Day 25 Golden Mount and Chao Phraya

I had booked a great luxury cruise on the Chao Phraya for tonight. I was really looking forward to it! Until then, I wanted to see a few more sights from my list and took the bus to Wat Saket, the Golden Mount.

Taking the bus in Thailand is so easy! You get on the bus and find a seat. Then a lady comes and collects the money and gives you your ticket. She even tells you when to get off. And the buses are simply a “highlight” :)

Wat Saket is one of the oldest temple complexes. It is located on a man-made 79 meter high mountain. The Golden Chedi can be reached via 344 steps. It is one of the biggest attractions in Bangkok.

It really is a very, very beautiful temple. It is beautifully laid out and you have a lovely view over Bangkok. The stairs go all the way around the mountain and there is also a great café to linger in.

You also pass numerous bells, gongs and flags on the way up.

The walk to the top is not strenuous, and you can also get water at the bottom when you buy your ticket. There are vending machines with drinks and snacks both at the entrance and at the top.

The best time for the most beautiful photos would actually have been just before sunset, as the Chedi naturally shines particularly magnificently in the light of the setting sun.

A few more steps and you reach the summit. The golden Chedi is enthroned there, offering a wonderful panoramic view over Bangkok's western old town.

I saw Wat Saket on one of my favorite Twitch IRL streamers Peegu, but he was there on a special festival day and also at sunset. Nevertheless, I couldn't resist a duet pic ;)

Sao Ching Cha - die Große Schaukel — Big Swing

Just a few minutes' walk away is Wat Suthat, one of the largest temples in Bangkok, covering an area of around 40 hectares. Directly in front of it is the Sao Ching Cha, the “Great Swing”, probably Bangkok's most unusual landmark.

It was once used for the swinging ceremony, originally part of a Brahmin ritual performed during the annual harvest festival. Brave men swung at dizzying heights and tried to catch a bag full of silver coins with their teeth.

The sacred ordination hall, the Ubosot, has the reputation of being the most beautiful in the whole of Thailand. The Buddha statue is incredibly large and the walls are covered from floor to ceiling with stories of Thai folklore.

After visiting this really beautiful temple, I made my way back to the hotel. I wanted to get some rest and change before I set off on my luxury cruise ;)

Behind this temple is like a small park. There was a small cookshop under shady trees. The soup here was sooooo delicious. This family was happy to have me as a tourist, there were usually only Thai people there. They lovingly provided me with cold drinks and delicious spices for the soup. There was a gentle breeze under the trees and a relaxed bustle. Working people came by to have lunch, friends met here for a chat while eating this delicious soup together and some just stopped by to take the soup to go.

I walked to the next stop and took the bus back. And here was my personal highlight. As I was taking the hop-on hop-off bus across Bangkok, we passed an intersection with Optimus Prime standing in the middle of it. If you know the Transformers movies, you'll know who I mean ;)

In the late afternoon, I ordered a Grab motorcycle cab to take me to Iconsiam. Now that's a shopping mall! It's the 4th largest mall in the world. I'd never seen anything like it before... I have put together a few impressions

I got my bearings better in the whole city than here in this mall. I don't know how long I and many other tourists spent time trying to find this check-in for these cruises. There are even TikTok videos on how to get here from an entrance to this check-in... but honestly, even that wasn't very helpful. Eventually, of course, I found it... and then we were off!

So luxury, it definitely was. There was a very generous buffet with really everything you could imagine in terms of culinary delights! Me and another solo traveler had a huge table to ourselves! And we had a great view. While you eat the delicacies, the ship sails up and down the river and you can see the many great sights from a completely different angle. It was also beautifully illuminated.

The evening was accompanied by music from a live band with a singer who really set the mood. She not only sang, but also kept telling us something about the sights we passed.

By the end, everyone was on the dance floor and nobody actually wanted to get off the ship, which had docked in the meantime.

It was a really wonderful experience! I can really recommend a luxury cruise like this!

I ended the evening at the rooftop pool of my hotel. The day was really long and I just enjoyed this fantastic view over Bangkok. The Golden Mount and the Chao Phraya were great sights today.