Bangkok or Krung Thep (the City of Angels), being the world's most visited city, may not take much to convince you that it is a great travel destination for everyone. Even if you don’t know what the fuss is all about, surely the 16 million travellers who visit it every year got you interested to know more. Bangkok is always crazy busy, but the more time you spend there the more it will grow on you and it will feel like it’s impossible to leave. From the impressive food scene to the stunning Grand Palace, here are our top favourite reasons for you to head to Bangkok.
Chao Phraya River
Bangkok is not a small city and it spreads right along the legendary Chao Phraya River. It would take some time to explore everything it has to offer. You cannot leave Bangkok without taking a tour on a ferry or a chartered boat in the Chao Phraya. It is the best way to admire the old city on the east bank as well as the network of canals, locally known as khlongs. From here you get to take in the beauty of various surrounding temples, the majestic Grand Palace, inspiring 19
th century architecture, the Royal Thai Naval dockyard, and the famous floating markets. The tour usually includes the Royal Barge National Museum, which houses the kings’ ceremonial barges. Among the temples are the ancient Wat Kaeo Fa, Wat Amphawan, and Wat Suwannaram. The small island of Ko Kret is also worth a visit, where you’ll find the Ancient Mon Pottery Centre. The river is the best way to head from the city centre to explore the wondrous ruins of the former capital Ayutthaya just outside of Bangkok, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is Thailand’s most visited landmark. The grounds feature gold-plated interiors, pavilions, gardens, and the longest painting in the world, all surrounded by a beautiful white outer wall. The palace itself shines with stunning architecture and the Theravada Buddhism colours of red, green, orange, and yellow along with gold leaf, lotus bud patterns, and mosaics. The roofs are tiled with striking orange and green tiles. Founded back in 1782 during the reign of King Rama I, founder of the Chakri Dynasty, it served as the main royal residence up until 1925. It is now used for ceremonies only. The major attraction is within the Temple of Emerald Buddha, which houses the most sacred Buddhist sculpture in Thailand.
Chatuchak Market
Located in northern Bangkok, the Chatuchak Market (also known as the J.J. Market) is one of the largest and most popular weekend markets in the world. Featuring about 10,000 stalls every Saturday and Sunday, the sprawling market sells everything you can think of. This is a shopper’s dream and don’t forget to buy tribal crafts and textiles which are quite popular here. Just at the edge of the main market, there are two more markets worth looking into. The first is a local food market that sells fresh fish and shellfish, meat, fruit, and vegetables, while the second is Bangkok’s largest plant and flower market. Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, the browsing is a surreal experience and something will definitely catch your attention. There are endless food and drink stalls too on every turn to enjoy snacking while you shop.
Street Food
People travel to Bangkok over and over just to enjoy the world-famous Thai cuisine. Street food in Bangkok is an essential part of your experience there. It is the easiest and most enjoyable part of getting to know their culture. Food stalls are everywhere you go and are always busy. They come in many forms. You might encounter a cart on the side of the road or a collection of stalls at a local market as most street vendors work in groups. This allows the opportunity to try so many different dishes every day from the same place. From Papaya salad, fried rice, shrimp noodles, steamed chicken with rice, or grilled chicken skewers to sour Issan sausage and barbecued fish, it is guaranteed you will enjoy eating in Bangkok.
By Amal Ahmed
