Bangkok

Bangkok is without doubt a realm of gold. There are so many golden temples and palaces, and of course the Golden Buddha, over five and a half tonnes of gold, hidden for over 200 years and only discovered by accident when the outer covering was damaged during construction work on the temple where it was situated.

This is probably the most exotic city in Asia where modern skyscrapers jostle with Thai, Chinese and Indian temples. Where else could you sit in Starbucks and watch a man lead an elephant through the rush hour traffic?

There is much more to Bangkok than the gaudy tourist markets and nightlife; in fact, living there we rarely came into contact with that side of the city. Traffic used to be a real problem but the sky train and the new elevated freeways meant we had few problems getting around. (During the World Cup, the city put TVs under the skytrain station steps for the homeless to watch games.) Lumpini Park at the eastern end of Silom Road is an oasis of peace and quiet in the city, totally unexpected.

There are some superb places for buying Asian furniture and curios, especially Chattuchak Sunday Market, Mings and Kalae. And Thai food is one of our favourite cuisines. The best restaurant in Bangkok has to be Harmonique, actually Chinese Thai food, in a row of old shop houses - BYO wine Aussie style. Deep fried fish with basil leaves - simply the best dish on earth!

Favourite restaurants

Harmonique

22 Charoenkrung 34

Tel. 630-6270

Best Chinese Thai cuisine in Bangkok (the world?)

Kuppa

39 Sukhumvit Soi 16

Klongtoey

Tel. 258-1782

Modern fusion cafe - good for lunch