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If there's one thing you have to check out in Bangkok, it's The Grand Palace. Just put it at the top of your list RIGHT NOW.

I've never been to a place with so much vibrant, delicate details from floor to ceiling. I was amused by all the tiles, the gems, the colours...everything. For the price of 500 baht (~14 usd) you can enter a complex with numerous buildings, shrines, hallways, and open lawns. It's the kind of attraction where you keep exploring till your feet give up on you.

A couple things:
- get there EARLY (hours: 8:30am - 3:30pm). It becomes a tourist frenzy so it gets crowded during peak hours. It gets ridiculously hot too. Don't forget to bring a fan and water.
- I wouldn't recommend getting an audio guide. Because the crowds form quickly, I recommend taking photos as many photos you can while you're there then learning about the history another time. Do your research beforehand so you have a bit of knowledge about the place.
- Don't forget your sarong! It's a sacred place, so they have a strict dress code here. Cover up your knees and shoulders.
- Wear slip on shoes. You need to take them off when entering some shrines so make it easier for yourself and wear slip-ons.

The Grand Palace

To get there:
- Take the Silom Line (train) to Saphan Taksin (we came from Ratchadamri train station)
- Then walk to the pier (a 1 min. walk, you won't miss it)
- Buy a roundtrip ticket for the ferry (~$2)
- You can get off at Tha Chang or Tha Thien stop and walk to the Grand Palace

Bangkok Basics

ลาก่อน (la-korn)

Here it goes! The sole reason I wanted to start a blog was to post about my trips yet that's the one thing I haven't done in a while. Better late than never right?

Ayutthaya 

Bang Pa In Palace / Royal Palace

Wat Maha That

Buddha head in tree roots

Wat Lokaya Sutha: Temple of the Reclining Buddha

The second time around (June 2016), we did an island overnight tour. The tour was 2 nights and 3 days long. Basically we would go snorkelling and island hopping during the day, then at 5pm go to the island we were sleeping on and swim around till dinner was ready. We truly experienced the island life -- aside from the "island keepers", we were the only ones on the island at night. There was no wifi, barely any signal, and electricity only ran from 6pm-6am. Oh, and we flushed the toilets by pouring a bucket of water down. We were woken up by the sun shining through the open windows of our nipa huts. Paradise.

This time around, we stayed an hour away from Coron town in a nice resort called Busuanga Bay Lodge. LOOK AT THAT VIEW!!! We spent the first day pinching ourselves over the view and answering some Kokology questions (always interesting haha).




On the second day, we set sail on a bangka and did an intensive tour. We covered 2 days worth of tours in 1 and visited the beloved sites of Coron -- Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Lusong Coral Garden, and a ship wreck!

First stop, Kayangan Lake -- the cleanest lake in all of Asia!

Climbing the 300 steps up to get a picture perfect view

Ta-da! Worth it.

Next stop -- snorkelling!