Grand Palace Bangkok! Grand indeed!

We booked our BKK flight with Tiger Airways which is operated by Sea Air here in the Philippines. I commend them, I must say, for our on time and smooth flight. Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, you'll already experience a taste of Thailand, from decorations, architecture to friendly Thais that will make you feel welcomed.

From the airport, we took the airport taxi to our Hotel. for our accommodation, we stayed at the stunning Hansar Hotel in Bangkok. To get a closer look of Hansar, please click this link. A Look Inside Hansar!

On our first day in Bangkok, we visit the famous Grand Palace. This majestic place was built by King Rama I in 1700s. Although the present King, King Bhumibol (Rama IX) and the royal family lives in another palace, the Grand Palace still remains as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand.

From our hotel, we rode a taxi to the Grand Palace. The taxi driver didn't drop us off on the exact location of the entrance but across the street. Since the driver didn't speak English, he merely pointed out the direction that we need to cross the street to get into the entrance.

It is quite chaotic when we arrived at the Grand Palace. There are many group of tourists blocking the way and the heat in Thailand can literally give you a headache. Entrance fee for Grand Palace is 400 Baht per person. They strictly observe proper dress code so don't go there wearing shorts, slippers, revealing tops and sleeveless. Otherwise, you'll be wearing a sarong on your entire tour which might not look good and fashionable in pictures.

Honestly, it was not too comfortable to go around since it was very crowded and noisy because there are lot as in lot of tourists visiting the place. I'm not sure if that was really the average number of visitors everyday or it just so happens that it was too crowded when we were there. Nevertheless, the enchanting charm of the Grand Palace still wowed me especially their golden statues and beautiful architecture which I really loved.

When entering the temple, one should take off his/her shoes as a sign of respect to Buddha. There are also temples where taking photos inside is forbidden.

After Grand Palace, we visited Wat Arun also known as Temple of Dawn which is also a very popular tourist spot in Thailand. From Grand Palace, we walked to the nearby pier. We asked directions to make sure that we're taking the right route. Luckily, the pier was not that hard to find and just very near the Grand Palace. During our walk, we saw monks who I wanted to have a picture with but I'm shy to approach them. hihi. There are also food stalls and vendors along the street selling different items.

We saw this one table of monk figurines that really looked like real people! It's beautiful art but its kinda creepy for me.

On the pier, we rode the boat (3 baht per person) that will take us to the other side where Wat Arun is located. Entrance fee for Wat Arun is 50 baht per person, a lot cheaper compared to Grand Palace.

I was amazed by the porcelain designs of the Wat Arun with figures like flowers, leaves, different shapes and face images. There are stairs on the other side which are very steep, it is easier to climb than go down because while going down, its kinda scary because you'll really see how high you are and there's an uneasy feeling that you'll fall down any minute. Nevertheless, the view on top is stunning. You'll be rewarded by an aerial view of the Chao Phraya River and different temples.

After Wat Arun, we went back to the pier where we rode a River Taxi going to Oriental Pier. From the Oriental Pier, we took the BTS back to our hotel. It was a good way to start our Thailand Adventure.

You might also like:
Relive the past in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Scratched from my Bucket list: Elephant Ride!