We had a full night’s uninterrupted sleep not waking until 7.30 am local time which was good. The hotel breakfast had plenty to choose from and we enjoyed a relaxing start to the day sitting by the restaurant window observing Bangkok’s chaotic traffic pass along the road. Tuk-tuks, scooters, cars, vans, cyclists and old fashioned buses with passengers leaning out of windows trying to get some air – the organised travel chaos of Thailand unfolding before our eyes.
Leaving the hotel at 10.00 am and navigating using a mixture of paper maps and phone sat nav, our first stop was to Sathorn (Central Pier) from where we purchased one day passes for unlimited travel on the river boats. These cost 150 Baht each (£3) and can be used on both the tourist and local services. Tourist boats have English commentary whilst local services are more frequent so it’s useful to be able to travel on a combination of the two. The tourist boat runs every 30 minutes and was just about to depart so we jumped on board. All the seats were occupied so we decided to stand at the back which turned out to be the best plan as from there we could take photographs along the way, not so easy from inside the boat.
We left the boat at the Tha Tien pier as we wanted to visit the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. Tickets cost 100 Baht each including a welcoming bottle of chilled water. Do remember to have plenty of cash available as credit cards are not widely accepted. Gowns were available to borrow for visitors deemed inappropriately dressed but we were both given the all clear. (I was wearing a knee length dress with cap sleeves and my son was dressed in long shorts and a short sleeved shirt).
Instead of leaving shoes outside, visitors pick up a cloth shoe bag and carry their shoes around with them, returning the bag to a tub on leaving. I haven’t come across this system before but it was a good idea as there were no worries that your shoes might have disappeared on leaving the temple.
The Reclining Buddha is huge (46 metres) long and visitors can walk along each side of it in the gilded hall. The soles (feet) are currently being restored but we were able to see everything else. Stepping outside, the grounds are attractively laid out with flower beds and a carp fish pond.
Moving on, we strolled back to the boat pier and took the ferry across the Chao Phraya river to visit Wat Arun. This ferry isn’t included in the day ticket but costs only 3 Baht per person for the short river crossing. Sadly, the exterior of Wat Arun is currently shrouded in scaffolding so we’ll have to return sometime in the future to admire this most beautiful of temples.
It was still possible to visit, admission costing 100 Baht each. Steps up to the temple may prove troublesome for the less agile as they are extremely steep and narrow without handrails but if you can manage the climb it’s worthwhile. We admired the elaborate ceramic tiling inside the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) which thankfully was free from scaffolding.
Retracing our steps we returned across the river on the ferry and then walked along to the Royal Palace just as the midday sun came out. The temperature was a blistering 38 degrees Celsius but felt more like 44 in the sun and we felt ourselves wilting in the heat. After a little sit down under a shady tree we managed to continue sightseeing with the aid of sun hats and chilled water.
Strolling back to the river, we took the ferry towards the Khao San Road district and alighted at Phra Arthit Pier. We found a delightful small cafe on a surprisingly quiet tree lined street for something to eat and a rest. I ordered mango sticky rice and enjoyed every mouthful, it was absolutely delicious and I could easily become addicted! To drink, we selected the local Chang beer which arrived chilled, I don’t think I was ever more in need of a refreshing beer than this afternoon!
Feeling revitalised we set off again for a walk along the famous Khao San Road, a mecca for western backpackers arriving in Thailand. It was late afternoon and the street was still fairly quiet but comes to life in the evenings with throngs of people in the bars and cafes. It was interesting to observe life here – travel agencies on every corner advertising cheap bus transfers to other parts of the country, low price hostels, bars and countless Thai massage parlours. The aroma of Pad Thai and Satay filled the air from the plethora of street food vendors whilst tuk-tuk drivers were constantly trying to persuade us to take a ride.
Feeling tired, we headed back to Phra Arthit ferry pier and only had to wait a few minutes for a ferry back towards our hotel. We got off at Oriental, a request only stop which was a short distance from our hotel and a pleasant walk passing some colonial buildings and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
After a welcome rest and a refreshing cup of tea we took a look in the Fashion Designer Outlet conveniently located next door to our hotel, this was arranged on several floors and although called a ‘fashion’ outlet, it also sold household and other items. There was even a Marks & Spencer outlet tucked away in one corner, not sure I’d call M & S designer though! I was planning on buying some clothes in Hong Kong but was already tempted into buying a dress here from one of my favourite HK designer labels. Being petite, clothes shopping is a dream for me in Asia as I’m only 5ft tall which is the norm here and not the exception!
Back at the hotel we had planned to go for a swim but it was already 7.00 pm and we’d made plans for later, so we ordered a snack from room service and then had a short rest before venturing out again. The temperature had fallen and the heat seemed pleasant this evening. We walked along to Sathorn (Central Pier) taking approximately 20 minutes to the free boat shuttle service to Asiatique. On arrival at the pier we couldn’t believe how long the queue was – a mixture of tourists and locals going out on a Saturday evening, so we didn’t expect to board the first boat. When the boat docked and passengers started to board, the queue moved quickly so that we were some of the final passengers allowed on board. The boat was packed tight with people standing in every available space and I doubt it would have passed UK Health and Safety regulations! We couldn’t move anywhere so stayed at the back for the 12 minute journey which fortunately meant we were one of the first to disembark.
Asiatique opened in 2012 and is a large leisure complex overlooking the Chao Prahya river, featuring shops, restaurants and bars, with a large market at the rear. It’s open daily between 7.00 pm and midnight and can be reached either by boat or car. We strolled along the promenade, debating whether to take a ride on the big wheel but decided against it as it was dark and there wasn’t so much to see. There were bars and restaurants to suit every pocket and we opted for one that was full of locals – a sure sign that it would be of a good standard.
We enjoyed our favourite – Singapore style steamed chicken, delicious! Our return boat was much quieter and we even managed to find seats. Feeling exhausted back in our hotel room we were sound asleep in seconds.
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I have never seen anyone be successful in fitting the reclining Buddha into one shot. All the temples had been refreshed before our 1982 visit and they positively gleamed. I love the new shoe bag system of taking them with you. Ours never disappeared but there was always that worry. Good memories Marion. Allan
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Yes, it’s much better to carry your shoes with you so there are no worries about them disappearing ! Great memories for both of us on our visits to the reclining Buddha.
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It’s lovely to read your travel journals and look at all the photos. I’m coming back to read your other posts for sure. Thank you for stopping by and like my Mt. St. Helens. We’ve traveled to London, Amsterdam, Russell, Paris, several cities in Germany and Austria, Australia, Bangkok, Hong Kong and some states in US and some provinces in Canada. So I may go back to my memory lane to post 14 years of traveling photos when the eight moments come. Nice to find your blog.
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Thank you for your kind words, I’m so pleased you are enjoying reading some of the posts from my blog. I’ll look forward to reading more of your blog, too!
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Having been to Bangkok twice and it being one of my favourite places in the world, I loved reading this post! It took me right back to the streets of Khao San with the sights and smells! A beautiful place.
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Thank you for your lovely comments. Bangkok is definitely a very exciting and interesting city to visit, so much life and colour.
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Great story
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Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to read my blog
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The city doesn’t appeal to me much but I could spend all day on the river (hopping off for temples, of course 🙂 )
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It was my first visit and I enjoyed it more than I expected but do prefer HK, KL or Singapore
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I’ve not been to any of them. I envy you the Far East. 🙂
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Getting a full night of sleep really is so important when travelling. Glad I found your blog and thanks for sharing. Nice pictures! The detail on the temples is amazing, isn’t it?
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Thanks for taking the time to read my posts Anthony. The intricate details on the temples really is amazing.
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Glad I found your blog!
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So happy to have you reading my posts, I hope you continue to enjoy them!
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Nice post! I feel your pain on the heat in Bangkok… Don’t know how the locals do it!
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Hi, thanks for commenting and reading my posts. I suppose the locals just get used to the heat as we get used to the cold!!
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I’m really enjoying your holiday! I think you did a lovely job capturing Bangkok, ah, just the heat alone is a lot to contend with. Looking forward to the next post.
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Thanks Karen for your encouraging comments, glad you enjoyed reading about my my Bangkok posts!
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Beautiful, like always, great post!!!
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Thank you for your kind words – so pleased you enjoyed reading it!
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Wonderful posts and great pictures. Thailand is a crazy fun place to go.
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Thank you so much for the compliment! I’m pleased you are enjoying my posts.
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I was supposed to go to Asiatique last time I was in BKK but in the end had to skip that part because of meetings. Looks lovely!
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It was a lovely evening venue Suvi, hope you get to go there soon!
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It sounds like you had an amazing trip! I look forward to reading more about it.
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Thanks Susan, it was a fun trip with lots to see and do. Thanks for taking the time to read about it!
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I remember climbing the Wat Arun steps with my sister. Whew! Really steep and very short (small) steps which of course were made for Thai feet. Bangkok is quite amazing!
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Thanks for reading and commenting n my post. I have small feet size 3 (36) but still found the steps very short but I’m sure you’re right and they were designed for Thai feet!
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Really enjoyed reading about your day – amazed too that you managed to pack so much in with that heat, I’m sure I would have wilted in those temperatures. Love too the idea of hopping on and off boats to get around, a fun thing to do.
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The heat was stifling at times, trust us to arrive when they were experiencing a ‘heat wave’ when it’s hot anyway! The river boats are great and of course you see so much from the water!
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Very eventful day! It is great you could see so much in spite of the weather being so hot.
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It was uncomfortably hot at times but with only two full days in Bangkok we felt the need to make the most of it. I can cope well in the heat but this was a bit too much when we were out in full sun! Thanks for reading and commenting, much appreciated.
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Nice to travel with you just sitting in an armchair.:-) Every place seems to be full of people, it is a little bit frightening when not used to big crowds. That golden Buddha head is beautiful.
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Yes, Asia is crowded and bustling but we usually find a quiet corner somewhere! Thanks for reading and reflecting on my post – it’s most appreciated!
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Another great post. I can really feel and imagine how Bangkok is from this post x
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Thank you for taking the time to read and reflect on my post, it’s very encouraging and I’m so happy that you enjoyed it.
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I did. Look forward to your next post☺ x
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