Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn)

This temple is glorious. For some reason it feels far more laid back than Wat Pho, and seems to get lest tourists as well. One bonus is that it has a lot less tacky gold glitter everywhere. I spent 4 hours hanging out in this temple: 1 hour walking around the complex, 2 hours admiring the intricate designs made by aligning bits of broken porcelain together on the towering Pagoda, and 1 hour feeding the smallest, mangiest cat I have ever seen in my life (I swear this thing was less than 20 centimeters long). Definitely one of the best days of my trip.

This was one of my favorite temples in Bangkok. Easy to get to, as it is a short water taxi ride away. You can see it from across the river. Really pretty at night. This is more open and gets less tourists than Wat Pho, so it feels more laid back. Some of the grounds are free, if you're on a tight budget. I'm glad I went there!

We did a night bike trip in Bangkok and ended up at a number of the temples.  this one was quite spectacular at night and lovely during the day too!

The Temple of Dawn is probably the most cited monument in bangkok. Try float on the river with a boat passing it during sunset. Incredible!

When they light up the Wat Arun at night it is amazing. The best photos are from across the river so you can get the water in the shot.

So beautiful temple, by night or day, a place for serenity

see the sunset on a boat passing in front of the Wat Arun