Thailand's capital can be quite stressful from time to time, especially if you've been there some period already and the initial excitement, about all the different places you can visit, weakened a bit. Finding a hide between the crowded noisy streets, the endless traffic jams and the paralyzing fog of the heavy pollution can be quite a challenge, but still, there is hope of some peaceful refuge in the heart and its surroundings, hidden in this crazy concrete jungle.
photo: Greg Gjerdingen | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
photo: Greg Gjerdingen | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
So keep it slow, let the hectic past and join us on our tour, searching for the hidden gems of quiet charm. A good way to start is the elevated bicycle path, close to the popular Lumpini Park, in the center of Bangkok. Lumpini Park itself is already a good place to rest for a bit. It's located in Pathum Wan and with 576.000 square meters one of the biggest parks in the Thai capital. The park offers a whole range of different activities, you can work out in one of the free outdoor gyms, ride a pedal boat over the lake, join the big aerobic units every day at 7 pm, have a look at the exotic animals like different kinds of turtles and lizards or simply just have a quick nap on the large meadow, preferred in the shadow of a big Golden Rain tree.
photo: Al Pavangkanan | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
But back to the elevated bicycle path. You can enter the path at the northeast corner of the park via the entrance ramp, where the Wireless Road meets the Sarasin Alley. It's quite a hidden, as well as underrated spot since cycling in Bangkok is not too popular. But that also creates a special charm, you barely get bothered bypassing bikes and it's also one of the few places in Bangkok, where you are not surrounded by cars, noise, and dust. Since it's elevated you get a beautiful view of the city and all the tall, sparkling buildings. The Pathum Wan district is right under your feeds with its small crowded alleys and the traditional houses with there upper windows at eye level to the path. You can have a quick sneaky look into the residents daily life, but better don't stare too long!;) The path is lined with large, shady trees, which gives you a pleasant, calm feeling in the middle of the big city. On your way, you also have a good overview about Bangkok's unique architecture, a wild mix of traditional houses, next to modern buildings, small green gardens, densely built streets and the tangle of cables and signs.
The pathway finishes behind the Thai Tobacco Monopoly, (at the bottom of Suk Soi 4) which then cuts into Benjakiti Park, close to the Queen Sirikit Convention Center. With an area of 208.000 square meters, the park is a bit smaller than Lumpini park but provides its very own opportunities for recreation. Benjakiti is the only park in the city that has a dedicated path for cyclists and with the direct connection from Lumpini, a little bike tour would make perfect sense. The Ratchada Lake is the highlight of the park, with a stage in the middle for light and sound performances. It's also possible to rent canoes or pedal boats. Several pavilions invite you to take some rest from a stressful day between exotic plants, the idyllic lake and the gigantic skyscrapers in the background.
photo: Mark Fischer | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
photo: Mark Fischer | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
There's just one thing missing now. A really good book! Fortunately the Dasa Book Cafe is just a quick stroll from Benjakiti at 714/4 Sukhumvit Road. The perfect place to find a good reading for the park or just sit around and have a coffee between over 17,000 secondhand books sorted by genre, alphabetized by author and neatly shelved in an air-conditioned splendor. Beside English, they also have a huge selection of Spanish, French, German and even Dutch books. Dasa buys books from customers and gives store credit for trade-ins. So come around, after a relaxed day in the park, chat with some fellow book lovers and maybe find a old classic, hidden in the calm atmosphere of the huge bookshelves.