Grand Palace, Bangkok

Advantages: Wonderful detail with worksmanship unlike any other i've seen
Disadvantages: The heat can become unbearable.

...half a day for the Grand Palace (GP). After visiting a variety of smaller temples throughout our stay i have to say we were getting a little bored of seeing the same thing over and over again. Most of the temples are small and located in places you have to search for hours to find! The GP on the other hand is a totally different story, as you sail down the Chao Phraya river (the best and cheapest way to travel in Bangkok) you can see both the tall ...
...the palace from hundreds of metres away. As the billions of pieces of tiles, assorted in the most amazing assortment of colours you have ever seen looks back at you you can't help but think your in for a treat. You would indeed be right. I should mention a few minor problems about the palace before i start. We were warned by an employee at the Peninsula that the local security would tell us the palace was closed and to ignore them, we thought fair ... Read review

Advantages: Grand Palace, Good onward connections
Disadvantages: Noise, smell, pollution, overcrowding

...There is little to keep you in Bangkok - the Grand Palace is a must-see however. The place is smelly, polluted and charmless - the complete opposite of so much of the rest of Thailand. Bangkok's saving grace is its excellence as a travel hub - Bangkok Airways do great deals internally and increasingly through SE Asia and I've seen 3D/2N packages to the Maldives from here for 199US. For accommodation avoid the Khoa San road - overpriced farang haven that lives on a reputation long gone - far better to visit www.asiatravelmart.com in advance and pick up a hotel at anything up to 80% off the rack rate - after wandering round this city you need a good shower and a bit of comfort. For getting around try and use the river taxis (around 8 baht a trip) or the skytrain (more expensive but efficient and quick). Travelling by road is dangerous... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Gateway to rest of Thailand, Grand Palace
Disadvantages: Filthy hell-hole

...Contrary to glowing reports posted on Bangkok here so far, I have to demur, and say that it is something of a hellhole, albeit one that contains some unmissable delights. The place is dirty and chaotic. It has one of the world's worst traffic problems, and when people aren't in traffic jams, they drive like maniacs. The oppressively humid air seems to crawl with filth. One place in Bangkok that must be seen is the Grand Palace, which is a compound of some of the world's most stunning, ornate and jewel-encrusted buildings. Avoid the guides who wait outside the palace and lead you to believe that you need to hire one of them to gain entry. (You do not, and they try and charge 20 quid for a half-hour tour.) The city is plagued with people who try and take you for a ride - a Buddhist monk claimed to be my friend and wanted to show me how... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Grand Place
Disadvantages: Horrid!

...Contrary to glowing reports posted on Bangkok here so far, I have to demur, and say that it is something of a hellhole, albeit one that contains some unmissable delights. The place is dirty and chaotic. It has one of the world's worst traffic problems, and when people aren't in traffic jams, they drive like maniacs. The oppressively humid air seems to crawl with filth. One place in Bangkok that must be seen is the Grand Palace, which is a compound of some of the world's most stunning, ornate and jewel-encrusted buildings. Avoid the guides who wait outside the palace and lead you to believe that you need to hire one of them to gain entry. (You do not, and they try and charge 20 quid for a half-hour tour.) The city is plagued with people who try and take you for a ride - a Buddhist monk claimed to be my friend and wanted to show me how... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful