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Lots of flight options from all across Asia. From Jakarta, you can fly on a flagship carrier like Thai Airlines or use a budget carrier like Air Asia and potentially save hundreds of dollars. There are two major airports in Bangkok: Don Mueang and the newer Suvarnabhumi International. When you purchase tickets and are transiting through Bangkok, make sure you know which airports you are flying out of. You might fly from Jakarta to Suvarnabhumi, but then your flight to Phuket, for example, might be out of Don Mueang, which is about an hour away via car—when booking pay close attention to this detail.
Angkor Pho is perhaps the most ornate and prominent of Bangkok’s temples. The famous Reclining Buddha, over 45 meters long is the highlight of Angkor Pho. If you only choose to visit one temple in Bangkok, I would recommend this one.
One of my biggest objectives in Bangkok was to take a Thai cooking class. The Maliwan Cooking School was incredible. Learned to make a four-course meal and green curry from scratch. It was a super experience. Before I started cooking, my teacher, Mae, took me to the local produce/meat/fish market where we selected and purchased all the ingredients for the meal. Then we went back to the school kitchen to make Sweet Green Curry Chicken, Tom Yum Soup, Prawn Pahd Thai, and Mango with Coconut Rice. Totally awesome.
Thai Food is one my favorite cuisines as you might have guessed. Had three notable meals. The Sirocco is the highest al fresco restaurant on the planet–on the 64th Floor rooftop of a luxury hotel. Not only was the view stunning, but the food was also amazing too. It’s incredibly pricey, so if you are traveling on a budget, just purchase one expensive drink at the bar and enjoy the amazing view from there and skip dinner.
Supanniga Eating Room has a few locations across Bangkok.
I ate at the Supanniga outlet located on the river near Angkor Pho. My
very favorite Thai dish of all time is Beef Masaman Curry. OMG—the Masaman I had at Supanniga was by far
the best I’ve ever had in my life and the view of the river from the outdoor
dining terrace upstairs is sublime.
Finally, the best overall restaurant that I
ate at was two doors down from the Supanniga, also near Angkor Pho. Rongos is a Michelin-recommended
restaurant, but hasn’t yet earned a star. Who cares, when the bowl of rice
vermicelli, peanuts, scallions, basil, and dried shrimp tossed in a magnificent
lime juice dressing is one of the best things that’s traveled through your
mouth?
Yes, in the 19th Century, they attached a giant swing to the tall wood frame pictured as part of a Hindu ritual. They did their swinging into the 1930s, until the swing’s structural integrity was so weak that accidents began to occur frequently and many people plunged to their deaths while performing their swinging ritual.
While in Bangkok, I visited The Golden Mount, part of the Wat Saket Temple area. The mountain is artificial, the foundation for an elaborate temple that never was completed. In the 19th Century, a new temple was built on the site and it’s nicknamed The Golden Mount. It’s considered an especially sacred place to receive blessings and to seek good luck.
A short walk down the road from the Golden Mount is the Ban Bat Community, the last place in Thailand where Buddhist monks’ alms bowls are made by hand. You can watch while the bowls are being crafted and even purchase one of your own as I did.
The Royal Palace was constructed in 1782 and has been the home of Thai kings ever since. It’s a massive compound with 35 major buildings/features. It is definitely worth a visit.
There are so many other things to do and places to visit in Bangkok, I only scratched the surface. If you’re traveling around SE Asia, the city is a place one must definitely visit.
