Bangkok's Best Temples: All Famous, All Amazing

If you look at photos from Thailand or see documentaries, the things you are likely to see the most of are the ornate Thai temples and monks in saffron robes. Every neighborhood in Bangkok has a Buddhist temple, and many of them have a lot more than one. Some of them are small with only a handful of monks living there; others are enormous with many buildings and several hundred monks. All Thai temples are open to the public, so you can wander around Bangkok and visit any that look interesting. 'Wat' is the Thai word for temple. I love going to temples, but here are the ones I think are the most interesting.

Wat Phra Kaew (known as the 'Temple of the Emerald Buddha')

This is the most famous temple in Bangkok. Next to the Grand Palace, it is without doubt the most beautiful building I have ever seen. Thailand's most sacred relic, the Emerald Buddha, is housed here and Thais come from all over the country to pray at its feet. The temple was built in 1786 and features incredible mural art, golden statues, and carved stone figures. The outside of the temple is covered in broken multi-colored china pottery that shimmers in the sun, and every building gives off a feeling of peace and tranquility.

The almost 2,000 year old Emerald Buddha has a famous story. Hundreds of years ago, it was covered in stucco and was forgotten. Then in 1434, a chedi it was hidden in was hit by lighting. Eventually the stucco peeled off and the Emerald Buddha was discovered beneath. The Buddha is made of green jade and clothed in gold, but people thought it looked like an emerald so it was nicknamed the Emerald Buddha.

Visit Wat Phra Kaew and then continue on to the Grand Palace where you can see the Throne Room, where His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej was crowned. One word of warning, if somebody comes up to you and tells you "Temple closed" or "Grand Palace closed today", they're not. It's just a scam so that you might go to a tailor shop with them instead.

Wat Arun (known as 'Temple of the Dawn')