Say Wat?!

After a bit of research it seemed Bangkok has a reputation for being a love it or hate it city. I think this seems to stem from the fact that it is most people’s first experience of Asia, which, if you come from Europe or the US can be slightly overwhelming. The sights, sounds, tastes and smells (for better or worse!) are overpowering and intoxicating and I think it probably leads to a little bit of culture shock for those stepping off the plane. After 5 months of travelling on 4 different continents and having seen many things, Bangkok was vastly more exciting than scary. Having all the hallmarks of a modern city with arguably more character than the super slick Singapore, Bangkok was a perfect pit stop on our way to Northern Thailand. Our central hostel was close to the famous Khao San Road which manages to combine night clubs, scorpions on sticks, bespoke tailors and basic but delicious street food stalls, expertly. Many of the surrounding streets offer similar attractions but a little less hectic, making the whole area perfect for wandering around, sampling food, getting a foot massage and having some drinks.

We also had the chance visit some of the amazing temples and attractions the city has to offer. Our favourite was Wat Pho, home to a big golden reclining Buddha. However it was the complex itself, filled with Buddha images from all over South East Asia and from many periods of history, with courtyards to explore and information on the many artefacts that kept us entertained for an hour and half, even the searing heat. We also headed to Wat Arun – located across the river and accessed by a public ferry. The temple had a different style to Wat Pho, but was as equally impressive with its white tiles and soaring stupa shape.

After our time in the capital, we headed off on something a little different. For most travellers in Thailand, the classic backpacking route takes them from Bangkok to Chang Mai directly, but we decided to stop over in a place called Sukhothai. We got the Bangkok to Chang Mai train and exited about half way, taking a bus to Sukhothai which took about an hour. Once there, the wonderful change of pace was immediately obvious and our hostel was excellent. It was located just off the main street and right outside were a number of delicious food stalls selling the cheapest fresh Thai food we had come across. Their Pad Thai and fried rice was seriously tasty and came to about £2.30 for a meal for two. The main reason for our stop here was the Historical Park located on the Old Town. We hired bikes and spent the day cycling around the ancient ruins of what was once Thailand’s capital city before it was overthrown by the Burmese. The park itself includes 21 historical sites, many impressive large ponds and moats and about 70 more sites within a 5km radius. One of these was Wat Si Chun, a massive sitting Buddha (whose lap measures 11m wide!) as well as Wat Saphan Hin, another large standing Buddha located 350m up a hillside accessed by uneven hand laid stone steps. This was honestly one of our favourite days of the trip so far, as many of the sites were devoid completely of other visitors, and we were shocked how quiet everywhere was. We ended up being so glad we went out of our way to visit somewhere not often talked about on backpacking guides.