Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine January 2020 | Page 69

Travel / Bangkok 3 4 1. A busy bridge on Bang Krachao Island. 2. SpiceRoads' Struan Robertson. 3. Bang Krachao Island is perfect for family cycling. 4. Candles at Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol in the ancient city of Ayutthaya.  here the bike really comes into its own W is on the open country lanes around the city, as well as the small sois (alleyways)... 2 around the Thai capital today will find there’s a whole lot more to this city than superhighways and serial gridlock. From leafy vineyards and jungle hideaways to bustling waterborne markets and ruined cities, a smorgasbord of sights awaits those prepared to join Bangkok’s two-wheeled revolution. bike makes cycling round here a cheap, healthy, and original transport option.” “More people, both locals and visitors, are cycling around Bangkok these days,” says American Patricia Weismantel. “There’s a long way to go before you can start calling this the Amsterdam of Indochina, but it’s a positive trend. The sheer number of sights accessible by “Navigating some of the sois can be a squeeze sometimes, but there’s always something interesting going on around every corner,” says Struan. “Bangkok’s backstreets are filled with so much history and humanity. Like Robert Pirsig wrote in his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Where the bike really comes into its own is on the open country lanes around the city, as well as the small sois (alleyways) that criss-cross the capital like a network of capillaries. 67