Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

The experience

Wat Arun stands on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River in Thonburi, its central prang rising above the water and encrusted with broken Chinese porcelain and seashells. The main prang was completed around 1851 after nine years of building during the reigns of Rama II and III. The steep steps of the tower can be climbed partway for close views of the tiled decoration and the river.

A river temple whose porcelain-studded spire glows at sunrise and sunset, best seen from the far bank.

What a membership adds.

Everything above is free: the name, the photo, the rating, the exact spot. What members get is the part you can't Google: the sourced insider tip for this place (what to order, when to go, what to skip), every day of your trips unlocked in full with the insider tip on every researched stop, and the concierge at full strength, answering with your own insider tips, no daily meter.