It goes without saying that finding a city to fall in love with is pretty easy to do, if you’re an obsessive traveler. Each city has its own quirks and personalities, it’s hard to pin point which city you may feel like falling in love with the most. With so many cities to love, which one should be loved the most? One of my personal picks, hands down is Bangkok. The choice may seem strange to many people as there’s cities like Amsterdam, Hokkaido, New York, Milan, Paris, Vancouver and so forth to choose from. So, why choose Bangkok?
Mouthwatering Foods
Yes, food is simply one of the factors that well up my heart when thinking of Bangkok. Because of how famous Bangkok cuisine is, it’s really a shame that many people can’t seem to replicate the taste and texture of the dish. So, the best place to (obviously) eat Thai food is in the motherland herself: Thailand. There are unbelievably so many dishes from Thailand; it’s hard to eat all of them in one sitting, naturally. We’ve all heard of Pad Thai, Moo Satay, Somtum are the usual favorites for curious travelers. But, past that, there’s other food that aren’t super popular such as: Somtum Kai Khem, Larb Mod Daeng, Kai Khao and so forth. Ever heard of them? Probably not. These exotic Thai dishes may not be your ideal choices when choosing something new to gorge on simply because of how they look and well, smell. But the fact of the matter is: They’re delicious. That’s all that matters. After all, not all Thai foods appear to be seductively sexy on a white plate.
Shop till You Drop Sprees
Do you love bargains? Who doesn’t love bargains? Bangkok is the city to find the best bargains. Thankfully, there’s many open markets to go to. Obviously, there’s the famous Jatuchuk Weekend Market, Sanam Luang 2 market, small shops on sidewalks around Silom road, MBK, Siam area and lots, lots more. Wherever you go it seems there are always places to shop in Thailand. With these open markets, you can bargain as much as you want since most shops sell the same thing anyway. If one shop doesn’t give you the right price, just trot over to another shop and continue bargaining. Especially in MBK, the department store where it allows you to bargain!
Pleasant Hospitality
With great tourist hotspots and hubs in the city, Bangkok needs to have unmatched hospitality to welcome all of its tourists! Since you’ll be living in the city for a week or so, there’s many hotels to choose from, depending where you want to be centered at. There are hotels on Silom road, Pullman, Weston, Sheraton, Holiday Inns and much more to choose from. Each hotel, ranging in stars and prices gives you the best comfort you can afford and nerve-unknotting spa treatments. Great staff, eco-friendly hotels and amazing locations in the city… What’s not to love about Bangkok’s hotels and its pleasantries?
Vibrant Nightlife
This is directly calling out to the people of the night, so to speak. Bangkok is littered with bars and pubs that open until the wee hours of the morning. In the pubs and clubs, expect to find a lot of Westerners or better known as ex-pats here; drinking, dancing, chit-chatting… The usual shenanigans. If you’re interested to mingle with the locals or gearing to meet other ex-pats, the best places again, are around Silom, Siam, Asoke junction (Soi Cowboy) and RCA.
Tradition and Culture
Last on the list is Thailand’s diverse tradition and culture. While Bangkok is buzzing with city life and rush, Bangkok still has a lot of temples around. With famous temples and palaces such as the Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Ratchathiwat, Wat Benchamabophit and Wat Hua Lamphong are just some of the more notable temples in Bangkok you can visit. Each temple is unique; although they’re constructed roughly the same size but not stature, each temple is famous for different things. It’s common knowledge that Wat Phra Kaew is the home of Thailand’s famous Emerald Buddha where Wat Benchamabophit is famous for being made out of marble, for example.
Culture could never die since many people in the morning would wake up and offer Thai monks food to gain merit. Many people, even youngsters go to the temples and pray or even provide offerings even if it’s not as much as it was before. Still, many people still have a sense of being Thai and are not completely westernized as of yet. People are still very polite even to a foreigner who simply loves to get lost in Bangkok!
Simply put, Bangkok is a great city to travel to, explore and discover hidden gems behind behemoth sized skyscrapers and temples.
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- License: Creative Commons image source
Julia Maddock is a globetrotter, photographer and thrill-seeking gal with a strong desire to travel as much as possible before she graduates next year.