Thailand has been high on my list for a few years, thanks to social media. The temples, the elephants and the turquoise waters all provided a lure for me to go. After nearly four years of dreaming, it finally became a reality this year! Upon traveling 20 hours and 8,000 miles (including the brief layover), I was exhausted, but thirsty to explore.
When such opportunities arose, I could not help but to feel…a bit disappointed! What I thought would be one of my favorite countries did not end up being the case.
Don’t get me wrong.
There were things that left me amazed. My top 3 loves of Bangkok were:
LOVE #1: Level of Detail of Temples
When I think of the temples of #Bangkok, I think colorful, ornate, decadent. You wonder who took the time to carve and paint every single detail that is featured on these #temples. In fact, upon stepping into the area of the #GrandPalace, you are taken back by a strong level of vibrancy.
LOVE #2: The Reclining Buddha
If you have not seen a #Buddha of such size, you will be completely shocked to see it up close and personal. Imagine walking into a room and having a statue LITERALLY take up the length and height of an entire wall. Seeing it in photos, I did not accurately fathom what a 150-foot statue in length would actually look like. These pictures do not do it justice.
LOVE #3: The Floating Garden concept
Although I did not get a chance to see the full #floatinggardens, I got a taste of it when we took a boat ride around some parts of Bangkok. During our ride, we saw a boat community and were approached by an older man selling fruit in his canoe.The concept of using your boat for transportation and business is quite smart and unique! I want to check out the actual Floating Gardens someday.
Of course, there were also things that left me disappointed as I did not anticipate them. My top 3 dislikes were…
DISLIKE #1: Urbanization on Steroids
If you think New York is bad in terms of #crowds, traffic and dirt, then brace yourself when you get to Thailand. Bangkok will leave you feeling as if you are in New York, but on steroids. People have no concept of traffic rules, especially because most natives use motorbikes to meander themselves through tight spaces between cars.
Top that off with crazy humidity in the month of February. You will be exhausted everyday you are venturing around Bangkok!
DISLIKE #2: Oversaturation of Temples
I am not sure if this was because I have been to China before and then traveled to Thailand a few years later. Whatever the reason may be, I felt the oversaturation of temples in a small perimeter as I roamed from #WatPho to the #GrandPalace. Although completely ornate, I became desensitized towards the ornateness as EVERYTHING within the small cluster is so ornate.
DISLIKE #3: Too many people
I think dislike #3 exasperated my sentiments of dislike #2. Thailand was not just crowded with tourists, although there was definitely QUITE an amount of those. There were also lots of natives since the country was still mourning the death of its long reigned, beloved king. As a result, in trying to maneuver through the expansive place, the Grand Palace felt as if you were packed like sardines.
Welcome to the Franny the Traveler blog! I’m Dr. Franny, a national award-winning educator, entrepreneur, author, and Black travel enthusiast on a personal mission to make every destination a Black-owned destination. As I visit all 50 states and 50 countries by age 50, this Black travel blog is a growing collection of Black-owned city guides, itineraries, travel tips, and reflections on traveling while Black for the conscious traveler. I’m so happy you’re here!
