the best out of Bangkok in a day |
Written by Daniel Jowssey
Thursday, 21 February 2008
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With one day to spend in Bangkok, can anyone recommend the best from among: Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, and Damnoen Saduak. I already know how to get to the various spots- just wondering which is the most memorable.How to get the best out of Bangkok in a day? For breakfast, either eat at or close to your accommodation before jumping in a taxi to Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok's foremost temple and tourist attraction and a great spiritual beginning to your Bangkok quest. If you've decided to leave breakfast until late, try out Na Phra Lan restaurant on the road of the same name which offers great views of the temple and the Grand Palace which can be enjoyed over a plate of fried noodles. The temple and palace grounds, a Thai national treasure some 225 years old, include glittering mirrored statues and golden stupas that stand up majestically against the concrete backdrop of the rest of Bangkok. Entry here is 200 baht a person for foreigners. Once you've had a good look around, there are plenty of other cultural highlights in the vicinity including Wat Po with it's reclining Buddha just to the south on Thaiwang Road, the National Museum just north on Na Phra That road or the Royal Barge Museum which requires a slighter longer walk of about 20 minutes across the river to Arun Amarin road. After all that, sit down for a good meal overlooking the Royal Palace from the other side of the river at Supatra River House, just along from the Royal Barge Museum on soi Wat Rakhang. The salmon satay here tastes like it just jumped out of the adjacent river and the curries are creamy and satisfying - expect to pay as much as 1,000 baht for two with drinks and more if ordering wine. After satisfying your appetite with some tasty Thai food, it's time to appease your shopping instincts at Bangkok's premier mall strip at Rama I road. Jump into a taxi and ask for Siam square or Siam Paragon shopping centre, the latest mega mall to adorn the Bangkok shopping scene and the plushest of the lot. This is the best place to find designer labels, but there is also plenty of high-end shopping to be found at the adjacent Siam Center and Siam Discovery Centre on the same side of the road. Opposite the malls on the same street are a number of more down-to-earth boutiques and just north beside the National Stadium BTS Skytrain station, MBK mall is a huge commercial space devoted to affordable clothes, electronics and just about anything else you care to think of. By now it'll be time to head back to base to freshen up. Get back on the Skytrain if your accommodation is close to a station or if not, jump into another taxi. Once you've cleaned up, head to Sukhumvit road for a restaurant off the tourist trail in and around soi 3. This is where the resident Middle Eastern crowd come to get great falafel, kebabs and biryani, washed down with sweet lassi and shisha, an Egyptian tobacco pipe. Alcohol around here is usually not available due to the Muslim code followed here. Fear not though, as just a short walk to Sukhumvit soi 11 after dinner and you'll reach a strip that includes a number of bars along with the ubiquitous Cheap Charlie's, a Bangkok legend and cut-price liquor venue that guarantees a special roadside atmosphere. After a few drinks it's time to ratchet the evening up a level. Keep walking along the street until you reach what looks like a spaceship, otherwise known as Bed Supper Club. This is the latest club to hit Bangkok that specialises in house music. Make sure you're dressed smartly as they don't let any old riff-raff in here as proven by the steep 300 baht entry fee which includes one or two drinks. The party continues until around 01:30, after which the city shuts shop for the night. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
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Find travel tips and more useful information about Thailand travel at this Thailand directory.
Find travel tips and more useful information about Thailand travel at this Thailand directory.
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