Two intense days in Bangkok, to get to know it in all its facets. The spiritual and cultural nature together with that of the shopping centers and market streets.
Bangkok, an incredible city, beautiful and terrible at the same time.
Two days in Bangkok there are few and here I will point out the really unmissable things, including spirituality and wild shopping.
It will be two intense days, so be prepared.
Where to sleep on a budget
Settle into a central hotel, perhaps in one of those skyscrapers with a rooftop pool and skyline view. The prices are really low, you will surely find something cheap and to your liking.
I have been to Grand Sathorn Hotel (88 Jaras Wieng Road Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500): huge rooms, rooftop pools, hearty breakfast.
Plus, it's right next to the Sathorn Pier stop on the river Chao Phraya and also to that of the Sky Train. You will use both the ferries and the Sky Train a lot so it will be very useful to be close to the stops.
In general, I recommend this neighborhood, convenient to everything and in the center.
Day 1. Spiritual and cultural Bangkok
Imagining that you have two full days, I advise you to start from the more strictly cultural and spiritual part.
Then, hop on a ferry and enjoy the refreshing ride that, along a mud-colored Chao Phraya full of branches and whatever else you can imagine (some giant monitor lizard included), will take you to the Grand Royal Palace, Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang, a complex of buildings located on the riverside in the center of Bangkok, the official residence of the Thai King.
The complex consists of a series of palaces covered with sumptuous and precious mosaics and decorations, among which the Wat phra kaew, that is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, inside which the Emerald Buddha, one of the most venerated statues, is preserved. The Buddha in question is quite small compared to what you would expect, but beautiful to look at. Furthermore, the entire complex, if you manage to visit it on a day a little less crowded than usual and with a little sun, will shine in front of you in all its beauty.
About 5 minutes walk from the Royal Palace, you will also find the very famous Wat Pho, known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Inside the complex you will find over 1000 Buddha images and, in one of the rooms, the gigantic reclining Buddha, one of the largest in Thailand. Within the Wat Pho complex there is also the oldest Thai massage school, the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Massage School. Stop and take advantage of half an hour to relax and get a very pleasant massage.
This tour will take you all morning, so it's time to stop somewhere for taste the local specialties. Remember to bring a sweater or scarf both on the Sky Train and for indoor venues. Generally the outside temperature equals hell and the inside temperature equals the Arctic Circle.
In the afternoon, always move to the riverside and visit another beautiful temple, the Wat Arun, Temple of Dawn. It is a temple complex on the right bank of the Chao Phraya River. Its name also derives from the beautiful chromatic effects that the light of dawn gives to the temple. The central storied spire is built with stuccoed bricks decorated with tiny pieces of Chinese porcelain of different colors. Really nice.
In the rest of the afternoon, get lost in the alleys of the center and observe the people and the beautiful views that Bangkok will offer you. For the aperitif time, move to the skyscrapers area and go to one of the beautiful Sky Bars of some famous hotel such as the Sirocco. I assure you that a drink is more than affordable and the view will be incredible.
Day 2. Where to shop in Bangkok
On day two, wake up early and get on the Sky Train, today you will Shoppingg, lots of shopping.
If you don't even love the shopping centers, and I don't particularly love them, here you have to visit one. There are so many of them and they will probably be the biggest you have ever seen, lined up one after the other without stopping. You will find super chic, very expensive and design ones, alongside other more commercial and even super cheap ones.
I advise you on all theMBK Center, it's something we can't imagine here. Take the map at the entrance because you will need it, especially if you are with someone and intend to split up and then find each other again. The MBK is a gigantic shopping mall easily accessible by Sky Train (National Stadium stop), or even by taxi. It is located on Phayathai Road where most of the other popular shopping malls are also located.
It is a building that is spread over seven floors and inside you will find products of all kinds: from food to clothing, from souvenirs to electronics. Don't be picky, it's practically a gigantic Aliexpress physically in front of you. The prices are excellent and the choice is really varied, you are unlikely to be able to leave without anything.
Now have lunch in some nice place, maybe right on top of a shopping center (you have no idea how many restaurants they contain), but hurry up, it's time to go straight to the Chinatown.
Lights, colors, people always on the move and particular scents. All this and much more is Bangkok's Chinatown.
The street that "is" properly Chinatown is there Sampang Lane, the one where you will spend most of your time. It is a pedestrian only street that leads to the small access of the neighborhood and is located a few steps from the Tha Ratchawong ferry stop. Sampang Lane is a market street, where you will find nothing but stalls, shops and whatever else you can imagine. There are always people and it is a safe place, you can wander around without any worries. Here everything is sold, really everything, so much so that sometimes you will be petrified in front of the goods.
Then the evening will fall and Chinatown will be filled with a thousand lights and new colors. Dine in a good Chinese restaurant, you will feel in another dimension.
