Posts tagged: exciting city

You haven’t experienced Asia until you have been to Bangkok.  Bangkok is extremely colorful, vibrant, with the energy of life everywhere.  I fell in love with Bangkok after visiting this lively, fascinating, and exciting city. Bangkok otherwise know as “BKK” or the “Big Mango” is a modern city, with high-quality architecture and establishments.  BKK is also an important international hub for business, fashion, shopping, and entertainment.

Bangkok is very diverse with people from all over the world – Expats, tourists, backpackers, adventure seekers, business travelers.  You name it and you will find it in Bangkok. There is an estaimted 8 million people living in Bangkok making it now a major regional force in finance and business.

Bangkok – an exciting city

As one of the most visited travel destinations in the world, Bangkok brags a lot of opportunities for the travelers around the world. Travelers come to this city to have infinite entertainment and enormous fun.  If you like to party, drink cheap drinks, shop, and eat cheap, delicious food, then you must visit Bangkok.

Bangkok is famous for its enthralling nightlife.  Live music, cultural shows, movies and theaters, Go-Go bars, pulsating discotheques, countless beers and cocktail bars and cool; scenic rooftop bars are the place to spend the night of your choice in Bangkok.  Just be careful of the “Lady Boys” lol.

Patpong, Sukhumvit, and Khao San Road are the most popular area to enjoy the exciting nightlife of Bangkok.  I stayed in a luxury hotel in Sukhumvit for $50 per night with a pool.  The entertainment in the Nana entertainment plaza or Soi Cowboy in Sukhumvit is a must to party as you will be engulfed with bars and clubs with endless music and dance. Similarly, head to Patpong or Khao San road to enjoy a truly exhilarating nightlife.

Bangkok is a foodie’s paradise

Food was the highlight of my stay in BKK because I tried and ate everything that my stomach could handle.  The most diverse and authentic cuisines are found in every corner of the city.  I tried a different dish every night and found and gained about 10 pounds in a week.

Along with the fine dining, restaurants and cafes, Bangkok’s street food is also unlike anything else in the region. Bangkok is known as the outdoor dining capital of Asia.  Almost any Thai food can be ordered in the food stalls dotted all over the city.  The following locations are some of the popular areas of Bangkok to experience Thai street food.  If you want to take the real smell and the taste of different food in Bangkok, here are my recommendations:

• Wang Lang Market: Wang Lang is a traditional market to relish delicious dishes among the Thai people. This place is mainly famous as a food market as well as shopping place.  The market is easily accessible by boat from the pier near the grand palace.  You can try Kanom Krok (tiny Thai cupcakes) or Kanom Buang Maprow (crispy wafers with sweet coconut filling or salty dried shrimp filling) as snacks.  You will also find many different items that can cover your breakfast or lunch such as sticky rice, noodles and a variety of soups.
• Or Tor Kor: located near the Chatuchack weekend bazaar, Or Tor Kor is one of the oldest street markets in Bangkok. This is mainly a fresh market selling different fish, meat, vegetable and spices.   Although it is a wet market, try some grilled meat on sticks or Thai sweets, like Khanom krok (coconut milk pudding) or Khao taen (puffed rice cake) from the food stalls adjacent to the market.
• Yaowarat: Street food is always fun, and Yaowarat is famous for its very traditional food stalls. Yaowarat is also known as Chinatown.  This place is also a popular tourist attraction and a food haven for the food ventures who want to explore the vibrant street-side cuisine of Bangkok.

Culture and tradition

Bangkok has a modern lifestyle and is influenced by the Buddhist culture and tradition.  The city has nicely adopted the mixture of modernism and Buddhist tradition.  The people of Bangkok  are polite and well behaved.

Thai people are proud of their monarchy and the king.  The king is respected and love by the people of Thailand and is evident everywhere.  Visitors are advised to keep the reverence of the king’s statue or pictures.

Since Buddhism is the predominant religion in Bangkok, the city has numerous statues, temples, images and spirit houses of Buddha throughout the city.  It is expected to dress conservatively before entering any of these religious sites in Bangkok.

Bangkok attractions are mostly located in the riverside area.  The grand palace and most of the temples are located along the Chao Phraya Riverside.  The travelers most visit the following sites in Bangkok as historical and cultural attractions.

• The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keaw: Among the favorite places in Bangkok, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keaw (Wat Phra Keaw is a temple inside the Grand Palace) is the most famous and probably the most spectacular attractions in Bangkok. The Grand Palace is the home of Thai Kings and the Royal Court. Wat Phra Keaw is a sacred shrine for the Buddhist worshippers where the famous statue of Emerald Buddha is placed.
• Wat Arun: Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn is a breathtaking Buddhist temple that welcomes millions of visitors who visit Bangkok every year. This ancient temple is one of Bangkok’s most iconic temples, and a must visit site in Bangkok. The fine sculpture detail and the steep climb to the top level of the temple are a few of the main highlights of visiting Wat Arun.