My trip to Thailand in 2011 impacted my life in many ways.

First of all, it was my first time exploring Asia. I had always dreamed of seeing how people lived on the other side of the world and that was finally a reality. I had extremely high expectations about how beautiful Thailand would be and somehow it still managed to exceed them.

Secondly, it was the first trip I took with my now husband, David. We had only been dating for a few months and he invited me to join him and his family on this trip. I was over the moon that we were getting to explore more of the world together.

And, finally, I tried so many new things. I snorkeled, I sang karaoke, I tried food I’d never heard of, I did it all.

Before I went to Thailand, I had always been a mild salsa kind of girl. I’d ask at restaurants if things were spicy and if they were I’d always give it a big “NO”. Once I got to Thailand, I felt a bit more open-minded and gave spicy food a try and by the end the of the trip I was having “chili-offs” with David to see who could handle the spiciest food. To this day, I have one or two spicy meals A DAY.

Our trip to Thailand lasted for 3 weeks and, within that time, we visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Koh Chang. I’ll break down each place we stayed and a few things we did in this 3-part blog series, starting with Bangkok.

Bangkok

We rented an apartment in Bangkok for the full 3 weeks and stayed near family friends.

Bangkok is an incredibly exciting and bustling city with a population of over 6 million people. The traffic was some of the most insane traffic I’ve ever seen and the markets were overflowing with people.

Here are a few of the main things we did in Bangkok:

Visit Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

I could not believe my eyes when walking through the Wat Phra Kaew. The bold, bright colors mixed with the stunning gold were unlike anything I’d ever seen. The temple was so intricate and every detail was made to perfection. It is a MUST SEE if you are in Bangkok. Even though it was over 100 degrees that day, none of us cared because it was completely worth it.

Go On A Bangkok Dinner Cruise

One evening, our whole group went on a dinner cruise through Bangkok’s Chao Praya River. It gave the perfect view of Bangkok at night and there were PLENTY of food options to choose from. We were absolutely stuffed! There was also some live entertainment after dinner, which was fabulous. David and I even snuck up to the top of the boat and had some romantic alone time as we took in the beautiful sights of Bangkok.

I’m not sure which particular cruise we went on, but here are some of the Bangkok dinner cruises if you’re interested in booking.

Shop at the MBK Center

This mall is 8 stories high, so it’s essentially a shopper’s paradise. This is where I got most of my gifts for loved ones (and a few gifts for myself)! There were also tons of amazing restaurants, massage places, and a huge movie theater in the MBK Center. We came back to this mall a quite few times because there was no way you could see it all in one day.

Go To The Top Of The Baiyoke Tower II

This tower is 84 stories and has a revolving 360-degree rooftop deck. You feel practically blown away by the wind on the rooftop deck because the tower is so incredibly high! Can’t beat the view. We dined in the restaurant towards the top of the building and pigged out on buffet-style Thai cuisine.

Sing Some Karaoke

I know karaoke is typically known as a Japanese thing, but there was a karaoke restaurant near our apartment and we loved it! Bangkok has great nightlife, so, if karaoke isn’t your jam, there are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from.

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I hope this post helps you plan an incredible trip to Bangkok, Thailand! Stay tuned for the Chiang Mai and Koh Chang posts coming up soon.