Biking in Phrapadaeng a True Adventure

Mix a pinch of imagination, a teaspoon of mystery and a bicycle and there you have it, the perfect recipe for an adventure into the heart and soul of Bangkok. Not the Bangkok of skyscrapers, pollution and traffic jams, but the Bangkok that's been dubbed the 'Venice of the Orient'. Yes, it exists, around the corner - you just have to know where to look.

You can easily book a one-day cycling trip with one of the specialized and very professional cycling agencies, which offer several itineraries that take in historical sights, floating markets and Bangkok at night.

But if you want to ride off the beaten track and step back in time, then the tranquil neighborhood of Phrapadaeng, located across the river from the concrete jungle of the capital, is an ideal weekend escape and a memorable cycling experience. Most visitors don't know about places like Phrapadaeng. Even Bangkokians have yet to discover it. The cycling around Phrapadaeng is fantastic because everything is local, from the villages, temples, markets, and schools you can find or pass by.

Cross the Chao Phraya River on a longtail boat and in less than five minutes the metropolis is already far behind you – welcome to Phrapadaeng, a chunk of jungle-strewn land replete with tropical landscape including klongs (canals) mangrove swamps and fruit plantations, as well as ancient wats (temples) and traditional Thai wooden homes.

Phrapadaeng is truly a place between heaven and earth. Here, the roads aren't crowded; in fact there are hardly any roads at all – locals get around by bicycle or small motorcycle. You may even spot a samlors (three-wheeled bikes); in most parts of Bangkok they are no longer legal and have been replaced by tuk-tuks.

Biking in this forgotten part of the city paints a true picture of daily life as it must have looked some 30 years ago. Half the fun is getting lost in the labyrinth of tiny winding alleys and sois (small streets), where clothes are drying on balconies and merchants are wheeling around their wooden carts, laden with food – all this only a couple of hundred meters away from the city's malls and air-conditioning.