48 HOURS IN BANGKOK

WHY GO NOW?

The weather for the next couple of months is as good as it gets. Those in Bangkok 13-15 April can join the Thais as they celebrate New Year. Steeped in Buddhist traditions and a time for cleansing and renewal, Songkran marks the end of the dry season. Its trademark is the sight of revellers drenching themselves - and passers by - with "the throwing of the water".

TOUCH DOWN

Thai Airways (0870 606 0911' www.thaiairways.com), British Airways (0870 850 9850' www.britishairways.com), Eva Air (020-7380 8300' www.evaair.com) and Qantas (0845 774 7767' www.qantas.com) all fly nonstop from Heathrow. Emirates (0870 243 2222' www.emirates.com) flies from Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow with a change of plane in Dubai.

Taxis from the Don Muang airport operate from outside the arrivals terminal - these are metered but it is better to negotiate a fixed fare. To the Sukhumvit Road area expect to pay around 400 baht (pounds 6).

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Bangkok sprawls and can be confusing for the first-time visitor. It has five districts - Thon Buri, Old City, Chinatown, Downtown and Dusit. Two must-see attractions - Wat Pho (1) and the breathtaking Grand Palace (2) - are in the Old City, while Dusit is home to Bangkok's largest green space, the zoo and golden teak structure of Vimanmek Mansion (3).

Downtown features Silom Road (the commercial heart), Patpong (night market and red-light district), The Oriental hotel (4) and Jim Thompson House (5). Thon Buri, across the Chao Phraya river, is the setting for the Wat Arun temple (6). The Skytrain (BTS) is excellent (and cheap), as is its subway (MRT) system. "Soi" within an address is a lane off a main road.

CHECK IN

Bangkok boasts some of the world's finest hotels, including The Oriental (4) by the Chao Phraya river (00 66 2659 9000' www.mandarin- oriental.com) which has doubles from $305 (pounds 179) room-only. One of Bangkok's newest and most chic hotels is The Metropolitan (7), at 27 South Sathon Road (00 66 2625 3333' www.metro politan.como.bz/bangkok). with doubles from $340 (pounds 195) room- only. Just next door is another luxury option, the Banyan Tree (0870 128 6000' www.banyantree.com).

Those on more of a budget should try one of the excellent tourist- class hotels along Sukhumvit Road, such as The Manhattan (8) in Soi 15 (00 66 2255 0166) with twin rooms from 2,000 baht (pounds 30) including breakfast.

Near the backpacker haunt of the Khao San Road is the Viengtai Hotel (9) at 42 Tanee Road (00 66 2280 5434) with doubles from 1,400 baht (pounds 20) including breakfast.

TAKE A HIKE

The Chao Phraya Tourist Boat (00 66 2623 6143' www.chaophrayaboat.co. th) offers a relaxing way to experience many of the highlights. Catch it at Sathorn Pier (10) -Saphan Taksin skytrain. A one-day unlimited pass costs 100 baht (pounds 1.50) and includes a guide with map and a bottle of water.

Get off at Pier 9, Tha Tien (11) and take a second boat (30 baht/ 45p) to Wat Arun (6) - one of Bangkok's most famous landmarks and a unique example in Thailand of Khmer architecture.

Returning to Tha Thien pier, walk 250 metres along Thanon Tai Wang to Wat Pho. The city's oldest temple, Wat Pho (1) is a maze of 35 buildings, the most notable of which houses the Reclining Buddha. Continue along Maharat Road and follow the wall of the Grand Palace (2), turning right into Na Phra Lan Road before reaching the city's most famous landmark.

WINDOW SHOPPING

Bangkok has long rivalled Hong Kong and Singapore in retail terms, and now it has Asia's biggest department store, the Siam Paragon (12) (Siam Skytrain' www.siam paragon.co.th). It offers everything from fashion, car showrooms, book stores, computer retailers, household goods, a basement aquarium (Siam Ocean World), cinemas and a range of catering choices.

Label junkies should head for Emporium Shopping Centre (13) (Sukhumvit Road' Phrom Pong Skytrain), or Gaysorn (14) (corner of Ploenchit and Rajadamri roads' Chit Lom Skytrain). For sheer fun make for the stalls that line Sukhumvit Road or the night market at Patpong (15) and barter for wannabe Rolexes.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

Experience one of the world's great cuisines by joining locals at the stalls that line almost every street. From the sweet and savoury to the bizarre (anyone for deep-fried grasshopper?), the smells will assault your senses and get the taste buds going. Most food is piping hot and perfectly safe to eat. Signature dishes include kai yang (charcoal-grilled chicken), pop pia (spring rolls) and khanom beuang (filled, sweet pancakes).

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

The Grand Palace (2) was the official residence of Thai kings from 1782 to 1946 and is a seemingly endless succession of breathtaking royal temples, gold-laden palaces and lavish throne rooms. Tours are available or wander its corridors, narrow alleys and manicured gardens.

Highlights include the Dusit Throne Hall and Amarin Winichai Hall. (Na Phra Lan Road' open daily from 8.30am, last tickets at 3.30pm' shorts and bare shoulders are forbidden' ticket price 250 baht/pounds 4, which also includes admission to the interesting Vimanmek Mansion).