Indonesia
Bali
Three or four completely different trips sharing one island.
Bangkok travel guide: what to do, when to go, how long to stay
The best street food on the planet, and a transport system that makes the chaos navigable.
How long to stay
3–4 days, or 5 with a day trip
Best time to go
November to February
Rough daily budget
Mid-range: roughly $45–80 per person per day
Bangkok is loud, hot and much easier to enjoy than its reputation suggests. The BTS and MRT get you above and below the traffic, the river boats are a genuine pleasure, and the food — from Michelin-listed street carts to malls with better food courts than most cities' restaurants — is the reason to come.
Most people give it two days on the way to an island and regret it. Four days lets you do temples, markets, a river day and a night market without sprinting.
When to visit Bangkok
The cool dry season — still warm, but humidity and rain drop enough to make walking a temple complex bearable.