Dusit and Northern Bangkok

More than any other neighborhood in the city, this area north of Banglamphu seems calm and orderly. Its tree-shaded boulevards and elegant buildings befit the district that holds Chitlada Palace, the official residence of the king and queen. The neighborhood's layout was the work of King Rama V, the first of the country's monarchs to visit Europe. He returned with a grand plan to remake his capital after the great cities he had visited. Dusit is a sprawling area, but luckily the major attractions—the Dusit Zoo and the numerous museums on the grounds of Vimanmek Mansion—are close together.