Making the Most of Your Time in Bangkok: My Experience

Let me start off by saying: Avoid going to Thailand in May at all costs! Trust me, you'll thank me later.

Thailand is one of my favorite countries, but unfortunately, we didn't choose the best time to visit. We didn't do enough research on Thailand's weather, and we definitely paid the price for it. May is known as the hottest month in Thailand, with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees. The humidity makes it feel even hotter, like a suffocating 40 degrees. Take my advice avoid the month of May in Thailand.

Our adventure began in Bangkok, where we stayed at the Hotel De Bangkok. The hotel was conveniently located near everything, with comfortable rooms and a delicious breakfast buffet. Bangkok is a stunning city with beautiful temples that are surprisingly affordable, ranging from $2 to $20 for entry. Our first visit was at the famous Buddhist temple Wat Arun, which was absolutely beautiful. You can even climb it for some amazing photos. Inside, there are souvenir shops and street food vendors, but be cautious about where you get your drinks. I made the mistake of drinking a smoothie from a small street shop and ended up getting sick. The combination of the hot weather and the contaminated smoothie left me dehydrated and nauseous for a few days. Not exactly the luckiest trip I've been on.

One important thing to remember when visiting temples in Thailand is to dress appropriately. Make sure to wear bottoms that cover your legs and shirts that cover your shoulders. Tank tops and strap dresses are not allowed in temples. Also, remember to remove your shoes before entering the temple as a sign of respect for their religion and Buddha.

During our visit, we stopped by Wat Paknam, a temple with a huge Buddha statue that you can see for free. It's located right next to the Chao Phraya River, so you can enjoy the view of the river and even take a boat tour.

If you're looking for the most Instagram-worthy café in Thailand, check out Bubble in the Forest. This unique cafe is surrounded by lush greenery and has cozy bubble-shaped seating that will make you feel like you're in the Maldives. The food may not be the best, but the aesthetic spots are perfect for taking pictures.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on our side this time around. We had booked a 3-hour buffet tour cruise along the Chao Phraya River, but things didn't go as planned. My mom got sick from the mango smoothie we had at the temple, and my sister and I ended up missing the cruise departure time due to the crazy traffic in Bangkok. Lesson learned - don't rely on Google Maps for accurate travel times in this city. The traffic lights seem to stay red forever, with one light taking around 10 minutes to turn green. So, make sure to leave your hotel at least 2 hours before your booking to avoid missing out.

Even though we missed the cruise and lost our money, we made the best of it by exploring the riverfront area with its stunning view of the Chao Phraya River. There were plenty of souvenir shops, clothing stores, and restaurants to check out. My sister and I ate at one of the restaurants and took a walk around the square. We may have missed our boat, but we discovered that there was a free small boat tour available that offered a ride. Don't pass up this opportunity - just look for a line of people waiting for the next ride, which departs every 30 minutes.

Another day, we visited the iconic Grand Palace, the most famous temple in Thailand. This place is absolutely stunning, with its beautiful Buddhist temples, museum, and beautiful garden trails. It's a photographer's dream, so be sure to take plenty of pictures while you're there. Please note that this might be very crowded as it is the most famous touristic place in Bangkok.

Don't forget to do some shopping at the nearby mall. We checked out Central World, a massive shopping plaza and complex in Bangkok. It's actually the ninth largest shopping complex in the world! While there, be sure to stop by the cute Starbucks inside. And don't miss the rooftop restaurants with breathtaking views of the city. You can even take the elevator to the 30th floor for free to enjoy the view without dining at the restaurants. Unfortunately, when I visited, I was feeling sick with nausea and a stomach ache. So, we opted to just take in the view and skip dining at these restaurants. But they all looked so inviting, I recommend at least grabbing a drink at one of them.

One of the most amazing experiences we had was visiting the Kanchanaburi Safari Park. It quickly became one of my favorite things to do in Thailand. The safari is located about 2 hours away from Bangkok, so the best way to get there is by renting a private car with a driver. This way, they can take you to the safari, wait for you, and then bring you back to your hotel. We paid around $140 CAD for the whole trip, not including the safari entry fee. If you want to know entry fee for the safari, make sure to do it directly through Facebook. It's important to book directly with them and not through third-party companies, as those tickets may not be valid for entry. If you're interested in extra activities like lion or tiger petting, or taking photos with the giraffes, be prepared to pay extra. We left Bangkok early to head to Kanchanaburi. Once we arrived, we waited for our turn to hop into the safari cars. The safari itself isn't too long, lasting about 30 minutes. You'll get to see a variety of wildlife animals such as lions, tigers, zebras, cheetahs, and more. But the highlight of the adventure is definitely visiting the giraffes and taking some photos with them. They take you in an open car, provide you with food to feed the giraffes, and capture some amazing shots and videos of you with the giraffes. You get about 20 minutes to interact with them, even petting and touching them. It truly was an unforgettable experience.

Inside the park, you can also catch animal shows like the crocodile show and even take pictures with them, although I wasn't brave enough to get too close. There's also a small zoo where you can see farm animals and monkeys. After our 3-hour visit, we asked our driver to take us to a nearby café called Tongkan Cafe to eat our lunch, a beautiful and aesthetic spot to relax. It was the perfect way to chill before heading back to our hotel.