Eight million inhabitants, a humid tropical climate that's generally warm, and plenty of beauty: this is a brief summary of Bangkok and its wonders. This city, known for its rare combination of modernity and antiquity, offers tourists everything: from lively city markets to ancient Buddhist temples, sometimes just a short distance from gigantic skyscrapers. Its central location, rich culture, and vibrant nightlife make the city perfect for tourism, which has greatly increased in recent years. For this reason, today we enjoy discovering new places and like the idea of serving those who share values similar to ours.
That said, let's take a closer look at Bangkok and its wonders.
Grand Palace (Wat Phra Kaew)
Let's start by talking about something called a palace but which is actually much more like an entire district. The Grand Palace of Bangkok was built in the late 1700s and is an area of the city surrounded by a wall nearly 2 kilometers long.
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There are over 100 palaces and pavilions inside; today it no longer serves as a residence (the King visits only occasionally for official ceremonies) and has therefore become a true tourist attraction.
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun, in Thai,has a thousand names for this beautiful place resting on one side of the Chao Phraya River, thanks to its very distinctive shape responsible for the incredible light effects it creates throughout the day.
The tower (called Prang), the most recognizable element of the entire temple, is also open to visitors; if you wish, you can climb to the top but beware: the steps are many, steep, and narrow.
Wat Saket
Now let's talk about temples again, but this time located outside the city. At the top of the Golden Mount,after climbing over 300 steep steps, you can be rewarded by the wonderful Wat Saket: a temple that is also a panoramic viewpoint over all of Bangkok, often filled with the sound of sacred bells and crowds of monks and worshippers in prayer.
The best way to enjoy this place is undoubtedly by visiting during Loy Krathong, a festival in early November that fills the temple area for a whole week with celebrations, songs, and dances. Also very interesting is the fair full of lanterns, flags, stalls, street performers, and local specialties.
Wat Pho
Inside one of Bangkok's most beautiful temples lies a reclining Buddha fifty meters long and fifteen meters high, with the soles of its feet entirely covered by a thin layer of mother-of-pearl; these are also painted depicting 108 Buddhist scenes.
The Reclining Buddha temple is an incredible place, definitely one of the must-see stops for first-time visitors to Bangkok. Not everything is inside the building though: around it are wonderful gardens with statues, plants, centuries-old trees, and more.
Historically, the temple is also very important for another reason: it was here in 1782 that the country's first public university was founded, dedicated to traditional medicine.
Wat Traimit
A small temple with great treasures: inside you can find the largest solid gold Buddha statue. This Buddha chamber was discovered only 60 years ago beneath a thick layer of plaster, probably applied in the late 1800s to protect the artwork from Burmese raids.
The statue is one of the most venerated in the entire country, standing three meters tall and weighing five tons; to see it, you need to reach the temple's fourth floor.
Lumpini Park
What kind of big city would it be without a nice public park? Lumpini Park is a destination for both locals and tourists, whether to seek relief during the sweaty summer days or to take a moment to relax.
Originally built to host a fair called Siamrath Phiphithapan Trade Fair,the park has evolved from an exhibition space for crafts and flowers to one of the most beloved places for those who live in Bangkok daily.
Wat Benchamabophit
This temple with an unpronounceable name is also known as the Marble Temple and is the same one depicted on one side of the 5 baht coin. From a religious point of view, this temple holds great importance for locals and visually it is a stunning place.
Not everyone knows that the temple owes its name to the builder's choice to import a large amount of Carrara marble directly from Italy. This whitish marble covers much of the temple's exterior and, when struck by sunlight, makes the temple shine in all its great beauty.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Yes, now we're cheating a bit because this attraction is not exactly in central Bangkok. About 100 km from the city is one of the most talked-about excursions for Western tourists: a beautiful floating market held on stalls set up on boats called long tail boats..
The experience is especially recommended for anyone interested in high-quality photography. From Bangkok, you can rely on a large number of different local tour operators who transport you directly by bus to the place where this special fair takes place.
Maeklong Market
Let's talk again about markets to mention Maeklong Market. Certainly, it is less picturesque than the Damnoen Saduak floating market but it has a big advantage: a market located on the tracks of a city train.
This market is particularly well-stocked: street food, local crafts, clothes, and much more; all of this is periodically interrupted by the passage of a public transport train. This causes a back-and-forth of vendors packing up, a very picturesque spectacle that's hard to find elsewhere.
A Visit to the Bangkok National Museum
If you're interested in local culture, you can't miss a visit to the Bangkok National Museum where, for a small fee, you can take a long educational journey discovering the history of the Khmer first and the Thais later.