Bangkok shopping pick : Pan Tip Plaza One-stop-shop for electronics: Its hundreds of shops make up a massive place for electronics of all kinds. From computer hardware and software to tech-related gadgets. You name it, Pantip Plaza has it. Best place to buy computers in Thailand: It is simply because many of large computer shops in this building have their main focus on wholesaling computer and its equipment from popular brands. So buyers have many options to choose from and can get things at competitive and wholesale prices.
If you think Siam Paragon is gargantuan, wait till you know about Central World right next to Siam Paragon. Overall, its area size is a whopping 830,000 square metres dedicated to the retail shops, restaurants and entertainment. This makes Central World the largest shopping mall in the country and one of the world’s biggest. With a size this big, one only ought to say that it has everything from luxury boutiques, the newest technology, gourmet restaurants, entertaiment and so much more. It also houses an ice-skating rink and an outdoor venue for big events such as Bangkok’s New Year countdown celebration. I actually stood here celebrating the New Year in 2014, what an experience! Read more travel tips about Paris, Bangkok or Los Angeles on Things to do in Paris.
Coming in at a whopping 2.5 kilometers in length, the trail at Lumphini Park may be too long for visitors to tackle in one go. That said, this park provides visitors with a number of things to see and do. In addition to jogging or cycling the path, the park is home to a number of sporadic aerobic classes that visitors can jump in on. Paddle boats can be rented by those who want to take to the water for the day and slowly explore the lake which sits at the park’s core. Chinese-inspired gazebos, sunbathing monitor lizards, a concert in the park; visitors never know what they are going to stumble on upon visiting this massive green space in the heart of the city.
If you have your eye on everything high class, luxurious, and upscale, Gaysorn Village is the shopping mall in Bangkok to go to. The marble and chrome interiors reeks nothing but sophistication and class. To put it simply, Gaysorn is where the rich and famous head to for their fill on fashion and fun. In this exclusive shopping centre, an impulse of shoppers isn’t the normal case here but just a few elite members out on a splurge. Other than the international brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Louis Vuitton, and Hugo Boss, another note-worthy feature here is its innovative ‘Purely Gaysorn’ campaign that aims to offer a gold standard lifestyle shopping with its new Lifestyle Consultant team that exclusively helps you out on your style, parties, and gifts. With only a few shoppers at a time, the shopping experience here is truly relaxed. Expect only up-market fashion brands, jewellers, and the like when you enter Gaysorn Village.
This splendid collection of Impressionist art is beautifully presented in an expansive space (formerly the Belle Epoque-era Gare d’Orsay railway station). The collection represents the work of all the masters of Impressionism. The artists range from classic Impressionist masters Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, and Pierre-August Renoir to Post-Impressionist artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Paul Cezanne, and Vincent van Gogh; the Pointillists (Georges Seurat, Paul Signac); and Bohemian artists like Toulouse Lautrec. Some of the museum’s most famous pieces include Claude Monet’s The Magpie, Gare Saint-Lazare, Poppy Field, and Luncheon on the Grass; Vincent van Gogh’s self-portrait and Starry Night; and Renoir’s Dance at Moulin de la Galette, which depicts a festive party scene in Montmartre.
Located immediately south of the Grand Palace precinct, Wat Pho makes an excellent addition to your tour, provided your feet are up for more walking. Also known as or Wat Chetuphon), the temple was built by King Rama I and is the oldest and in Bangkok. It has long been considered a place of healing, and was famous centuries ago for its pharmacy and as Thailand’s first “university,” both established by King Rama III. You can get a Thai or foot massage at the traditional medical school on the premises, but the prices are significantly higher than what you will find at massage parlors elsewhere in the city. Today Wat Pho is best known for the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, where you’ll find a statue so big (45 m long and 15 m high), it cannot be viewed in its entirety only appreciated in sections. The soles of the feet, inlaid with a myriad of precious stones, are particularly interesting with the 108 signs of true faith. Also look for the long earlobes signifying noble birth, and the lotus-bud configuration of the hand to symbolize purity and beauty. Source: travel tips.
Paris shopping pick : Boulevard Saint Germain, Bon Marche & Rue du Bac: Running through the elegant 7th arrondissement, the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Pres and into the lively Latin Quarter, Boulevard Saint Germain is a street shoppers won’t want to miss in Paris. Starting at the Seine River in the 7th, this pretty street is lined with trees and beautiful Parisian buildings. It’s a great spot for home decor shops, fashion boutiques and gourmet food shops. As you reach the intersection with Rue du Bac and Boulevard Raspail, you’ll enter a fabulous shopping neighborhood. Follow Boulevard Raspail down to Rue de Rennes, and along the way you’ll find many interesting stores, including Genevieve Lethu for dishes, tablecloths and so on (95 Rue de Rennes). Plastiques (103 Rue de Rennes) is great for home gift ideas, including cool cheese trays, salad bowls out of clear plastic with Provencal flowers inside and so on.
To discover the legendary Paris cafes, the best place to start is the Boulevard Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement. This broad tree-lined boulevard is lined with designer fashion boutiques, prestigious cafes, and classic brasseries. The most celebrated cafes are the Cafe de Flore (172 Boulevard Saint-Germain), which was the meeting place of Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and the Cafe des Deux Magots (6 Place Saint-Germain-des-Pres), the haunt of James Joyce, Picasso, Hemingway, and other creative types. At both cafes, tourists are treated to a classic Parisian cafe experience, complete with waiters wearing bow ties (although the waiters have a reputation for their brusque service). The brasseries of Boulevard Montparnasse were also frequented by famous artists and writers. Le Dome in Montparnasse is a Paris institution (108 Boulevard du Montparnasse). In its glittering Art Deco dining room, the restaurant serves gourmet cuisine focused on seafood.
Paris restaurant pick : After working with Alain Passard and Marc Veyrat, Toutain first wowed Paris at Agape Substance, a hole in the wall in Saint-Germain. Now he has his own place, and his constantly changing tasting menus (55 euros at lunch, 80 euros or 110 euros at dinner) deliver the boldest and most interesting food in Paris. Think dishes like seared foie gras in baked potato bouillon with black truffles; a monochromatic white composition of cuttlefish with yuba; and nearly translucent Parmesan gnocchi, seasoned with the juice extracted from cooking the cheese at very low temperatures for hours.
