Asia has always been on my wish list, but when the opportunity to visit Bangkok with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and China Southern Airlines came about, I said “Pick me, pick me!”

A fun-filled travel plan was created to transport seven, seasoned, travel writers, a friendly public relations representative and an energetic authority on Thailand from the TAT. Our proposed adventure was to explore Bangkok and visit several outlying areas as well. It was a travel recipe of epic proportions, coupled with a luxurious airplane experience like no other! We all were more than ready for this Southeast Asian Adventure.

Our Adventure in Thailand ~

Our itinerary was quite ambitious with most days starting at 8am and concluding at 10pm, visiting places with long Thai names like Wat Mahathat (a temple) and Ayutthaya (a city). It was a learning process for me and I gradually began to be more familiar with these names and what we were able to see and do was captivating. I was so thrilled for this opportunity and eager to see this extraordinary country.

Truthfully I had no preconceived ideas about what to expect in Bangkok, but I was blown away by what I experienced. This vibrant city is one of the most visited cities in the world and I can totally see why. The incredible shopping possibilities, crazy amazing food, famous Thai massage, breathtaking historic temples are just the beginning! Add fantastic city adventures, views to swoon over and abundant elegant accommodations, Bangkok is a must see for every world traveler. Even if it takes at least fifteen hours to get there, it is beyond worth the small inconvenience of a 10,000 mile flight.

Although this is one of my longest posts, I attempted to narrow my travel adventures down to ten reasons to visit Thailand. But to be transparent, this checklist is only a portion of my happy adventure, but enough to share why you need to make a plan to travel there and write your own list of favorites!

Travel in Luxury

China Southern Airlines transported us from Los Angeles to Bangkok in total comfort and luxury. We sat in Business Class where we each enjoyed our own personal “pod” with an entertainment center, slippers, a mattress and quilt, plus two pillows and a seat that fully reclined flat into my own little comfy bed! The flight attendants were attentive and two fantastic gourmet meals were served.

The Airbus 380 is the world’s largest double-deck and wide-body jet aircraft with a 40% greater passenger capacity than the largest existing type of aircraft. The pristine cabin offers a super-efficient air filtration system and circulates the cabin air every three minutes. The air was fresh and the plane was quiet and it felt like I was riding in a giant luxury hotel with wings. A staircase takes you from the first floor to the second and my biggest dilemma now is how on earth can I travel in Economy ever again? Seriously, it was so incredible.

 

Colorful Floating Markets

 

Of all the many incredible experiences on this trip, this was my favorite. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I could visit such a place. To be in the middle of the famous floating market Damnoen Saduak, ninety minutes outside of Bangkok, in eighty-five freaking, humid degrees while vendors shouted for us to buy their products, as we floated in a primitive wooden boat? I was spell-bound. Who gets to do something like this?

Up close and personal you can see the locally grown produce, handmade sweets, colorful souvenirs and talk with the local people. Language is a challenge, but it all seems to work out, however fortunately, we had our friend Candy from TAT who can speak Thai and made our journey so much easier!

Delicious Thai Cuisine

The food in Bangkok is very distinctive and especially enticing for those people who enjoy hot and spicy dishes. For those of us non-spicy eaters, stay tuned because I am writing a post just for you! I was lucky enough to travel with some very adventurous and well-traveled eaters. They were so familiar with the Thai dishes, I dubbed them my “tasters”. They would determine whether the dish was “safe” for me to try. I was extremely impressed by the layering of flavors. This coconut soup with sea bass was one of many amazing dishes I was lucky enough to sample.

However on an even higher tasty level, I discovered Mango Sticky Rice. The most divine dessert you will need to experience for yourself. It is sweet, delicate Thai mango (which is nothing like the mangoes you find in the U.S.) combined with sticky rice, coconut milk, a teaspoon of sugar and a dash of salt. So good, so ambrosial I could eat this everyday!

Historic Temples, Temples, and more Temples

There are more than four hundred temples (wats) in and around Bangkok, each is unique, with a vast history, but we only had time to visit a few. Some were golden, some were covered in colorful tile, others were blanketed with a rich patina of grit, dirt and centuries of rain and soot. For an architecture lover like me, it was a dreamy adventure.

Many incredibly amazing temples ~

On our first day of this trip we visited the most astounding Temple of the Reclining Buddha filled with sweating tourists, and big crowds. Although the conditions were challenging, I was so impressed by the view of the many colorful temples and enormous reclining buddha, I hardly noticed.

Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

With so many astounding temples it is so challenging to pick a favorite however Wat Pho took your breath away. It is so enormous that getting a photo of the entire statue is impossible. The buddha rests inside a building so you just cannot get far enough away to take the photo. This was just the first of many extraordinary temples we visited and I just couldn’t believe my eyes!

Have you been to Asia? Bangkok? Thailand? Did you love it as much as I did?

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