"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster," claims the song from the 1986 musical Chess, and that's literally true: a giddy blend of the traditional and the modern, the 253-year-old city is renown for not only its ancient cultural treasures and thrumming contemporary nightlife, but a culinary adventurousness that has rendered it amongst the major tourist hotspots in the world today.
Given the sheer number of cheap hotels in Bangkok-pay particular attention to the Yaowarat Road area in Chinatown-as well as the strength of the Australian dollar, now is the time to book your best deal to the capital city whose Thai name translates both roughly and appropriately as "City of Angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarma."
But you can call it "The City of Angels" for short. Fun fact: Since 2007, Bangkok has been a sister city of both Brisbane and Sydney.
After settling into your choice of Bangkok hotels - from luxury accommodations to the currently trendy bed-and-breakfasts in Phloen Chit, Watthana and Khlong Toei-it's time to set an agenda. Fortunately for the April visitor, the middle of the month (13-15) means the Bangkok Songkran Festival, the traditional Thai New Year celebration that features, according to one promotional website, "enthusiastic bouts of water splashing between friends and relatives." Following traditional bathing rites of revered Buddhas from around the country - well, their replicas, anyway - you can partake of various cultural performances punctuated by demonstrations of traditional food and desert preparations.
Once you've exhausted your interest in the numerous temples and wats, or monasteries, the time has come to shop. Head to one of the many legendary markets for everything from produce to high-end luxury items. While the Pratunam and Patpong Night markets are the most tourist-oriented, the weekend-only Chatuchak is the largest in the country.
Try shopping on the water itself: The Taling Chan Floating Market offers fish, fruits and vegetables sold from boats as well as daily performances of traditional Thai music.
All this spending makes one hungry: "Kin khao rue yang?" one could ask, or "Have you eaten?" For cheap and cheerful Thai food try the backpacker-friendly Banglamphu section, while Phahurat offers traditional Indian food and Yaowarat sports the most authentic Chinese cuisine in the city. Siam Square, Sukjumvit Road, Silom and Soi Lang Suan offer a broad range of international cuisines.
Finally, an evening of the legendary Bangkok nightlife could include the various Thai pubs, massage parlours, karaoke joints and discos. To take a page from the Las Vegas playbook, what happens in Bangkok stays in Bangkok.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6119726
0 comments:
Post a Comment