Hello everyone! I’ve decided to starting focusing more on the travel section of my blog so I can share all of my adventures to date with you. I’ve been travelling since I was one so travel has always been a huge part of my life as I am sure a good few of you know by now. Travel and fashion are definitely two things I love most in life. My last travel diary was all about my city break to Prague back in January. I’ve decided to start writing more about the bigger trips i’ve been on so far such as my road trip around America, the two years I spent living in Australia, my African adventures, European memories and the island hopping I did in Asia. The list goes on…!

I’m starting off with one of my favourite trips to date in one of my all time favourite countries – Thailand!

First stop – Bangkok! This is one of my the most memorable places I visited in Thailand for a number of reasons – the culture, the atmosphere, the people and the memories that were made there. If you planning a trip to Thailand and are considering stopping off in Bangkok then this blog post will be right up your street.

Here is a list of things to do and see that will give you a feel of what Bangkok is all about.

I went to Bangkok for five days and managed to see and do everything on my list. Bangkok is a combination of weird and wonderful sights, sounds and smells – definitely worth planning a trip over.

THING TO DO AND SEE

THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PRAKEAW – OLD CITY

This is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it’s the spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Built in 1782 – and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government. The Grand Palace of Bangkok continues to be one of the most popular landmarks and leaves visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and detail.

I booked a day trip with my friend to a number of places in the city and this was by far one of my favourites. We had the nicest Thai man teaching us all about Buddhism and the history of each landmark we visited. I would highly recommend booking a tour through your hotel.

KHLONG TOUR – RIVERSIDE

There are a number of different riverside tours available. You can cruise down the Chao Phraya River and winding canals of Bangkok on board an authentic long-tailed speedboat. If you get boat sick don’t worry. I am the worst when it comes to motion sickness and I was fine so fear not! This was a really enjoyable tour where you can see the local Thai community going about their daily lives. There was also seasonal fruits and drinks on board to keep us going and we had a great tour guide who really knew his stuff. Another must if you are in Bangkok because you get to see some of the capital’s renowned landmarks, such as the royal Grand Palace and the temple of Wat Arun, as well as the city’s luxury riverside hotels.

Forget the over-crowded ferries. Forget the tourist hordes, the overpriced souvenirs, the whole money-making charade. For a real sense of how people in Bangkok used to live, in stilted shacks, old wooden townhouses try the Bangkok Thonburi Khlongs.

WAT ARUN (THE TEMPLE OF DAWN) 

The impressive silhouette of Wat Arun’s towering spires is one of the most recognised in Southeast Asia. Constructed during the first half of the 19th century in the ancient Khmer style, the stupa showcasing ornate floral pattern decked out in glazed porcelain is stunning up close.

DAMNOEN SADUAK FLOATING MARKET

Damnoen Saduak is by far the most popular floating market in Thailand. I have always been a huge fan of markets so I could not wait to see this place for myself. It’s great for photo opportunities, food, and for giving you an insight into a completely different way of life. An early morning start is worth it to avoid the heat and catch Damnoen Saduak at its liveliest. The market is just over an hour outside Bangkok, and the easiest way to get there is to join a tour. We booked ours through the hotel we were staying in. We made a quick pit stop along the way to feed some elephants too which topped off a great day.

RIVER KWAI BRIDGE & CHUNGKAI WAR CEMETARY

We went on a full day trip to the River Kwai, a famous bridge on our third day. Kanchanaburi, in Myanmar border, is home to the bridge. During WWII, Japan constructed the railway line from Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma. The line passing through the Three Pagodas Pass runs for 250 miles. This is now known as the Death Railway.

The construction was done using POWs and Asian slave laborers in horrible conditions and as a result, thousands of laborers lost their lives. It is believed that one life was lost for each sleeper laid in the track.

At the nearby Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, around 7,000 POWs, who sacrificed their lives in the railway construction, are buried. Another 2,000 are laid to rest at the Chungkai Cemetery. We visited both in one day. As sad as it was to learn about the history of tis bridge, I would recommend booking a day trip to see both. There are also some really good spots along the way for traditional Thai food.

MAEKONG STATION

On one of our day tours we stopped we went to see Maekong station. The railway became famous for its route through the Maeklong Railway Market, nicknamed Talat Rom Hup, meaning the “umbrella pulldown market”. It is one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand, and is centered on the Maeklong Railway’s track.Whenever a train approaches, the shop fronts are moved back from the rails, to be replaced once the train has passed. I decided to try my first ever coconut that day (feeling very adventurous) while we waited for the train to pass through the market. Definitely worth seeing!

MBK SHOPPING CENTRE, SIAM

CATCH A TUK TUK – THIS IS A MUST!

Tuk tuks are the easiest way to get around Bangkok and probably the safest. As the traffic is quite heavy in the city we found tuk tuks were perfect for hopping on and off every day. They are very cheap but make sure you haggle with the drivers before you get into them as they can try and charge you more then you should be paying. #HaggleQueen

TIP! AVOID THESE IF YOU CAN!