Bang Krachao Green Lung

The Chao Phraya loops so tightly south of Bangkok that it almost cuts off a lobe of land, and that lobe, Bang Krachao, was never built over. It is now a patchwork of orchards, nipa palm and mangrove crossed by narrow raised concrete paths just wide enough for a bicycle, with Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park and Botanical Garden at its centre: a public garden of ponds, lawns and a timber observation tower. Getting there is half the appeal, a short cross-river ferry from the Bangkok side that takes bicycles for a few baht. On weekends the Bang Nam Phueng market fills a canalside lane with food stalls. The traffic noise drops away within minutes of landing.

What you actually see

• The raised cycle paths - narrow concrete tracks over swampy ground and orchards.
• Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan garden - lakes, lawns and a wooden observation tower.
• Bang Nam Phueng market - a weekend canalside lane of kitchens and stalls.
• The ferry crossing - a short boat over the river with your bicycle aboard.

When to go

Mornings, and preferably in the cool season from November to February, when the humidity is survivable on a bicycle. The floating market only runs at weekends, which is also when the paths are at their busiest. Rain makes the raised tracks greasy and genuinely risky. Ferries run from early morning until evening from several piers on the Bangkok side.

Honest expectations

The raised paths are barely a metre wide with a drop on both sides and no railing, and rental bikes range from decent to dangerous. Mosquitoes near the mangrove are relentless, and loose dogs are a real hazard on the narrow sections. The garden itself is pleasant rather than remarkable. Weekend market crowds undo much of the quiet that brought you across.

Nearby

Phra Pradaeng town, and Bangkok's riverside piers a short ferry away.