Bangkok is one crazy city, which – I have to admit – wasn’t very high on my bucket list. However, it is a major transport hub in Southeast Asia so you kind of have to pass through there at some point. I have actually liked the city more than I expected so I have decided to share a few things you shouldn’t miss if you decide to spend a few days in Bangkok.

First of all, I would like to recommend avoiding the VERY touristy spots – I am talking about The Grand Palace and Wat Pho. I still went nearby to check them out from the distance and sure, they do look spectacular, but the amount of tourists flooding there… Not worth it. They also have the most expensive entry fees (500 THB for The Grand Palace I think – the equivalent of 10 meals in Thailand). If you do go there, brace yourself.

Wat Arun is another temple just across the river from the two mentioned above. Still touristy but probably the best one out of the three. And apparently a great place for sunset watching from across the river.

OK and now onto the things I actually really enjoyed…

1. The Golden Mount

One thing you should know about me: I LOVE good views. And you get an excellent view of Bangkok if you climb up The Golden Mount (for just 50 THB). The climb is not even that difficult, it’s just walking up the stairs and there is a lot to explore on the way if you need to take a break. You will find a beautiful temple (Wat Saket) at the top. Once up there, you hear meditation music and might see some people praying. This place definitely has atmosphere. (It is still quite popular with tourists but it’s not too bad.)

2. Chinatown

I know Bangkok is a modern city with skyscrapers and shopping malls but that’s not really what I came here to see. If you are in Asia for the first time like me and want a proper introduction, get lost in the streets of Chinatown and its surrounding alleyways. First of all, you won’t bump into many tourists there. Second of all, you will see a lot. Weird-looking cats, hidden street markets with unfamiliar smells, cute houses with the not-so-cute-but-omnipresent cables… and you’ll probably be like: “OK cool, so this is Asia…”

Bonus: There are some less known temples inside Chinatown (such as Wat Traimit in the picture below) which you can visit for free or almost free.

3. Boat Rides

Bangkok has a very good water transportation system of which you should definitely take advantage! There is the Chao Phraya Express Boat which is something like a water bus going up and down the river (also stops by the main temples). You only pay 15-20 THB (40p / 10CZK) for one ride.

There are also some tourist boats where you purchase a daily ticket and then can hop on and off as you please but I would personally avoid them because they are a rip off. Use the cheap Express Boats instead!

There is another type of boats I have used and they were by far my favourite! They are called Khlong Boats (picture above) and they run on the smaller water canals. You will see a completely different side of Bangkok and you might even feel like a local! Best part: I only paid 10 THB for a ride. You can hop on one of these boats near The Golden Mount where they start/end and go towards the centre of Bangkok (or do it the other way round).

I know Bangkok has so much more to offer but I only had three days, in which I was mainly taking in the Asian atmosphere (and sorting out my transport to Chiang Mai). If you have more time, you’ll definitely find even more cool things in this city. These are just my favourite three that you shouldn’t miss when visiting Bangkok!

Have you been to Bangkok? What were your favourite places?

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