Bang Krachao.

We are currently in a holding pattern–with most of our travel postponed until after the birth of Anna Lynn and work commitments throughout February. We will pick up with our trips in March (heading to southern Thailand and Phuket followed by a slew of international Southeast Asia trips). We are still trying to get out around Bangkok and will continue to post about our daily life here so that our families can continue to follow Sammy and Jack’s (and soon, Anna Lynn’s) adventures. Luckily, there are still a few great places left to visit within Bangkok!

Today went to Bang Krachao. Bang Krachao is a large “rural” area located just south of Bangkok proper across the Chao Phraya River. USA Today describes Bang Krachao as one of the hidden gems of Bangkok:

Bang Krachao is a vast area of green space just across the Chao Phraya River from Klong Toey. Originally a settlement for ethnic Burmese Mons, Bang Krachao is made up of orchards and gardens, and a strict local planning code prohibiting high rise buildings and factories has kept the area in a pristine state. The 100 acre Sri Nakhon Kuenkhan Park with its oasis of trees, lakes, and trails is the highlight here, as is renting a bicycle and heading out along the raised embankments that run through villages built on wooden stilts.

bangkrachao

We took a taxi to the Klong Toey Nok Temple and paid 5 baht (a little over 1 cent USD) to take a small ferry (Asian version of a canoe w/a motor) across the river. We were able to rent bikes at the pier on the other side for 80 baht (approx. $2.20 USD). If you have your own bike you can bring it across on the ferry (we transited the river with another family of four who were carrying two bikes with baby carrier attachments–which made for an interesting crossing on the small boat). Bang Krachao is FULL of bicyclists. There is very little vehicular traffic. You can bike down the main roadways or you can choose to bike along elevated (above water or swamps) sidewalks that run through the forests. We chose to ride on the road since we would likely have fallen off the narrow walkways. Most people avoided the narrow sidewalks–but it would have been an interesting and beautiful route had we not been carting around two small boys. We rode around the “island” all day, visiting the Siam Fighting Fish Aquarium (basically, a bunch of small bowls with Beta fish, carp and sunnies), the Talad Nam Peung Floating Market, and the Sri Nakhon Kuenkhan Park.

The USA Today article was right–Bang Krachao is a great place to go for the day to escape Bangkok.

Heading across the river: