Temple town

Wat Po is Bangkok’s most quietly impressive temple, with its massive Reclining Buddha and colourful, stupa-filled courts. You can get an excellent, inexpensive massage from the masseuse training school there (but prepare to be contorted!). The Grand Palace is the city’s compulsory tick, with dazzling gold-, silver- and ceramic-bedecked temples and endless frescoes including a cycle of scenes from the Ramayana, Buddhism's answer to the Iliad and Bible rolled into one.

In the streets surrounding the temples, you'll see shops selling cellophane-wrapped plastic buckets, which look like elaborate gift hampers. However, upon closer inspection, you'll find a baffling array of everyday basics such as deodorant, toothpaste and socks - all wrapped up like a little present. They are offering for the monks/nuns in the local temple, and make a creative and authentically Thai alternative to simply donating money when you visit.
Photo by Diego Delso