Travel Smart with Skyscanner

Summer vacations are approaching and everyone in the family is day dreaming of visiting their dream city. Where grandparents wish to go spiritual, Mumma-Papa wish to explore the history and we, the youngistaan want to break free, go shopping and immerse in total fun. Browsing through the list of tourist places, we ended up at Bangkok - City of Angels, the place perfect for the entire family serving everyone's taste.

Now, begins the actual task. How to manage the trip within the budget ensuring a fun-packed journey. Google answers this question with the very smart answer Skyscanner. Skyscanner is a one-stop solution for travelers like us who have to plan everything from accommodation to destination, from flight to cabs in your dream city, all at comparative prices. This travel search site provides you with quick analysis over thousands of flights and hotels and presents before you the platter to choose your desired service.

Skyscanner is a very user interactive platform. It smartly filters your requirements and provides you with the cheapest flights and hotel deals. It charges no hidden cost and is absolutely free and easy way to plan your trip.

So, when we have zeroed in on Bangkok with Skyscanner, all we need is to pack a smart travel bag with all the essentials and get excited to visit the places we had been googling all this while.

Smart Travel Bag

1. Optimal clothes and medications

2. Passport, Boarding passes, 

3. Credit card and foreign currency.

4. Charger and other necessary electronics.

5. A nice camera to capture memories.

Bangkok Ride 

Bangkok has upheld the grandeur and glory of its illustrious past while speeding up with the modern time. Be it dazzling temples, spectacular palaces, a world-famous floating market or colourful Chinatown, each of these famous places has an intriguing story to tell. 

1. Wat Arun - Temple of Dawn

The impressive silhouette of Wat Arun’s towering spires is one of the most recognized in Southeast Asia. Constructed during the first half of the 19th century in the ancient Khmer style, the stupa showcasing ornate floral pattern decked out in glazed porcelain is stunning up close. This will dazzle all of us. The shrine by the river side with holy chants in the air will not only mesmerize my grannies but all of us.

2. Grand Palace & Wat Prakeaw

No visit to Bangkok would be complete without visiting its dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. Built in 1782 - and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government - the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. The place my father will love to explore , mother will relish its grandeur and we would love to pose in front of it. 

3. Floating Market

The pioneer of all floating markets, Damnoen Saduak continues to offer an authentic experience despite its increasingly touristy atmosphere. I can't resist myself from imagining dozens of wooden row boats floating by, each laden to the brim with farm-fresh fruits, vegetables or flowers. Food vendors filling their vessels with cauldrons and charcoal grills, ready to whip up a bowl of ‘boat noodle’ or seafood skewers upon my request.

4. Wat Pho

Wat Pho is a lot more than the gigantic reclining Buddha and traditional Thai massage. It harbours a fascinating collection of murals, inscriptions and sculptures that delve into various subjects, from warfare to astronomy to archaeology. The vast temple complex contains a landscaped garden with stone sculptures, stupas adorned with glazed porcelain, a souvenir shop and the College of Traditional Medicine. My entire family will love to be here. Under the shade of Buddha we all will find solace.

5.Chao Phraya River & Waterways

It is one of the most scenic areas, which if I visit, I'm sure to fall in love with the riverside reflecting a constantly changing scene, water-taxis and heavily laden rice barges chugging upstream, set against a backdrop of glittering temples and luxury hotels. I wish to live its charming ambience of stilt houses flanking the complex waterways. 

6. Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak Weekend Market has reached a landmark status as a must-visit place for tourists. Its sheer size and diverse collections of merchandise brings any seasoned shoppers like me to their knees. The market is home to more than 8,000 market stalls. On a typical weekend, more than 200,000 visitors come here to sift through the goods on offer. I'm pretty sure if my family visits here, we will be carrying loads of bag fulls of Bangkok offerings.

7.Jim Thompson’s House

Jim Thompson’s house is an exquisite example of his three decades of dedication to the revival of Thai silk, then a dying art. After he mysteriously disappeared into the jungles of Malaysia, he left a legacy behind, which is reflected through his vast collections of Thai art and antiques now on display at the Jim Thompson’s House and Museum, itself a lovely complex of six Thai-style teakwood houses preserved to their original glory. I'm fond of speculating antique things and I have heard so much about this house that I wish to reach Bangkok in a trice and explore its every corner till my legs succumb.

8. Rama IX Park

After visiting all the major attractions of Bangkok, it would be very difficult for all of us to escape its magnetism. The intense thrall of Bangkok might captivate us forever. Before leaving Bangkok, I would wish to relax in nature's lap and compile all the sight-seeings compact. Rama IX Park is the largest green space in the city. It has an International Garden, where seven countries are horticulturally represented. I would enjoy sitting in the green expanse with my family before heading for India carrying a bag pack of Bangkok memories.

¡Salud!
JJJ

 

This post is written for a contest organised by Skyscanner in association with Indiblogger.

Image Courtesy - Google
Content Source - Bangkok