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Good day!
My mom and I are planning to go to Bangkok this November. We'll be staying there for 3 days. To date, we still do not have an itinerary and accommodation. I think I might need some help from you guys.
The places we want to go are as follows:
- Temples, palace - I am planning to have a half day tour for this on our own if possible. Can you help us out which place to go given our limited time and also how to go there from one temple to the other
- Ayutthaya - we'll be joining a tour. Do you reckon this is the best idea, if so, please advise where I can book a day trip tour (preferable with low fee/cheap)
- Floating Market and Rose Garden - still undecided if I'll be joining a tour or do it on our own. Again, I need your advise.
As to accommodation, as long as it is clean, safe and near the places we would like to go.
Thank you for your help in advance.
'kReyz!e'
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Sight Seeing Tours (Bangkok)
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To recommend accommodation, we really need to know what your price range is. There are places in just about all price ranges, although a number of clean and safe places are not near the sights (but are near transportation).
It sounds like you definitely want to hit the "Big 3" in Bangkok: The Grand Palace (which includes the temple of the Emerald Buddha), the temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) and Wat Arun - the temple of the dawn. These can easily be done on your own. You can get to all of them using the river. If you're not staying on the river, you can take the Skytrain to the main pier on the river.
There are lots of day trips to Ayutthaya you can join. The most popular ones use a boat to get there and a van to get back, or vice-versa. You can book these at just about any hotel tour desk. You can also book in advance through Viator at the link below, but it may be more expensive than you can get once you're here:
http://www.partner.viator.com/en/1369/tours/Bangkok/Thailand-s-Ayutthaya-Temples-and-River-Cruise-from-Bangkok/d343-3685BKK26C
I am not that keen on the floating market or the Rose Garden. If you really want to go, you can also book a tour to get you there through Viator or any hotel tour desk. If you're here on a Sunday and your mother is reasonably active, I would highly recommend Spice Road's Bangkok Jungle bike trip, which takes in a "real" floating market, among other sights.
If you do a search on here, you'll find lots of discussion about private guides, especially Tong. A guide can take you places a tour won't, or can't, and make for a much more enjoyable experience. For two people, a guide with a car and driver may not be much more than you'd pay for a group tour (might even be less), so don't assume it's the more expensive option.
What are other tourist destination near the "Big 3" and please advise which one to go first and how to go the next.
Would really appreciate your help.
For the temple day, get to the Grand Palace around 8:30 am. There will be Thais telling you it is closed for a holiday. They will try to get you into a tuk tuk and take you to stores. Ignore them and go into the grounds. After wandering there, walk over to Wat Pho. After Wat Pho, cross the river and look at Wat Arun. This will take 3-4 hours, at least.
The panda has given you the gist of it. To do all three in just 3 - 4 hours would mean some pretty fast movement, without taking much time to really see anything. It's more like a full day. If you visit the palace on a weekday, the throne rooms and armory will be open, which takes more time. At Wat Pho, there's more to see than just the big reclining Buddha. This is also where they teach traditional Thai massage. Pause for while to have a foot massage at the booths near the back.
By the time you finish these two, you may be ready for lunch. There's a nice restaurant (or two or three) across the street from the temple, near the route to the pier for the cross-river ferries. Stop for lunch before heading across to Wat Arun.
Now, this may not seem like a full day, but don't under-estimate Bangkok's heat (and humidity). You may be visiting in what's called the "cool" season, but it can still be very hot. Most people find seeing all three of these sights in one day a bit trying.
If you are up for a bit more, you can take a canal tour. Long-tailed boats may be engaged at the same pier where you get the ferry. They're rented (with a driver) by the hour. Two hours is usually enough, and you can include the stop at Wat Arun in this tour as well.
i personally would skip a visit to AY.... its a long ways and takes virtually a whole day...
i find rose garden a waste of your time honestly....
i love a visit to the floating market, but give rose a skip...
tours can be booked by your hotel or any agency in bkk
the plaza anthanee has a fantastic deal this nov. for 3300 B including breeakfast.....look at www.spg.com
Do the Calypso Cabaret in the evening- its at the Asia Hotel connected to the sky train. A fabulous Ladyboy show- classy- very entertaining you will really enjoy it. Its about $25 which includes one drink. The theater is small most seats are good. You can take pictures during the show and the cast lines up at the end and you can get your picture taken with them if you so deire but se sure to tip them about 40 baht should do. (skip the dinner option not good)
For the temple/palace tour, I should allot 1 day for it? I so, can you please recommend other things to do or place to see together with our temple tour. Will it be possible to go to jim thompson house and vinmanmek palace?
Please bear with me, this is my first time to go to Bangkok. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
less than 1/2 day will surfice for the palace....it is very hot there and you will have trouble staying there more than 1/2 day...
Yes, plan on seeing no more than the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in one day. As I said, most people would find this quite exhausting. Jim Thompson House is a possibility IF you're not too tired from the palace and temple tour.
Vimanmek Mansion is one building in a palace complex that has more than 15 royal residences and support buildings open to the public. You will need at least four hours to see them all (and they are really worth it).
It sounds like you're really anxious to cram in a lot of sight-seeing into a short amount of time. IMO, doing so would be a mistake. Bangkok is more a 'feeling' than a collection of sights. If you just rush around like some snap-happy tourist, you'll probably leave Bangkok wondering what the big deal was. Take your time, get the camera out of your face and LOOK AROUND. The walk from the grand palace to Wat Po can be just as fascinating as the big tourist sights. Sure, you should plan out a few things to see, but what you're likely to find is the trips there are the most memorable part of your time in Bangkok.