Bangkok, ThailandThe historic heart of Bangkok - leafy streets lined with wooden shophouses, canal-side temples, and the Democracy Monument. Less visited than the Grand Palace area, Banglamphu rewards slow exploration: vintage bookshops, old-school noodle stalls, and the Bangkok that existed before the skyscrapers.
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Thailand's most sacred site - the Grand Palace complex contains Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), whose tiny jade Buddha has presided over the Thai kingdom since 1784. Cover shoulders and knees; the complex is massive and easily fills a half-day.
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Home to Thailand's largest reclining Buddha - 46 meters long and covered in gold leaf. Wat Pho is also the birthplace of traditional Thai massage and has the most reputable massage school in the country on site. One of Bangkok's most atmospheric temples.
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The most visually striking temple in Bangkok - a 70-meter prangs (spire) encrusted entirely in colorful Chinese porcelain and ceramic fragments that shimmer in sunlight. Best viewed from the opposite bank at sunset, or crossed by ferry for close-up exploration.