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ON LOCATION
Bespoke Bangkok
Peddlers meet pedlars in the whirr of the backstreets
The logo splashed across our tour guide’s T-shirt says it all: “mai pen rai”, which means “no problem”. And you certainly won’t have any problems on Intrepid’s half-day bike ride through the streets of Bangkok. In fact, soon enough you’ll have mustered the skill to keep your bike straight, while constantly waving to shopkeepers, giving high-fives to local children and taking hundreds of photographs.
With the help of an English-speaking guide, you’ll steer headfirst into the historic part of the city, navigating alleyways, crowded markets and the town’s serpentine canals. You’ll be able to stop and smell the flowers, the incense, the river water, all the spices and the vast array of pungent fruits that combine to form the unmistakeable scent of Bangkok.
The 20km ride starts and ends near backpacker-central on Khao San Rd. During the round trip you’ll visit some of the capital’s wonderful sites: the King’s Royal Barges, the Temple of Dawn, the Chao Phraya River and the Sao Ching Cha giant swing – a towering religious monument on Rattanakosin Island.
Beginner cyclists need not worry; road conditions are good and it’s an easy ride, if just a little hot.
“I liked the opportunity to stop at various landmarks, from famous temples to neighbourhood shrines, as well as seeing the little things, like betel nut drying in the sun,” says Julie Ihle, a first-time visitor to Bangkok and an occasional cyclist. “I came back feeling as though I’d seen the real Bangkok.” – Kerry Van der Jaagt Intrepid Urban Adventures, www.intrepidtravel.com. Bookings can be made at the Intrepid Retail Store on the ground floor of the Viengtai Hotel, 42 Rambutri Rd, Banglamphu, tel +66(0) 2629 3304. The trip is priced at 1,330 baht per person.
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