Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine January 2020 | Page 68

Travel / Bangkok
/ ON THE MAP
Bangkok is one of the fastest developing, most dynamic
cities in South East Asia.The Bangkok Metropolitan
Administration occupies 1,569km², making it the 68 th
largest province in Thailand.
Standing beside plump bunches
of sun-ripened Shiraz grapes on
the PB Valley Estate in Khao Yai,
it’s easy to forget that this is
Thailand. An hour’s drive north
of Bangkok, this prestigious
winery’s gently rolling hills
and serried ranks of vines are
more evocative of Bordeaux or
Beaujolais than steamy Southeast
Asia. It’s a connection
not lost on avid biker
Struan Robertson.
“I love cycling here,” says the affable Struan.
“Whenever I get tired of Bangkok, this is the place
I come to recharge the batteries. Of course, I don’t
miss the weather of England, but a spin around here
satisfies my cravings for European scenery.”
Pedal power
Trucks, taxis, and tuk-tuks: three good reasons for
cyclists to avoid the traffic and glutinous tarmac of
Bangkok. Yet those who take to the saddle in and
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 rom leafy vineyards and jungle
F
hideaways to bustling waterborne markets
and ruined cities, a smorgasbord of sights
awaits those prepared to join Bangkok’s
two-wheeled revolution.