Page 7 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Bangkok

Top 10 Bangkok ❮❮ 5

Welcome to
Bangkok

A study in contrasts, Bangkok is simultaneously traditional
and modern, noisy and serene. Outside even the glitziest
Western-style building, you’ll find a small but well-tended
shrine respecting the spirit of the land. A city of surprises,
it’s held together by the famed hospitality of the Thai people.
With Eyewitness Top 10 Bangkok, it’s yours to explore.

The massive Chao Phraya River bisects Bangkok as it flows into
the nearby Gulf of Thailand. Along its eastern bank lies the Old City,
centered around Rattanakosin, Bangkok’s royal heart, with its
spectacular Grand Palace, the gleaming treasures of the National
Museum, and a number of Buddhist temples.

Just downstream lie Chinatown’s markets, gold shops, and Taoist
shrines. Bangkokians have embraced their riverside roots, and
many art galleries and hip pubs take advantage of the low-rise
buildings on the river and cool breezes. Inland, you’ll find
ultramodern downtown hotels, restaurants, and shops, especially
among the glass skyscrapers in Silom. Across the river, in Thonburi,
the unique Khmer-style temple of Wat Arun and quiet canals offer a
glimpse of a life that could not be more different from the one just
over the water.

Whether you’re coming for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide
brings together the best of every aspect of this vibrant Asian capital,
from the temples and museums of the Old City to the nightlife
Downtown. There’s no denying that this city of 9 million can seem
bewildering at first. This guide gives you great tips throughout, from
seeking what’s free to finding that perfect bowl of noodles, plus
seven easy-to-follow itineraries, designed to help you visit a clutch
of sights in a short space of time. Add inspiring photography and
detailed maps, and you’ve got the essential pocket-sized travel
companion. Enjoy the book, and enjoy Bangkok.

Clockwise from top: Giant feet of a Buddha image, Wat Indrawiharn; a boat filled with hats in
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market; traffic on Yaowarat Road in Chinatown; lakeside pavilion
at Muang Boran; Buddha statues, Wat Pho; the Emerald Green Pagoda at Wat Pak Nam, near
Khlong Bangkok Yai; a cannonball flower

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