OK, so…I know I have been away for a while and did not post the last parts of my trip…so here I go…
tl;dr River Cruise Wat Arun, Reclining Buddha, Grand Palace, Wat Saket, Khao San Road, Hangover Bar…and more – a lot of activities (6)
I slept in late! and I needed it…I stayed at the Lub D – Bangkok Silom (there are two Lub D’s in Bangkok). I chose to stay at Lub D because of the incredible experience I had at the Lub D in Phuket.
Activity 1 – Bangkok River Cruise and Temples
The river cruise is a great way to check off a number of different sites in Bangkok. It is a similar concept to the hop on hop off buses. The first stop was Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Wat Arun at night is something to be seen, but make sure to visit during the day (leverage a rooftop bar or something similar to see it at night).
Next up was Wat Pho (Temple of Reclining Buddha). This Buddha is a must see – it is tremendously long and therefore very difficult to fit from head to toe in a photo.
Next door is the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace. **Note: there is a strict dress code – you can rent pants/tops outside from any number of vendors…you pay a deposit and get half back when you return it** I got to the palace right before closing time (I was actually denied entry, but found a moving line and hopped onto that one and made it inside). Again, this is a site worth seeing, but I don’t know if I hit the ‘sight-seeing wall’ or what, but I was not overly impressed.
Activity 2 – Khao San Road
Khao San Road is one of the most famous sites in Bangkok. It is backpacker central and is filled with bars, shops/stalls, and restaurants. It gets crazy at night (future post). It was extremely crowded and I must have overheard at least 7 languages while walking around.
Activity 3 – Wat Saket (Golden Mount)
I walked from the Khao San Road to Wat Saket (Golden Mount). Wat Saket is on top of a hill and provides great views of the city from the top. The stairs are a little spaced apart making the climb a little awkward, but it is worth the climb.
Activity 4 – Thip Samai Pad Thai
The Pad Thai here was absolutely incredible! It is worth the wait. I had to wait 15-20 minutes (not bad), but the line continued to grow the entire evening. It started to rain pretty heavily as soon as I got inside (lucked out a bit). So the Pad Thai: they wrap their pad thai in egg and they cook right at the front of the restaurant so you are able to watch them make the pad thai while you wait. I did not have the pad thai with the shrimp, but I did get a picture of it from the table next to mine. I repeat: SOOO GOOD!!!!
Activity 5 – Lub D and new friends
After dinner, I went back to my hostel to shower and get ready for the evening. I grabbed my kindle (Harry Potter) and a beer and hung out on the front porch. I met some people from all over the world and made plans to head out to a couple of bars.
Activity 6 – Sky Bar (Bar from the movie the Hangover) and Jack’s Bar
First stop of the evening was the Sky Bar. This bar is famous because of its usage in the movie The Hangover Part II. Drinks were extremely over-priced, but the view was worth it and the service was solid.
The next bar we went to was Jack’s Bar. It is located on the river and is a ‘local’ bar. The bar is basically a shack with a dock on the water and various tables. The bartender was a really nice guy and let us control the music. Also, the bar was supposed to close at 2am, but he kept it open until we left (~5am)…so much for catching up on sleep.
Andrew's Activities 