Bangkok is an organized and tourist friendly destination. Transport services are accessible (from riding a cab to riding a train). Thai people are really warm and friendly albeit language barrier. Food is scrumptious and delectable. Sa food pa lang, solb na ako :)
We arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport past midnight. (By the way, we are 1 hour advance from Bangkok's time zone). The airport was pretty huge! There were plenty of kiosks that offer products and services for travellers to enjoy Bangkok even more.
We grabbed a cab at the airport going to our hotel accommodation which costed us THB450. Quite a lot, eh? We thought of taking the Airport Express Shuttle Bus which would be a lot cheaper but the services is until 12MN only.
Moving forward, we reached Lamphu Tree House, our hotel accommodation, at around 2AM...all tired and sleepy.
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| Lamphu Tree House 155 Wanchat Bridge, Prachatipatai Rd. Banpanthom ,Pranakorn กรุงเทพมหานคร 10200, Thailand It's located along the canal near What Chan Bridge. |
Our itinerary was very straight forward. Elbert and I mutually agreed to make our Bangkok holiday a relaxing experience. We didn't want to stress ourselves in accomplishing one activity to another since we only had 2 full days up our sleeves. It would be very impossible to accomplish a lot.
Day 1 Temple Hoppin' and Poppin'
We got up pretty early for our Day 1 activity which was a visit to the famous Grand Palace and What Pho. Before we went to those places, we did a lot of research. Important things we took note of were:
1. Implementation of proper dress code when visiting the temples;
2. Bring a map
3. Bring hydration and crackers/candies
4. Put on sunblock lotion (you will thank me for this if you're planning to hit the temples)
5. Wear comfy shoes
6. Pack light
7. For photo enthusiasts, leave your tripod.
8. Don't be fooled by scammers
9. Avoid tuktuk (especially if you're budget conscious)
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| We passed by Kaosan Road to get to Grand Palace. |
Taking photos while passing and crossing the streets of Bangkok was pretty entertaining. There's just too many to capture! It was exciting to see co-tourists copying what we're doing (ha-ha). I think we're a lot a prepared than them; talk about our A3 size Bangkok map which we printed form the internet ;p
From Lamphu Tree House, we reached Grand Place in 30 minutes just by walking. We were approached by a "scammer" who said that Grand Palace was closed. He offered us his tuktuk to visit the other places. We politely begged off.
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| tuktuks |
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| view of the Grand Palace |
We reached the Grand Palace nearly 10AM. As expected, ang dami-daming tao considering it's a weekday visit. There were visitors who were not aware of the dress code (Oh yes they strictly observed it. They didn't allow people to enter if the attire is unacceptable). Those who were not "well dressed" were asked to rent a skirt or pants somewhere at the front gate. Buti talaga handa kami.
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| ticketing station |
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| tickets to the Grand Palace |
Grand Palace is a complex that consists of royal residences, throne halls and government offices. You want temple overload? Grand Palace is for you then. But READY YOUR FEET. It's a complex and open air. You should be ready for sunburn :D
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| Heading to the entrance gates. Ready your feet, folks! |
Located at the Upper Terrace of Grand Palace lies monuments, statues and mythical beings. This is actually my favorite part because there's so many interesting structures to look at. Its amazing to see the intricacy of Thai architecture.
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| Phra Siratana Chedi (gold structure) and Phra Mondop (the one with pillars) |
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| Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn (The Royal Pantheon) |
Haven't been to Cambodia? Here's a glimpse of how beautiful the structures are! A mini Angkor Wat. Sobrang solid 'nung details. Nakakabilib!
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| model of Angor Wat |
The Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha is one of the most venerated site in Grand Palace. People come to pray to Buddha enshrined on a golden throne. The Emerald Buddha is carved from a green jade. Taking photos and slippers are not allowed inside the temple.
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| Temple of the Emerald Buddha |
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| Belfry near the Emerald Buddha |
The Chakri Maha Prasat usually serves as reception of diplomatic groups, foreign ambassadors and visiting Head of States. Visitors are not allowed to enter inside the hall. The exterior is a fusion of modern and cultural design.
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| The Chakri Maha Prasat |
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| front view of The Chakri Maha Prasat |
Dushit Maha Prasat Hall is the built with exquisite mother of pearl. It's a hall for the lying-in-state remains of kings, queens and honoured members of the royal family. It is also used for the annual Coronation Day Ceremony.
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| Dusit Maha Prsat Hall |
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| ang init na. he-he |
And so after 2 1/2 hours of non-stop walking around and taking pictures, napagod din ako ;p After a few minutes of rest, we had our lunch at a nearby eatery (in front of the Grand Palace).
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| strawberry lover finds strawberry whenever wherever ;p |
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| a small eatery nearby Grand Palace |
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| spicy noodles |
Wat Pho
We headed to Wat Pho which is just adjacent to the Grand Palace. Wat Pho is the oldest Buddhist temple, also a popular tourist destination in Bangkok. We paid TBH100 at the entrance.
The image of the Reclining Buddha is the highlight in Wat Pho. The gold plaited Buddha is 15 m high and 43 m long and is adorned with mother of pearls. The temple is considered sacred as many people visits for prayers.
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| The Reclining Buddha |
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| the ginormous face of the reclining Buddha |
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| a tour of Wat Pho facilitated by a monk |
There are coin bowls made up of bronze strategically aligned in front (or at the back yata) of the reclining Buddha. People drop 108 coins which is believed to provide good fortune. These coins are used to maintain the wats.
They say thousands of Buddha images are sheltered in Wat Pho. I'm telling you, ang dami talaga nila. I've never seen so many Buddhas before. They are all beautifully crafted and polished. I wonder if there's a place in Thailand where they show how to make a Buddha image?
Wats in Wat Pho are more intricate and attractive, well that's at least for me. The wats are carved exquisitely; it's very colorful and vibrant.
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| wats |
We were meaning to go to Wat Arun which would take a ferry ride. But we were exhausted already thus we couldn't afford to do another activity. We just took a shot of Wat Arun from the nearby park.
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| Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) |
We headed to our hotel at around 4PM. At pinanidigan talaga namin na hindi mag-cab. Lakad lang! :p Our visit to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho was indeed a worth while experience though the entire activity was exhausting. First time visitors should include this in their itinerary. For frequent Bangkok travelers who have gone to the said places, I guess no need :)
Day 2 - Shopping (and eating!) in Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chatuchak is Manila's version of bazaar/tiyangge. Prices of items here are relatively lower compared of course to a regular mall. I enjoyed shopping in Chatuchak because the sellers were really generous to us. They gave good discount at may additional free items pa :D
It took us almost an hour to get to Chatuchak from our accommodation. Took a cab to Siam Square and then we rode a train.
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| i enjoyed this train part. lol |
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| ang linis ng station |
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| Chatuchak Market proper |
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| souvenir items |
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| heads of buddha |
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| love this super sticky fragrant rice. iba siya :) |
Now I understand why Bangkok is one of the most visited cities in the world. It offers so much to tourists by staying true to its culture. Bangkok gives you a lot more fun and satisfaction than you expect. It's open place yet very contained in a good way.
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