Bangkok First Time Guide

Several areas of Bangkok have different vibes that set them apart from the rest of the city. A little bit of research will help you decide where to stay, where to visit and where to avoid. At 1,600 sq km and counting, Bangkok is big, and the many different areas can be bewildering – even for those who've spent years here.

The most popular areas for visitors are:

• Siam
• Silom
• Sukhumvit
• Old Town (Rattanakosin)
• Chidlom-Ploenchit
• Pratunam
• Riverside

The most charismatic parts of town combine sights, nightlife, shopping, great hotels and convenient locations with access to public transport. Budget travellers and backpackers, of course, still swear by Khao San Road.

Here, the cliché 'a shopper's paradise' is an understatement. Whether seeking out pricey brands in monstrous malls like Siam Paragon or CentralWorld or rummaging for street-side kitsch at massive markets like Chatuchak Weekend Market, this city offers unmatched shopping potential and unbridled consumer pleasure. Everywhere you look, a bargain is to be had – from traditional crafts and exotic antiques to haute couture and quality counterfeits.

Bangkok's notorious nightlife – go-go bars, clubbing, ladyboy shows and the like – used to mean it was a question of, 'How low can you go?' While debauchery till dawn is still possible, Bangkok today has a chic cosmopolitan glow, a newly-found swagger and maturity proven by dizzying rooftop bars, slinky jazz lounges and bars at high-end hotels, as well as romantic river cruises. Of course, backpackers can still be found at pubs and bars on Khao San Road, but so too can families enjoy a dose of Thai culture at spectacular shows like Siam Niramit.

Some of Asia's biggest and most modern cinemas and bowling alleys can be found in Bangkok too, so there really is something here to satisfy any kind of nightlife crave.

One of the greatest of down-to-earth pleasures is quite possibly Bangkok's favourite too. The ability to chow street food on streets corners, delight in supreme international cuisine at plush restaurants, or gorge on comforting junk grub that reminds you of home, points to one conclusion – this city is fanatical about food! In the city, enjoy your stomach-roaring introduction to Bangkok's unique culinary universe, from Thai food to international cuisine, food courts and its illustrious streetfood.

Like Paris' Eiffel Tower or London's Big Ben, there are some Bangkok sights and attractions that have to be seen before you can buy and wear the 'I've-been-there' T-shirt. At the top of the glittering pile are temples like Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew, among others. Then there's The Grand Palace, the most majestic of the city's many palaces, if not the world's.

Almost as essential are the Chao Phraya River and its canals, museums, statues and some extraordinary architecture – have a look through and you'll find many enriching cultural jewels to suit your taste and timetable.

An organised tour ingeniously eradicates all the hassles of sightseeing. No need to bury your head in your guide book as a guide gives you the live, unedited version. No need to fret about how to get there, as you're picked up and delivered back to your hotel. Feeling thirsty? Here, take a chilled refreshment! The long list of available tours in Bangkok includes Chinatown, temples and palaces, Jim Thompson's House, delightful river cruises and many more.

Bangkok is also a great embarkation point for tours outside Bangkok, with trips available to the famous floating market, Ayutthaya, the River Kwai, far-flung jungles in the North and palmy beaches in the South. The best news is that you can select and book all your tours with us.

Bangkok is a great place to get pampered, pressed and preened at plush spas, all of which offer to rejuvenate and revitalise. These are bliss-you-out spaces that are tranquil retreats far away from the city buzz. Thai traditional massage only hints at all the re-energising treatments now available, among them aromatherapy, acupuncture, facials, foot massages and hydrotherapy.

Spectator sport, especially Muay Thai (Thai boxing), is very popular in Bangkok, but it's keeping fit that's really on the rise among urbanites and visitors. If you crave physical exertion during your trip, no problem, Bangkok has plenty of parks, hi-tech gyms and public pools for working up a sweat in. Golf is also in full swing here, with plenty of courses scattered around Bangkok.

Dance classes, aerobics, cycling, tennis and bowling are just some of the other sports activities offered.