In January, my family and I spent four days traveling in Bangkok for the winter holidays. We stayed in the Siam Square district, also known as the shopping neighborhood, and really appreciated the tasting of street food and exploring Buddhist temples.
However, looking back, our trip could have been even better if we had avoided these five simple errors.
We have misjudged the heat.
Amrita Bhasin
During our trip, temperatures remained at 96 degrees Fahrenheit and above. As the Northern Californians were used at temperatures closer to 55 to 75 degrees during the winter months, we were not prepared for extreme heat.
We ended up having to return to the hotel at noon to rest and recharge, which we generally do not need to do during travel. With hindsight, I would prioritize the construction of more breaks during the day to avoid exhausting heat.
I would also recommend wearing loose clothes like elephant pants, which are popular throughout Thailand, because they are comfortable and suitable for temples where you need to cover.
I want us to know how long we have to wait for carpooling transport.
Amrita Bhasin
When preparing the trip, I saw tourist guides recommended by using carpooling apps like Grab, an alternative to Uber.
However, when we arrived In Thailand, we learned that he could take more than 30 minutes to take a tour, especially in overcrowded tourist areas like the place where our hotel was.
We therefore took advantage of the GRAB driving schemes to plan to plan all our rides to the temples and other attractions the day before. However, the planning of the rides provided less flexibility because we had a timed route to join. However, I appreciated the assurance that we would not be stuck while waiting for a car.
We spent too much time in shopping centers.
Amrita Bhasin
Our hotel was in the shopping district, so we inevitably wandered in shopping centers. They were perfect for a break in the heat, and the decor and plant markets were impressive.
However, it was too easy to spend excessive time there and miss other parts of the city.
I would like us to allocate enough time to explore the beautiful islands of Thailand.
Dmitry Rukhlenko / Shutterstock
The next time I come back to Thailand, I would like to spend a few days exploring islands like Koh Samui and Koh Phi Phi.
It would have been pleasant to experience a tropical destination on the beach on what was otherwise a vacation in town.
We tried to pack too much in one day.
Amrita Bhasin
There are so many temples and sites to visit in Bangkok, and some are more elaborate and long than others.
We spent the first day to follow a route that we had planned ourselves, and we think that doing some activities every day would be perfect.
However, we found that visiting more than two attractions was both difficult and stressful because we did not have enough time to explore everything, learn more about history and take photos.
So the next day, we only chose two temples to visit, which was a much more satisfactory choice.