Bangkok - A great city to explore

In the late 90s and early 2000s, most of our holidays involved a brief stop in Bangkok. Usually as a stop-off place to somewhere else. Bangkok is unlike anywhere else and somewhere that has to be experienced. It never seems to stop, the horns are blaring, the river always has boats on it and the tuk-tuks dart in and out of the traffic.

With the skytrain within reach of many hotels, it is an easy city to get around. There is a hotel for every budget, from the 5* luxury brands such as the Shangri-La near the river, the boutique hotels such as the Akara to the hostels of the famous Khao San Road.

As you would expect, there are loads of temples to visit in Bangkok, just remember to dress appropriately. A sarong comes in really useful for this as can be used round the shoulders or waist. I remember we hired a tuk-tuk driver for the day who was amazing and not only took us to the main temples of Way Arun and Wat Pho, but also to lots of small local temples, where we were able to speak to the locals and even had the odd kick about with the kids who all wanted to talk football. Football seems to be a common conversation topic wherever we went.

The Grand Palace is a must for all visitors to the city. It is so richly decorated and the famous emerald buddha. It sits alongside the river and if it is a special occasion, you can also see the dragonboats. There are also loads of hawker food stalls around the outside of the temple selling everything you could imagine cooked on the little grill!

Another great experience we had was on a trip out of Bangkok. If you are only there for a few days then I would recommend going to Kanchanaburi. You can do this by train or even on a day trip. It is a couple of hours from Bangkok but it is where you can see for yourself the Bridge over the River Kwai and the death railway. It is a real thought provoking trip as there is a museum and the war graves there.

So many POWs lost their lives building this railway and to visit it gives you a real understanding of the heat and the terrain they were working in. There is so much more to see and do in Bangkok with world-class restaurants, amazing shopping, and some fantastic rooftop bars and pools.