A week before Loy Krathong, the Golden Mount in Bangkok glows brighter than usual. Wat Saket, perched high above the old town, hosts its annual temple fair – a tradition that feels part pilgrimage, part street carnival. At dawn on the first day, monks and locals begin their ascent, carrying a long red cloth up the winding staircase to wrap around the stupa, a ritual said to bring merit and good fortune. As night falls, the air thickens with incense, laughter and the sound of temple drums echoing over the city. Food stalls spill across the grounds, fortune tellers set up beside ferris wheels, and the view from the top turns Bangkok’s sprawl into a sea of lanterns. It’s old Bangkok at its most alive.
October 29-November 7. Free. Wat Saket, 7am-midnight