A great place for bargains (Bangkok (Thailand))

Member Name: diamond_sparkles

Product:	Bangkok (Thailand)
Date:	23/07/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly locals, cheap items

Disadvantages: Quite noisy and crowded

A couple years ago, I toured Asia with my parents and we added Bangkok on our list of places to see. I must admit that, not having heard much about this particular place, I was not looking forward to going over there, and neither could I understand why my parents were so eager to see a place where they've already been before. Yet, the moment I set foot at Bangkok, I was as overwhelmed like them by the friendliness and excitement of the city.


We stayed at a small three-star hotel called the Regent. Even if it was not among the most luxurious hotels of the city, we were pretty satisfied by the quality of ours. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, especially when we needed directions. Some of us even told us where to go for the best bargains. When we set out for some major shopping and sight-seeing, I must admit that I was a little put off by the heat, but some lose cotton slacks did the trick! We visited some really nice historical sites, including an ancient Buddhist temple which contained an emerald Buddha that dates back to a long, long time ago. The thing which I can say about Bangkok is that people who love history will be fulfilled to their heart's contentment. While the city and the buildings are rather modern in their aspect, there are certain historical monuments or sites which also double up as main tourists attractions. I believe that this is due to the exceptional architecture of these buildings. I can easily say that it is quite an experience to visit a historical place and realize that these objects and buildings have been witness to changes and time. In fact, the historical sites are mainly what I loved the most about Bangkok.


The other element which impressed me the most was the shopping. If you read my past travel reviews, you will note how I always hunt for bargains in every single country that I visit and Bangkok most certainly did not disappoint me. The streets were filled with hawkers and street-vendors and the prices were simply amazing. We got many t-shirts, pants, a couple of dresses and some exotic cloth while paying next to nothing for them! The main typical Chinese souvenirs we got to bring back home were at China Town. Surprisingly, everything that we bought at China Town ended up being a little more expensive than on the streets around our hotel. I guess that may be due to the large amount of tourists over there!


The food was outstanding. I love Chinese food and I was quite happy in a place where Chinese food was available at every corner. In addition, there were also some European restaurants for people who feel nostalgic about home- including my parents. Even the European dishes were quite good and had a homemade feel to them. There are also several street cake and candy vendors. I remember this particular place we went at on the streets and the vendor was making a sweet confection by boiling coconut and passing the mixture in milk and sugar. I don't remember exactly how he did it but it was an astonishingly amazing candy. His stall was filled with vapor due to the boiling coconut and it was quite hot being around there but in the course of all my travels, I have never tasted something as wonderful as that coconut candy!


Traveling is quite easy; we did a lot of the places on foot or through the fun motorized rickshaws Furthermore, there are many cabs around.


If you ever get the chance to travel one day, don't pass Bangkok up! It will certainly be a lot more than expected!


Thanks for reading!

Summary: A great experience!