Get ready to be wowed. Bangkok’s got spirit. It’s got verve. And it’s got enough mind-boggling contrasts to keep your head spinning for a month.
Dazzling temples that have glittered through the ages sit in the shadow of slick, new-age skyscrapers. Saffron-robed monks share pavement space with suited and booted city slickers. And barrow-pushing old women serve pad thai by the plateful beside chi chi restaurants loved by the rich and famous. Make no mistake about it, a

trip to this city will go down as one of the most exotic and chaotic experiences of your life. Now, first things first, if you want sights to sigh for, cast your eyes over the glittering spires of the Grand Palace. It’s here you’ll find the royal temple, Wat Phra Kaeo, whose intricate walls harbour a small but beautiful emerald Buddha with a 14th-century birthdate.

Then call in at Wat Pho, Bangkok’s biggest temple. It’s famous for its gigantic gold leaf Buddha whose feet alone measure a whopping three metres. Fancy a shopping spree? Well besides the usual air-conditioned malls and designer boutiques, there are some more unusual venues well worth checking out.

You can hop in a boat and glide into the great tangle of vessels that is the famous floating market. You can hit Patpong’s night market and haggle ‘til midnight. Or you can get yourself along to Chatuchak, a weekend affair where 15,000 stalls are scattered across 35 acres. Retail therapy aside, when the sun goes down, Bangkok stirs like a great slumbering beast. One by one, dazzling pockets of neon light up all over the city until it feels like you’re looking through a great big kaleidoscope.

From uber-trendy cocktail lounges to those eye-opening go go bars – you’ll find it all on offer here. And as for the food, well, simply put, Bangkok has no rival when it comes to eating, and you’ll find restaurants to suit every palate and pocket. That said, some of the finest food comes from the vendors. So, eat on the street. Take a white-knuckle tuk tuk ride. Sail the snaking Chao Phraya river. And soak up as many sights, sounds and adventures as you can in this cheeky slice of South East Asia. There’s nowhere quite like it.