Tag: bangkok

In step with Bangkok

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Travel writer Helen Hayes takes us on a walking tour of Bangkok’s neighbourhoods.

The way to get to know a city is to take to its heart. Bangkok is no different, its laneways full of surprising eateries, historic buildings and local shops. Not to mention, meeting local people in their neighbourhoods.

Bangkok might not seem like a great city for walking but I beg to differ. Amazing Thailand recently released 15 excellent walking tour itineraries for Bangkok, taking you to places you might never have been aware of.

Bangkok Street Food vendor Credit-Yulia-Grigoryeva-shutterstock
Bangkok street food vendor, Credit Yulia Grigoryeva: Shutterstock

To get to know the old Bangkok, take the walking tour that goes behind the old city wall. Highlights include the Baan Bat community, who have been crafting the alms bowls used by monks since the 1700s, and Trok Shanghai – founded by 40 Chinese families in the days of King Rama 1V.  This community is known for its wooden furniture. Other highlights include Wat Saket with its Golden Mount containing the Buddha’s relics, the fort of Pam Mahakan and Loha Prasat – the Metal Castle.

Explore Bang Lamphu and beyond

On this walk around Bang Lamphu, explore the Bangkok Metropolitan Museum, Pipit Bang Lamphu, the Coin Museum, the Red Building, and the Tha Tian Market. Also check out the Giant Swing, which was built for the Swinging Ceremony – a Brahmin-Hindu ritual.

Bangkok Old Town Rattanakosin Wat Pho
Rattanakosin Island: Shutterstock

The area around Rattanakosin Island, is spoiled for choice. This is the historic centre of town, an artificial island rich in history. It is here you will find the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. The city’s most famous landmark, the Grand Palace was built in 1782 and was home to the Thai King, the Royal Court and the government for a century and a half.  Also with its grounds is Wat Phra Kaew – also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It holds the small Emerald Buddha dating back to the 4th Century. While on the island, also spend time at Wat Pho, home to the triumph that is the Reclining Buddha created in 1832.  

It is not just history you will be rewarded with in this area, as it is here you’ll find some magnificent street food. The much vaunted Jay Fai is located here, a street food eatery that has a Michelin Star thanks to the incredible food delivered by Supinya Junsuta (Jay Fai is her nickname), the diminutive lady who cooks wearing ski goggles and bright red lipstick.

Another well-known place in this area is Tipsamai, said to have one of best Pad Thais in the country.

Into the Dragon’s Lair

Another good walk into the soul of Bangkok is in the Yaowarat area. Known as the Dragon’s Lair, it has many shrines and temples, and tells the story of the Chinese history in Bangkok. Visit the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Centre, the Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon which houses the largest solid gold Buddha image in the world, the Gold Museum, and try the Khao Man Kai (Hainanese chicken rice) at Thai Hen – they have been making it for a century.

Copyright John Borthwick

The Thon Buri area is another wonderful place to walk the streets, with the absolute highlight being the magnificent Wat Arun – the Temple of Dawn. Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Arun is revered as one of the most beautiful temples in all of Thailand. It is quite different to other temples, with its spire (prang) an impressive 70 metres high and coated with Chinese porcelain and coloured glass. As beautiful as it is during the day, it is even more spectacular at night. Book a dinner cruise on the river and enjoy a different view of the sights you have seen on your strolls in this magical of cities.

Wat Arun
Wat Arun – the Temple of Dawn: Shutterstock

Free-wheeling in Bangkok

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Guest blogger and award-winning Australian travel writer Louise Southerden finds there’s more to the Thai capital than temples and tuk-tuks on a Bangkok bike tour.

Imagine a bike-friendly city and you’ll probably think of, say, Copenhagen or Amsterdam. Not an Asian city, and definitely not Bangkok, that sprawling stopover of a capital inhabited by 12 million people and better known for tuk-tuks than bike trails. Continue reading “Free-wheeling in Bangkok” →

Sleeping with History: 6 Historic Bangkok Hotels

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Guest blogger John Borthwick hits the nostalgia trail amid history-themed Bangkok hotels.

1. Shanghai Mansion Hotel

Shanghai Mansion has a long head start in the “Sinostalgia” business. This 76-room hotel on Yaowarat Road in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown was built in 1892 and has been a Chinese opera house, stock exchange and textile trading house, and since 2006 a boutique hotel. Continue reading “Sleeping with History: 6 Historic Bangkok Hotels” →

Top Tips for visiting Bangkok’s Grand Palace

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Planning a trip to Bangkok? If you haven’t seen it already, you should really make the effort to visit Bangkok’s Grand Palace. Before you go, there are a few essential things you really need to know. Here are Little Grey Box blogger Phoebe Lee’s top tips on what you absolutely must know before you visit the Grand Palace.

There’s a strict dress code

As the Grand Palace is a sacred place, you’ll need to respect the strict dress code in place. This means skirts and trousers that cover the knees and shirts that cover the shoulders. You should definitely not wear short-shorts, strappy tops, low-cut tops or anything similar. A lot of temples and sacred places in Thailand have this strict dress code, so I’d recommend packing at least one outfit specifically to adhere to it, just to make your life easier.

grand-palace-3grand-palace-1

It gets really, really hot

The heat in Bangkok is no joke and, inside the Grand Palace grounds, you’ll find it almost unbearable. There are a LOT of people inside moving around in large groups and the breeze doesn’t get through. It is essential you drink a lot of water before you go and drink water while you’re there to stay cool. You absolutely must take a hat with you, to shield you from the sun. I also strongly recommend packing on sunscreen and wearing clothing that breaths with your body. I’d also recommend purchasing/taking a fan of some sort, either one of those small motorised ones or a hand-fan. You may even want to pack an umbrella to shade you (and your kids) from the sun. Trust me, you’ll thank me.

Your bag is searched at the entry

If you carry a backpack or similar size bag (or larger) it will be searched by security at the entry. I doubt you’d be carrying anything dodgy anyway, but just be aware that after you enter the grounds you’ll need to present your bag for inspection.

grand-palace-4

The best way to get to the Grand Palace is by boat

If you’re planning how to get there, may I suggest the Chao Phraya Express Boat. This is a really fun and easy way to get around Bangkok, mostly because you’re afforded a cool breeze, great views of Bangkok, it’s hella fun and you avoid the nasty Bangkok traffic. Catch the Chao Phraya Express Boat to either Tha Tien Pier on the Southern End of the Palace or to Tha Chang Pier on the Northern end of the Palace.

You might want to go in the morning

The Grand Palace is open from 8:30am until 3:30pm each day and, as I mentioned, closes very rarely. You may like to get there nice and early, simply to avoid the heat and hopefully catch a few lazy tourists sleeping in and get some more quiet/deserted photos of the Palace and surrounds. It’ll cost you 500 Baht to enter (Note: price is current at time of publishing and may change over time – please use this as a guide only).

Check out the Emerald Buddha

Within the Grand Palace you’ll find the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or ‘Wat Phra Kaew,’ an incredibly sacred space. The small but beautiful Buddha is around 2,000 years old, sitting gracefully inside the temple. It was originally made in India then lost. It was re-discovered when a bolt of lightning hit a small structure containing artefacts. It wasn’t until the nose of the Buddha began to flake off that they realised it was actually green underneath the stucco exterior coating it. There’s much more to the story, which you’ll learn about at the temple. There’s also a strict no-photography rule, which you absolutely must respect!

Click here to read Phoebe’s full story.

Phoebe Lee is a travel writer and award-winning blogger with a love for storytelling. Phoebe creates practical, fun and engaging written content designed to inspire and energise travel-lovers and dreamers. Follow her and Matt’s adventures at home and around the world, right here on Little Grey Box and through Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

THATraveller’s guide to Bangkok’s Temples

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Travel blogger Holly O’Sullivan (THATraveller) shares her tips to help you navigate your way through the best of Bangkok’s temples.

The Grand Palace and Wat Phrakaew

Undoubtedly Bangkok’s most famous landmark, the Grand Palace continues to draw crowds with its history, beautiful architecture and intricate detail. It’s a complex of several impressive buildings, temples ‘wats’, gardens and courtyards – each with a certain asymmetry due to their organic development, with additions being made by successive reigning kings over hundreds of years. Although no one has lived here since 1925, it is still used for official events, and only two of the throne halls are open to the public.

Bangkok Grand Palace
Image: Holly O’Sullivan

One of the most important buildings here is Wat Phrakaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Dating back to the 14th century, the Emerald Buddha was carved from a single block of jade, and even though small in size, it is the most important icon for Thai people. A seasonal cloak is changed three times a year to correspond to Summer, Winter and Rainy Season by HM the King of Thailand. This is done to bring good fortune to the country during each season, an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. You are not allowed near the Emerald Buddha, or take photos inside the temple – you can however, see it from outside.

Bangkok Grand Palace
Image: Holly O’Sullivan

At the entrance you’ll find maps in various languages detailing information on each of the buildings within the palace. From 10am – 2pm, a guide is on duty and Personal Audio Guides (PAG) are also available in over five languages. Whether you take a tour or not, the route through the Palace is fairly fixed so it’s incredibly easy to get around.

  • Note: Strict Dress Codes apply. See below for details.
  • Opening hours: Daily, 8:30am – 3:30pm
  • Price: 500 Baht

Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn)

Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Arun is renowned for its riverside location and physical differences to other temples found in Bangkok. Its spire is one of Bangkok’s world-famous landmarks and is most beautiful at sunset, and when lit up at night.

Its imposing spire is 70m high and decorated with tiny pieces of coloured glass and Chinese porcelain. You can climb the central prang, though the steps are fairly steep – beware the heat and humidity! From the top you will be rewarded with panoramic views of the winding Chao Phraya River, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho which sits on the opposite side of the river.

Image: Mr & Mrs Romance

The legend… Wat Arun, named after Aruna the Indian God of Dawn, is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the centre of the world in Buddhist cosmology. “In the mythology of Tibetan Buddhism, Mount Meru is a place that simultaneously represents the centre of the universe and the single-pointedness of mind sought by adepts. Thousands of miles in height, Meru is located somewhere beyond the physical plane of reality, in a realm of perfection and transcendence. The four-corner prang of Wat Arun, which houses images of the guardian gods of the four directions, reinforces the mystical symbolism.”

Directly opposite Wat Pho, from Sapphan Taksin boat pier you can take a river boat that stops at Pier 8. From here a small shuttle boat takes you from one side of the river to the other for only 3 Baht.

  • Note: Strict Dress Codes apply. See below for details.
  • Opening hours: Daily, 8:30pm – 5:30pm
  • Price: 50 Baht

Wat Pho – Temple of the Reclining Buddha

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is one of the largest temple complexes in Bangkok. The Buddha measures 46m long and is completely covered in gold leaf.

It is an easy 10-minute walk from the Grand Palace, and English-speaking guides are happy to tell you the temple’s stories for around 200-400 Baht. Wat Pho is often considered the leading school of massage in Thailand, so where better to get a traditional Thai massage? Or even just a foot, or shoulder and neck massage to relax after a day of walking.

Wat Pho Bangkok
Image: Wikimedia Commons

For a little bit of good luck, you can purchase a bowl of coins at the entrance of the hall which you can drop in the 108 bronze bowls which line the length of the walls. The money goes towards helping the monks renovate and preserve Wat Pho.

  • Note: Strict Dress Codes apply. See below for details.
  • Opening hours: 8am – 5pm
  • Price: 100 Baht

Wat Traimit – Temple of the Golden Buddha

Housing the world’s largest gold seated Buddha, measuring nearly 5m in height, Wat Traimit is located at the end of Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road.

Some History: In the past, artisans crafted the Buddha’s in gold, and to disguise them from invading armies, covered them in stucco and plaster. The Buddha at Wat Traimit was discovered by accident when it was accidentally dropped revealing under its casing of plaster, a beautiful solid golf Sukhothai style Buddha. Pieces of the plaster are still kept on display within the museum – 10 Baht.

  • Opening hours: 9am – 5pm
  • Price: Free.
Golden Buddha statue at Wat Traimit
Image: Wikimedia Commons

Dress Code for Temples

Although temples (or ‘wats’) are popular for tourists, they are also an important place of worship so it is important to dress appropriately – these sites are incredibly sacred.

  • Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves (no tank tops).
  • Women must dress modestly – no see-through clothing, and no bare midriffs, legs or bare shoulders.
  • If you are wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (so pretty much no bare feet). When entering a temple, be sure to remove your hat.

If you show up at the gate improperly dressed, you will either be turned away or referred to somewhere nearby where you can either purchase or rent a sarong to cover up.

Read more of THATraveller’s travel guides here, and more fabulous photos on Instagram: @holly_osullivan