Bangkok

Bangkok - What a shopping experience! This really is shop till you drop!!! Markets, malls and shops were everywhere. Whilst here I stayed at the Indra Regent Hotel - a good choice 3 star for the budget traveller - easy accessible to the Bayoke sky, and Pratunum market was just across the street. The Toek-Toeks are actually the best way to get around the busy city life and certainly something to experience - Driving through the busy traffic on the back of those Toek-Toeks was incredible!. You can bargain with the price and they are the best way to get from point A to B. We found that we had about 3 - 4 stops between our destination however - the reason being - If they bring tourists to visit a jewellery shop or a local retail outlet they receive petrol vouchers worth around 10 Bhat.

In the east you still get value for you money and as well as the fabulous shopping, Bangkok is also very popular for its nighttime activity - it really comes to life with the Patpong markets. We found this is really something to experience. If possible take a few minutes and watch the sellers at the foodstalls along the streets. Here we sampled fried Scorpions, locusts and cockroaches. Thanks to shopping malls however we were still able to get hamburgers, chips and Kentucky Fried Chicken!!

Bangkok was an experience like no other and I enjoyed every moment of it. I came home with several bargains but also memories to last a lifetime.