Bangkok – the world tour continues

After returning home from Asia for a short break when we visited our families and friends, we traveled together for one week in Romania, where we had a few beautiful and warm late summer days that allowed us to enjoy our stay to its fullest and recharge our batteries. We explored the two beautiful Transylvanian cities Sibiu and Brasov and later traveled by train to the capital city from where we would take a night flight towards our following destination, Bangkok.

It was late in the evening when we left Bucharest. We packed our backpacks and took a taxi to the airport, after our last walk in the city when we admired the beautiful red and orange autumn colors.

Thailand, here we come

Our first flight brought us to Moscow, from where we flew after directly to Bangkok. It took us a bit of time at the immigration control upon arrival. Due to our different nationalities, we had to deal also with different visa requirements for Thailand, but all went fast and smooth. We were just in time to catch the Bangkok Airport Rail Link, a train line connecting Suvarnabhumi Airport with Phaya Thai. The journey took around 30 minutes and cost 45 Bath per person. As it was already late, we ordered a Grab car through our mobile app to bring us from the train station to our hostel.

The good location of the hostel allowed us to start directly with our sightseeing tour the following morning. We strolled around the streets of Bangkok, observing the many food stalls and hawkers selling their products. We immediately realized what a high amount and a big variety of street food are sold in Thailand.

The excitement of returning to Asia

It was that first day when we realized how necessary our 3 weeks break at home was because we were able to feel again the excitement of exploring this part of the world as much as at the beginning of our big journey. We were more aware of the things happening around us and the feeling of adventure growing inside. We were back and ready to explore much more!

Bangkok felt surprisingly quiet compared to our last travel destination New Delhi, in India. No unnecessary use of the horn, no constant noise coming from people or animals… it was pleasant to be there, despite the fact that it was such a massive city.

Sightseeing in Bangkok

The walk led us towards the Grand Palace and later to the Buddhist temple Wat Pho, where we could admire a gigantic reclining Buddha.

Wat Pho is one of the biggest temples in the city and besides the golden Buddha Statue, the complex offers much more to see. The Entrance fee was 100 Bath per person and it is highly recommended to wear appropriate clothing for the visit of the temple. Don’t forget to cover up your legs and shoulders.

The rest of the afternoon we walked around the central area and the nearby Saranrom Park, were we could hide from the heat and cool down in the presence of the irrigation system of the park, which felt necessary as the warm sun that welcomed us in Bangkok got quite strong in the afternoon.

The following day we started again early, as our plan was to discover the west promenade of the Chao Phraya River, where another impressing building was waiting for us.

We crossed the river with the ferryboat at a cost of only 3.5 Bath per person, allowing us also to admire the city from another perspective.

On the other side, we walked along the river towards the Wat Arun Temple.

Wat Arun Temple

What makes Wat Arun so special is its Prang that contains 4 levels and is connected with stairs that offer a nice view over the city. The whole temple is covered by beautiful mosaic made out of little flowers of colorful Chinese porcelain.

The entrance fee was only 50 Bath and I believe it is an absolute must-see when in Bangkok. By the way, the word „Wat“ stands for monastery or temple in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

Our second day in this impulsive city passed very fast and the location of the nice hostel which we stayed in gave us lots of possibilities to try different dishes in the various restaurants around it. That evening we went early to bed as we had plans for our last morning in Bangkok, before our flight that was departing in the following evening.

Taling Chan Floating Market in Bangkok

It was 07.00am when we left the hostel and went towards Khosan Road, famous for its nightlife, from where we would catch the bus to the Taling Chan Floating Market. Bangkok can be easily discovered by using local buses. With the help of Google Maps, we could find out which bus to take and where to get off.

It was just 08.00 when we arrived at the Floating Market and we could observe the hawkers and sellers preparing their boats near the floating pier. The market was traditionally used in the past as the canals and rivers offered easy access to the farmers to sell their goods. Nowadays it is mainly a famous tourist attraction. There are many floating markets around Bangkok, but what we liked at Taling Chan is that the meals served were sold for a fair price and because in the morning it was not crowded at all. This place only opens during the weekend.