5 day itinerary for Bangkok, Thailand

Day 1 (Thursday)

Evening

Dinner

Banglamphu Area: central ghetto backpacker's area

Hemlock (dishes: 80 – 200 Bhat)

- eclectic menu: dishes not easily found elsewhere

- miang kham: tea leaves wrapped with ginger, shalots, peanuts, lime and coconut flakes

- phrik khaa: spicy dipping sauce served with vegetables and herbs

Aperitif

Baghdad Café

- Sheesha bar

Night out

Sunset street

- This is where the Thai crowd comes to party

Notes

Th Khao San (street): main travelers' center

Day 2 (Friday)

Day trip to:

Ayuthaya

- ruined ancient city

- Unesco World Heritage site

- Former Thai capital

- River surrounding the entire city creating a moat-like natural barrier

Transportation

- take tour package (approx. 1700 Bhat)

- take bus (approx. 64 Bhat, 2 hours)

- take mini bus (approx. 45 Bhat, 2 hours)

- take train (3^rd class approx. 15 Bhat, 1 and ½ hours)

- rent a van ($150 for 8 hours)

Tour package

- pick up from hotel 0730hrs – 0800hrs

- bus ride to Ayuthaya

- visit 2 ruined cities

- lunch included

- boat cruise back to Bangkok

Own DIY tour

- option for time of departure to and from the ancient city

- cheaper

- more sites to see

- guest houses in Ayuthaya offer boat tours

- choice of restaurant

- train ride maybe more scenic than bus ride

- can probably also opt for river cruise back to Bangkok

Ayuthaya sites:

- Wat Phra Si Sanphet (admission 30 Bhat): Claimed to be the most distinctive Ayuthaya architecture. This site served as the royal palace from the city's founding in 1350 until the mid-15^th century and then converted into a temple.

- Wihaan Phra Mongkhon Bophit (admission 30 Bhat): Largest seated Buddah in Thailand.

- Wat Phra Mahathat (admission 30 Bhat): houses the iconic image of Buddah's head being swallowed by tentacle-like tree roots

- There are 29 other sites in the area listed in Lonely Planet's yellow bible 'South East Asia on a Shoestring'

Eating:

- Baan Kun Phra: Also a guesthouse is a riverside terrace restaurant

- Phae Krung Kao: Floating restaurant

Head back to Bangkok

Evening

Dinner

Bangrak Area: Home to Muslim and Indian community

Naaz (dishes: 50 – 70 Bhat)

- dubbed to have the richest khao mok kai (chicken biryani)

- dessert: firni (Middle Eastern pudding spiced with coconut, almonds, cardamom and saffron)

OR

Royal Bangkok Sports Club & Lumphini Park Area:

Le Lys (dishes: 80 – 200 Bhat)

- classic Thai dishes

- breezy colonial-style house

- kaeng phet muu yaan bai cha-om (roast pork curry with acacia leaves)

Night out

Victory Monument Area: Near hotel and Skytrain station

Saxophone Pub & Restaurant

- reggae, rock, blues and jazz

- German beer-cellar

AND/OR

Patpong Area:

- a go-go

- ping pong show

Day 3 (Saturday)

City tour

Bangkok sites:

- Wat Phra Kaew (admission 200 Bhat 8:30am – 3:30pm): Temple of the Emerald Buddah which is actually made from jasper. Orange and green roof tiles, mosaic-encrusted pillars and marble pediments.

- Wat Pho (admission 20 Bhat 8am – 5pm): Oldest and largest temple in Bangkok.

- Wat Arun (admission 20 Bhat 9am – 4pm): Temple of Dawn named after the Indian god of dawn.

- Vimanmek Teak Mansion (admission 100 Bhat 9:30am – 4pm): World's largest golden teak building

Eating:

Phahurat Area: Near popular Wat sites

China town

- go figure

ATM Food Center

- Indian food-court

Royal India Restaurant (dishes: under 80 Bhat)

- considered one of the best Northern Indian cuisine

Notes:

Th Chakraphet (street): lined with Indian shops and restaurants

Sampeng Lane (street): jam-packed with useful and useless

Afternoon

Shopping

Getting lost

More tours

Evening

Dinner

Victory Monument Area: Near hotel and Skytrain station

Pickle Factory (dishes: 150 – 200 Bhat)

- prefect place to chill out for an evening

- has creatively topped pizzas

- dinner-party mood

- indoor sofa seating

- outdoor tables around a swimming pool

Night out

Th Sukhumvit Area:

Little Arabia

- Soi 3 (street)

- Lively cafés and sheesha bars

Q Bar

- clubbing

- has absinthe and 40 varieties of vodka

Day 4 (Sunday)

Ancient City tour

Samut Prakan's Ancient City (admission 300 Bhat, www.ancientcity.com)

- world's largest outdoor museum park

- home to 109 scaled-down replicas

- bikes for rent (50 Bhat)

- rarely crowded

AND/OR

Shopping

Chatuchak (8am – 6pm Sat & Sun)

- mother of all shopping markets

- take Skytrain to Mo Chit station, which looks over the market

AND/OR

River cruise

Mae Nam Chao Phraya:

- Bangkok was called 'Venice of the East'

- Take Chao Phraya River Express

Evening

Cultural show

AND/OR

Dinner

Th Sukhumvit Area:

Maha Naga (dishes 300 – 700 Bhat)

- deep-fried prawn rolls served with plum sauce and crispy vermicelli

- scallops in Thai-style gravy

- pork chops topped with papaya salad

Dessert

Tamarind Café (dishes 100 – 250 Bhat)

- Tamarind for divine desserts

- Home to F-Stop Gallery of photographs

- Artistic space

- Innovate fruit shakes

Night out

Back to:

Th Sukhumvit Area:

Little Arabia

- Soi 3 (street)

- Lively cafés and sheesha bars

OR

Banglamphu Area: central ghetto backpacker's area

- Th Khao San (street): main travelers' center

OR

Patpong Area:

- a go-go

- ping pong show

Day 5 (Monday)

Wrap-up

*****

* So my family decided to jump on the pinoy family bandwagon and head to Bangkok for Holy Week. Hoping to discover something beyond the typical package, I made this itinerary based on my yellow bible Lonely Planet's: "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" and used some information from the Internet. F*ck that travel agency and do things on your own. No more useless factory tours and the ever popular half-day city tour. Pack your bag tara let's triptayo to Thailand!

*now let's see how things will turn out based on this...

*post also available in triptayo