Three Ways to Explore Bangkok Off the Beaten Path
A city steeped in contrasts, not only does Bangkok offer packed night markets and a colorful night scene, stunning gilded temples and luxury shopping malls, but it also offers unique opportunities to explore the authentic old way of living in Bangkok, which is slowly vanishing to create way to new luxury condos and shopping malls.
Secrets are always fun to explore, and in Bangkok they are plentiful. Bangkok is an intense city steeped in contrasts with action at every turn. Bangkok is dirty, smelly, unruly, gridlocked, unpredictable - and charming, if you venture off the beaten path. Lurking behind the facade of modernization, are hidden worlds of peace and tranquility; “real” Thai life that has remained unchanged for countless decades; an identity of the city that is largely unknown to outsiders. Navigating down narrow Soi’s (alley ways), they often reveal charming oases of old colonial style buildings turned into hip restaurants, cool bars or old shophouses in Chinatown selling anything from spices to old automotive spare parts. The old Klongs (canals) in the Thon Buri area offer a tranquil atmosphere that contrasts with the hustle and bustle on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River. Whether it’s the colorful sights and smells of local markets, the fascinating life of locals along the canals or exploring the bustling life of Chinatown, wonderful secrets will reveal when you dare to get off the beaten path.
5 things that will make your visit truly memorable:
One of the best way to get a taste of Bangkok’s past is to explore the klongs (canals) on a long-tail boat through the Thun Buri area, where you can get glimpses of what Bangkok living was like and still is like for many Thais. Negotiate as in-the-know with one of the vendors at the bottom of the Sathorn Taksin bridge for a 2 hour shared long-boat tour through the canals (about Baht 1100 per person). The beautifully decorated long boat takes a right turn off the major river Chao Phraya River, through one of the locks still used to control the water levels during times of flood. You suddenly get a sense of what life must have been like 50 years ago. Ramshackle huts cobbled together from wood and recycled plastic appear to float only one meter above the klongs, interspersed by beautifully renovated traditional teak houses and gilded peaceful Wats (temples). Hawkers are selling their wares from small boats while you will see families going about their daily life in their ramshackle houses.
The Taling Chan Floating Market:
is a charming small stop midway along the klongs. Vendors prepare an array of delightful freshly grilled seafood on their tiny wooden boats, best enjoyed seated on small plastic stools and low tables on the floating wobbly piers. This market offers a delightful laidback ambiance without all the tourist vendors of the new floating market tourist attractions outside Bangkok.
If you prefer an action packed way of exploring the essence of what makes Bangkok one of Asia’s most captivating cities, take the Co Classical Bike Tour (Baht 950) through the narrow Soi’s of Chinatown where hidden worlds of peace and tranquility reveals “real” Thai life that has remained unchanged for decades. The founder Co Van Kessel spent thousands of hours exploring a vast network of local streets, alleyways, footpaths and canals in Chinatown and Thun Buri, and the bike tour offers a fast paced scenic 3 hours bike tour. Starting in the heart of Chinatown, winding through a myriad of narrow alleyways, footpaths and street markets, your senses come alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of an authentic colorful community. Passing by shophouses selling everything from Buddhist amulets, spices to recycled truck engines, the tour stops to visit hidden Chinese temples and the large wholesale Pak Khlong Flower Market, where a myriad of flower stalls offer pleasure for all senses.
Crossing the Chao Phraya River the Thun Buri residential community offers glimpses into a peaceful slow lifestyle contrasting the chaotic Chinatown. Smiles of wonderment and friendly greetings reinforce the feeling that you have truly left the “beaten path” and are now experiencing the REAL Bangkok. Address: Co van Kessel Bangkok Tours, 23 Charoen Krung Road, Soi 24, Sampantawong, Bangkok 10100, Tel: +66 (0)2 639 7351, www.covankessel.com
A hidden jewel on the bank of Saen Saeb Klong, the Jim Thompson House would have gone completely unnoticed, had it not been for the legacy left behind by Jim Thompson. His elegant residential compound, comprising of six traditional Thai teakwood houses, echoes his 30-year love affair with Southeast Asian art and cultural heritage before suddenly mysteriously disappearing. He dedicated over 30 years to reviving Thai silk – then a dying cottage industry along the canal. His Thai house complex is filled with eclectic collections of antiques that embodies Jim Thompson’s life-long passion for Asia and provides a wonderful insight into the unique qualities of traditional Thai residential architecture (Baht 150). Address: 6/1 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Road, Tel: +66 (0)2 216 7368, www.jimthompsonhouse.com.
“Secrets are always fun to explore, and in Bangkok they are mostly hidden”
