Our day spent exploring the Old City was easily my favorite day in Bangkok. The main attraction is the Grand Palace and its surrounding grounds, including Wat Phra Kaew. We spent the morning walking around in 100ยบ heat with an overcast sky that was begging for rain along with a hundred other tourists. Even a patch of bad weather couldn’t deter from the beauty of this place. Simply put, the bejeweled buildings and glistening statues were unlike anything I have ever seen. Stunning.

Inside Wat Phra Kaew is the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred image of the Buddha in Thailand. We sat down for a minute, our feet respectfully pointed away from Buddha, to take it all in. I couldn’t help but think of the Sistine Chapel as I admired the beautiful murals on the walls and ceilings above me.

Just outside of the temple, there is an amazing replica of Angkor Wat, another sacred temple in Cambodia. Seeing it was Colin’s favorite part of the day; he’s been looking forward to visiting the real Angkor War ever since!

Wat Phra Kaew didn’t disappoint and had us itching to see what other treasures Old City had in store.