The strange hill crowned with a gleaming gold chedi is also known as the Golden Mount, or 'Phu Khao Thong'. It rises within the compound of Wat Saket, an unusual temple that dates back to the Ayutthaya era, when it was called Wat Sakae. The wat was restored under Rama I (1782-1809) just outside the new city walls, and the temple served as the capital's crematorium. During the following 100 years, the temple became the dumping ground for some 60,000 plague victims.

The Golden Mount was added to the compound in the early 19th century, when King Rama III built a huge chedi which collapsed into a hill of rubble. Buddhist belief holds that religious buildings cannot be destroyed, and many years later King Rama V topped the debris with another chedi in which he placed relics, believed by some to be the Buddha's teeth. The towering gold chedi of Wat Saket was once the highest point in Bangkok. It is notable for its spectacular views and its hosting of the annual Loy Kratong festival.

Although the top of the mount has been encased in concrete, the base is still a jumble of bricks and plaster overgrown with trees and bushes. Somewhat curiously, in amongst the vegetation around the base are numerous shrines to departed people. This "graveyard" of sorts includes everything from small plaques to large shrines with Buddha images.

Visit the temple, see the residence of King Rama 1 (not open to the public) and don’t miss the recently restored King Rama 3-built library nearby, then climb the 318 steps to the cupola. There's an admission charge of 10 Baht (about US$ 0.30) to enter the building and gain access to the rooftop terrace.

Watch religious visitors place flowers near the date of the month they find auspicious and light candles. Listen to the bell wind chimes playing their ‘music from heaven’. The cupola is covered with small golden squares reflecting in the sun and giving the place the name of Golden Mount. The best time to visit the mount is during the cool season from late November to January, when not only is the temperature much cooler, but the frangipani trees around the base are in bloom, giving off their wonderful jasmine-like smell.

Wat Saket hosts an enormous annual temple fair in the first week of November, when the mount is illuminated with coloured lanterns and the compound turns into a massive fun fair.

Before leaving the area, look at the remains of the original Bangkok city walls built by Rama 1. You will also see the remains of a small fort which was one of an original 17 which defended the city. From near here you can take a canal boat to the commercial center of the city for about 12 Baht.

The temple is open daily from 8am to 9pm and the mount until 6pm. Remember to dress appropriately – no uncovered shoulders or short skirts.

Bangkok is a city of markets and no visitor should leave without visiting several of them. The markets are generally the cheapest places to shop. This doesn't necessarily reflect on the quality of the goods sold either, and some excellent bargains are for the taking if you know where to look.

Any serious Bangkok shopping binge, however, has to start at the sprawling and sweaty Chatuchak weekend market. Wildly popular among locals and visitors alike, the market is packed each weekend with everything you could possibly need. Chatuchak is a riot and will assail the senses. Be prepared though for the heat and the crowds and bring along a bottle of water. You’ll need it.

Haggle your way through the warren of shops and set aside at least half a day, if not more, for this expedition. Fortunately, there are a few shops selling snacks, meals, ice-cream, soft drinks, and mineral water. The best time to start is 9.30am, on weekends. Take the BTS SkyTrain and hop off at the last station, Mochit. or use the underground to Kampengpet station.

The Chinatown Charoen Krung Road area is swarming with shops bursting out of every nook and cranny. This is perfect weekend browse material with everything from old transistor radios and gramaphones to gold and silk on sale. Across town, Sukhumvit Road has a street market that runs most of the day but is busiest at night. Dozens of stalls sell clothes, bags, silk items, and gifts.

Patpong night market is very popular with tourists, but I don’t recommend it. It's got the same combination of souvenirs, fake brand name items, and cheap clothes as any tourist area in the city, but prices are high. Bargaining very hard is essential to get a good deal and the touts for the go-go bars that Patpong is most famous for are annoying. Patpong is between Silom and Surawong roads, and any taxi driver will know it.

The large Banglamphu market extends over Phra Sumen Road, Chakrapong Road, and others nearby. Despite its proximity to touristy Khao San Road, this is still mainly a market frequented by locals to buy clothes, household goods, etc. There's a separate market on Khao San Road itself, which sells anything the foreign backpacker could need including backpacks, stereos, pirate CD's, books, clothes, traveling accessories, etc. Many buses stop on Ratchadamnoen Klang road, just a few minutes walk from either of these markets.

Not far away is Bo-Be market, located where Khlong Saen Saep meets Krung Kasem Road, a wholesale clothes and textiles market with cheap prices. There are a couple of amulet markets nearby also at Wat Ratchanada and Wat Mahathat.

Pak Khlong market is a very large and busy wholesale market for fresh flowers and vegetables. Many flower vendors throughout the city buy their stock here at night and sell it on the following morning. The wholesale market is mainly near the river, the cheap normal market in small streets nearby.

Best ever. A must-visit if you're looking for these type of places. Everyone was very friendly. It's easy to find and there are live show at 10:30 every night. There's no cover charge just pay for drinks around 240 baht each

I love Bang Saen. The first time I visited this beach town I fell in love with it. I don’t know if it was the lack of foreigners or the trip up the hill to where the monkeys sit by the side of the road looking for food to be thrown from the windows of cars. There is something appealing about it, and even my children found it to be captivating.

When you first go to the beach there are umbrellas and seats and tables all set up for you. The cost is 30 Baht per person to rent the seats and table. After you get situated, and often before you have had a chance to settle in, the many different vendors swoop down upon you. Without leaving your seat an array of food items can be purchased and delivered to you. Mangos, jackfruit, pineapple, papaya salad, and watermelon are just a few of the several fruit items that can be purchased from your chair from one of many different vendors.

Beer and alcohol are available and are not much more in price than the going rate in Bangkok. Without leaving your seat the other seafood and meat dishes are offered and available on the spot. This includes: deep-fried small crabs, shell and all; squid; chicken satay; prawns; crabs; and small, raw oysters. The bag of raw oysters was a steal at 40 Baht and included French-fried onions and an herb and sauce to compliment them. Cotton candy vendors usually make a quick sale by placing their bagged treat in the children’s hands before the parents can say no. The cotton candy sells for 20 Baht a bag and is worth the investment rather than having the child start throwing a fit for taking candy from a baby.

Other non-food items and services are available. Vendors will offer the tourist or local Thai person an array of necklaces, fortune telling services, lottery tickets, noisy handmade pinwheels, toilet paper, and clothing. The restrooms at the beach charge to use them. so having a small handful of 1-Baht coins available is always a good idea. It was 3 Baht per trip to use the restroom, and of course a little more for the toilet paper and other hygiene supplies.

Just a short trip from the beach is a place where dozens, if not hundreds, of monkeys congregate. I’m not sure of the street name, but most anyone local should have easy directions on how to get there. The hill where the monkeys are begins to take on its own identity as you approach it. Vendors are eager to sell the small bananas for the visitor to throw to the monkeys from their car window, or you can do like we did, which was to throw pineapple we had purchased earlier at the beach to the eager and sometimes aggressive monkeys.

Bang Saen: enjoy the beach, the food, the vendors, the monkeys, and most importantly, enjoy yourself.

At 10:00 PM, the Big Chili’s can offer some unusual sights; floating on the calm waters of the Chao Praya River await the visitor romantic dinners and awesome views. The murmuring, slow-flowing water around the boat is part of the magic of seeing the city unhurriedly revealing its wonders.

The Loy Nava cruises comfortably leave from the Oriental Hotel Pier, twice every evening, at 6:00 PM (the Sunset Cruise) and at 8:00 PM (the Bangkok at Night cruise). They have an inclusive fare (trip and dinner) of B880 (around $25) per person, while providing a top quality experience. Due to the need to get approval for credit cards transactions, and the lack of fast aerial connections in Bangkok, it is recommended to pay in cash.

One of the most exciting aspects of the evening is the boat itself, an adapted fifty years old rice barge called Tahsaneeya Nava, built of teak wood – the traditional Thai construction material – and with a roof made of seven layers of woven split bamboo skins. It began operating in its actual fashion some thirty years ago and is unique among the "dinner on the river" deals. To ensure the quality of the experience, there are less than twenty tables on the decks, creating an non-crowded, pleasant environment.

There are three menus to choose from: Thai Traditional, Thai Seafood and Thai Vegetarian; the setting was calling for a Traditional Thai dinner. The Hors D’oeuvres included an excellent pork-satay, rice-chips and tasty roasted nuts that were the perfect prelude for the classic – and spicy - Tom Yam shrimps-soup. Extraordinary steamed jasmine rice accompanied the chicken green curry chosen as main dish. Fruits and coffee ended the meal. As an extra, it is possible to buy the drinks package that adds an aperitif, a glass of wine and a digestif liqueur to the meal. However, another option is to pay for the dinner and the drinks separately – and that is when the cash becomes handy. Most drinks, with the exception of wine bottles, cost less than five dollars each and the variety rivals every bar in the city.

Yet, the sumptuous meal and the gorgeous boat pale while compared with the city surrounding it. Because of the traveling direction, it is best to be on the right side of the boat, where the sights are best appreciated. Many are the views to enjoy during the cruise; the most impressive ones include the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho, and the awesome Wat Arun (temple of Dawn), all these are exceptionally well lighted and create views from Wonderland. Stupas and beautifully shaped pagodas craft views that will take a lifetime to forget. Other views include the Royal Barges Open Museum, the Vichai Prasit and Phra Sumane forts and the Assumption Cathedral. Day or night, monsoon or clear-skies, green curry and red chilies, the City of Angels always electrifies all the senses.