Last year I reluctantly decided to travel to Bangkok. It had never been a destination which appealed to me, but I ended up going with a friend. Yes, there is a lot of noise, pollution and I did feel a bit unsafe at times. However, there is a magical side to Bangkok that I fell in love with. I had never been to Asia and now that I have tried it, I want to travel more.

Bangkok has all the great tourist attractions you would expect to see…..lush gardens, temples, shrines and all in the middle of an urban jungle. All I can say is go. But here are some of my dos and don’ts.

Do……….

• book your flights in advance

Bangkok is a popular destination so make sure you get your airline tickets in advance to avoid paying high fares. Airlines such as British Airways and Delta Air Lines operate to the main airport serving the city – Suvarnabhumi Airport.

• travel between November and March

If you want to experience the best weather for sightseeing, travel to Bangkok between November and March. However, this is the high-season, so hotels may be more expensive.

• get vaccinations before you go

Make sure you visit your doctor (I would recommend at least 3 months before you travel) just in case you need to get a vaccination before you travel. I got the Hepatitis A jab.

Don’t……….

• travel alone

Perhaps not many people will agree with me. But I would recommend that females don’t travel alone in Bangkok, especially at night. They say that Bangkok is a safe city. Keep your wits about you and be careful…remember that tourists are easy targets.

• show public affection

Make sure you respect customs in this country…for example, it is offensive to show affection to your loved one or even a friend in public in Thailand. You should also have respect for sacred places and don’t be too noisy.

It goes without saying that booking in advance increases the chances of finding cheap flights. However, doing a simple price check on search and comparison websites is another good way of getting bargain flights. The main airlines which operate flights from worldwide destinations to Thailand are Delta Airlines, Thai Airways International, Jet Airways and Emirates. To help you decide which airline to fly with, check out airline reviews. Search for customer feedback on airlines, airports and hotels so that you can find out about other travellers’ experiences and it will help you pick the right travel deals. Life is easy with the internet.

I flew into Bangkok solo, and arrived in the early afternoon Thai time. The tour didn’t officially start until later that night so I had a few hours to experience the city on my own after checking into the hotel. After wandering the streets for a bit, I had to meet up with the tour group and get acquainted with my fellow travelers. We all went out to eat together to get to know each other better. I had my first traditional Thai meal of Pad Thai which became my staple during the rest of my travels. After dinner, we headed out to see what Bangkok’s nightlife had to offer. We discovered a sidewalk beer garden which I had never even heard of before, and then went out to a proper night club. A night out proved to be the easiest and best way to bond with my new friends.

One of the first stops on my trip was to Bangkok’s incredible Royal Palace of Chiang Mai. It’s set on 61 acres and is full of beautiful buildings and multi-colored murals. I found the information on the Royal family and the Thai beliefs incredibly interesting. Next, we visited the Emerald Buddha Temple. It also had fantastic architecture and murals, and interesting history.

I enjoyed the klongs of Bangkok. The city has a series of canals that it is built around and we were able to take a tour of them on a typical Thai boat. It gave us a great view of the city from the water. The backwater canals also allowed me to see everyday Thai life as we went past many houses and buildings, and viewed locals going about their days. Also while in Bangkok, I was able to spend some quality time shopping for unique souvenirs. Siam Square was also great for shopping for higher-end clothing and other items. I ended up buying quite a lot of stuff.

My favorite part of the Thailand trip was Chiang-Mai. Chiang-Mai’s old quarter is surrounded by a moat and ancient walls and is so pretty and old-world. I loved just wandering around the city. We also got to experience the night bazaar which was huge and incredibly busy. The Wat Phra That temple was my favorite part of Chiang-Mai. The temple itself is situated atop the tallest mountain overlooking the city. As part of the tour, we got to listen to the pilgrims ringing the bells, and even got to take part in Buddhist rituals. It was a very unique experience.

The beaches of Thailand provided a completely different aspect to the trip as I was able to relax and lie on the gorgeous beaches and soak in the beautiful surroundings. My Thailand experience was incredible and I can’t wait to go back.

I travel to Thailand and visited Bangkok back in February and although most of what I’d heard about Thai tourism before dealt with its seedy underbelly, I found Bangkok to be a beautiful city. Part of the purpose of my trip was to visit the city’s temple complexes of Wat Pho and Wat Arun the architecture of which I had admired for years.

Similar in architecture to the Cambodian Angkor Wat, these temple complexes were some of the highlights of my trip. I visited Wat Pho on the second day of my trip. It’s located in the central district (Phra Nakhon district) of Bangkok where I planned a fully day of sight seeing. The complex is divided into two walled compounds. One of these holds the Reclining Buddha and the other is a working Buddhist monastery.

The Reclining Buddha that I just mentioned is one of the largest Buddha images in the world and I can honestly say that I’d never seen anything like it. The body is covered in gold plate and the soles of its feet are covered in mother of pearl on which is etched 108 Buddhist scenes. The rest of the temple is home to more than a thousand smaller images of Buddha.

Overall, it was fairly overwhelming to my Western sensibilities but I really enjoyed seeing it in person. If you’re going to visit the temple you should be aware that there is a dress code (no shorts for example) and a small admission fee. Strangely, the temple complex is also home to a school of massage and traditional medicine. The school’s hours are similar to the temple’s and it’s possible to purchase massages while there.

I spent a good 90 minutes at Wat Pho and the rest of my day was spent touring adjacent sites in the Phra Nakhon district. The next day, I toured Wat Arun on the bank of the Chao Phraya. It’s located one district over from Wat Pho in Bangkok Yai and if there hadn’t been so much to do and see around Wat Pho I could have seen both in the same day.

Of the two temples, Wat Arun was far more impressive. It’s dominated by an ornate central tower and incorporates a lot of Hindu and Chinese figures in its design. It was very different from Wat Pho (except in the fact that it too charged a small admissions fee) and while I found the Buddha at Wat Pho to be interesting, the architecture at Wat Arun was visually stunning.

I toured it by myself but there were clearly organized tours of Bangkok that stopped there. Of course, there’s more to see than just the tower because, like Wat Pho, Wat Arun is a functional monastery with a collection of ponds and small buildings scattered throughout the complex.

I enjoyed Bangkok but the trip wouldn’t have been nearly as memorable without the temples. I’d recommend them to anyone visiting Thailand.