by Eileen Thai

Created on: November 28, 2008   Last Updated: February 17, 2010

The air in Bangkok, Thailand's capital is polluted for sure, but nevertheless the city will dazzle you with its glittering temples, magnificent palaces, fiesta-like markets and a kaleidoscope of tastes. To avoid the traffic and congestion, the best way to navigate Bangkok is to ride the public ferries or water taxis everywhere, to the hotels, temples, food markets and shops.

The city's most famous landmark is the Grand Palace. It is a stunning complex of buildings, which includes Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), the royal residences and government offices. You will be awed by the beautiful architecture and intricate details of these buildings. 

After a day of sightseeing in Bangkok, melt away your fatigue and rejuvenate with a traditional Thai massage. Most hotels provide this service, but you can get a much better price elsewhere. The impressive Wat Pho Temple is a good start. The largest and oldest of the temples in Bangkok, it is renowned for the enormous reclining Buddha, and for its Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School. Be forewarned that there will be a lot of yanking, pulling, and kneading, but you will feel so good afterwards that you'll want to come back for more. At 400 Thai Baht (US$12) for a 1 hour full body massage, you’ll definitely want to come back for another session.

No trip to Bangkok is complete without a trip to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. The array of goods offered at this enormous bazaar is pretty amazing, with all kinds of clothing from T-shirts to silk textiles, jewelry, crafts, tools, antiques, food, and even pets! Be prepared to bargain. It doesn't matter if you don't speak each other's language. The universal language is math, and calculators can do all the talking.

To get a glimpse of life in a Thai village, join a tour to visit the Damnoen Saduak floating market. As your long-tail boat ride plies the khlongs or canals, you will pass by traditional homes, farms and locals going about their lives. At the market, things get a litte frenzied with other long-tail boats stopping, shopping and bargaining. Be adventurous and savor some of the exotic fruits like mangosteens, rambutans, longans or lychees. They are all delightful as are the Thai mangoes. Fried bananas and fried sweet potatoes are yummy too. Do not leave Thailand without sampling the ubiquitous rice noodle dish Pad Thai. You can get it at a food court, a street vendor or a restaurant.

After the frenetic pace in Bangkok, head down south to

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>