Brilliant Bangkok

First impressions were of a clean, less chaotic city compared to my first visit. The Kao San Road seemed smaller somehow and less hectic, but this may have been due to me not staying at a backpacker hostel on this occasion!

We spent the first day visiting the Grand Palace and taking in the splendour of this massive area for a few hours. Top tip: go after eating as the food choices in the Grand Palace are limited. Also make sure you have covered legs and shoulders, otherwise like us you will have to make a hasty purchase just outside the Grand Palace. A situation I do not regret as now I have a pair of funky elephant print, tie dye trousers and a white batik top which I would not otherwise have! If, however you do not have room or do not want an impromptu shopping trip, wear appropriate clothing before you visit (this includes no shorts for men!)

Bangkok has many parts to it. We stayed in the Sathorn area in a gorgeous 2-bedroom apartment in the Anantara Sathorn. This area is the business district of Bangkok, so while not being entirely central it had great train links to all the sites, including the sky train in walking distance.

We spent most of the second day wondering around this fabulous city. Be sure to take a water taxi, it's a very inexpensive way to travel and takes you down the main river. We jumped in the obligatory tuk tuk too - this was a fun way to see the city and if you get a driver/guide as we did, you can actually have a bit of a tour!

I would highly recommend Bangkok, the kids loved it – it had just the right amount of crazy along with amazing temples and really good restaurants.