Fancy seeing Bangkok, land of crazy traffic, on a bike by night?

When I first heard that Grasshopper Adventures was running a Bangkok Bike Tour, I thought it was a joke. It’s hard enough to cross the road by foot, let alone roll about by pedal power. And then I discovered they also run the tour at night, and I thought for sure these guys are crazy – and I signed up right away.

All good inventions take a while to catch on, but for the brilliance behind designing this cycling tour in Bangkok was to keep the bikes off the road and in the back streets.

“Every day, I used to ride to work along the canals and footpaths, and I never had to worry about being run over by a tuk-tuk,” says Ae Thagoon, who runs the tours for Grasshopper Adventures.

The rides are available any day of the week and are guaranteed to run even if there’s only one customer. Tours begin a few streets back from Khao San Road, in an area of Banglamphoo that is popular with locals for its markets and temples. It is easy to get there by land or water.

We get on our bikes just before the sun goes down, so we can get familiar with the gear before darkness sets in. The path ahead is completely flat. so there’s no need to work the gears to hard, but the brakes are an essential element for a safe ride.

Once you know you can pull up in an instant, it is easier to wander about with a little of confidence. For day trips, the level of skill required to get around town is very low. You don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to do the tour – all you need is good balance on the bike and be prepared to take it slow when the path gets narrow.

The itinerary is as much about stopping to enjoy the highlights as it is the riding. Entering the grounds of Wat Po at night reveals a new world of peace and tranquility that would be hard to imagine during daytime when thousands of visitors ramble past the temples. The soft glow of floodlights bounces of the stupas. You can’t visit the reclining Buddha at this hour or the night, but the smell of incense still wafts through the air to remind you that this is a living place of worship.

Wat Po and Wat Arun are the starts of this journey, but the smaller temples in minor streets are equally entrancing. Bangkok is filled to the brim with Buddhist devotion, which is one reason the people in the city are so nice. Every community has its own temple, a central point for the gathering of harmony and kindness. When you have the time to explore these lesser known locations, you will get a different feel for the city.

A certain charm
Grubby tuk-tuks and epileptic taxi drivers are not what Bangkok is about – it’s the generations of families living together in small homes along rivers and streets that define the city’s charm. Typical of any Asian city, the “charm” does tend to spill onto the street, and as we ride through cloistered neighborhoods, we encounter the hazards of low-hung laundry, cooking over the hot coals and children inventing new ball games.

The sudden arrival of cyclists and flashing lights cause a stir with the kids, and they pop out of the darkness to wave and scream in excitement. Even the grandmothers get a little overwhelmed sometimes, and they too give a grin and a chuckle.

Bangkok is a city of canals and klongs that form a network of waterways feeding off the Chao Phraya River. This is where much of the city’s life takes place. The footpaths and lanes that connect the klongs to major thoroughfares are not very wide, which make them ideal for cyclists. It’s these smaller streets that make Bangkok such a great place for two-wheeled transportations.

Paths along the bike rise not only get narrow, but they can also look a little wet at times. One section that follows the klong for several hundred meters suddenly does a left turn and heads out across the water. This trail that leads away from terra firma is a little mysterious in the dark, but it eventually returns back to the river banks.

Locals to Bangkok like Ae Thagoon would not dream of taking a taxi or bus to get across town. They are not trying to be eco-friendly, they just know how simple it is to grab a bike and head into the backstreets. In the absence of traffic lights and traffic jams, the distance from one side of town to the other seems small. And you don’t have to race along at breakneck speed either. A gentle pace gets you around in very little time.

The duration of a tour depends on your group and how long you want to stay and play at the temples and markets. Day-trippers may find themselves engrossed in smaller markets across the river in Thonburi, while the night-riders can get easily distracted by the variety of street eats on offer.

Two-wheeled adventures in Bangkok are not merely a way to see the city, but they give you the rare chance to experience life through the eyes of local folks.

Facts:
Grasshopper Adventures offers half-day bike tours around Bangkok on any day of the week for just 1000 Thai Baht, and the three-to-four-hour night ride for 1100 Thai Baht. Book online at www.grasshopperadventures.com or call telephone +66 (0)87 929 5208.

Taking a ferry from Singapore to the island of Bintan, Indonesia for a relaxing break.

Being a stone’s throw from Singapore those who are time-starved can get some R&R just 55 minutes away by ferry. Bintan Island, Indonesia, offers all the beachside appeal of Singapore without the stress.

Bintan is just 40 kilometers from Singapore and is the largest of the Riau Islands. Tanjung Pinang, the Riau capital, is located at the south-western tip of Bintan. While its sister island Batam has developed into an industrial town with substantial Singaporean investments, Bintan has become the resort playground of the Riau Islands and is a favourite among Singaporeans.

Bintan is blessed with beautiful white beaches and year-around tropical weather. Take a South Bintan tour that brings you to the heart of this island that is Tanjung Pinang, Senggarang and Pulau Penyengat. Explore Tanjung Pinang’s fish and fruit markets; seasoned Singaporeans often haul home snacks and condiments by the truckloads.

Architecturally, Bintan is rich with heritage sites, clustered in Pulau Penyengat, centre of the Malay Riau-Lingga empire. These include an old Dutch fort built in the 18th century and the Sultan of Riau Grand Mosque which is believed to have been built with egg white!

Although Bintan, being part of Indonesia, is a Muslim island, Senggarang is a Chinese fishing settlement and filled with centuries-old Buddhist temples, making it a popular pilgrimage site.

Visitors can even opt for trendy eco tours. Explore a traditional Indonesian kampung (village) and watch how they weave pandan leaves and tap trees for rubber.

The big bintan outdoors
Bintan is built for the sporty traveler. Gunung Bintan is situated at 340 meters, the highest point in all of Riau. Once an active volcano, it’s now called a mountain and a must-trek for the outdoorsy visitor.

Lagoi Park and Reservoir is a large (14,7 square kilometers) reservoir that supplies potable water to all the island’s resorts, and is open to kayak enthusiasts.

For company outings, Bintan offers a menu of corporate training activities. Paintball is a big favourite, with companies playing out scenarios of team rescue and hostage situations.

For a more edgy team-building exercise, there is the Adventure Training Centre. Teams climb up a tower using tight-ropes and rickety ladders. Fastest team to make it to the top (and over the only way down is by flying fox) wins. It is unnerving stuff that is meant to emotionally glue you to your workmates. That may or may not work, but the exercise is definitely fun.

All-in-one-holiday
On Bintan Island, there are plenty of hotels to stay at – Mana Mana Beach Club is the choice of backpackers and swinging singles; Angsana Resort and Spa Bintan for girlfriends who prioritise their spa treatments; and luxury hotel Banyan Tree for canoodling couples.

For the family (or families) with multiple kids and maybe even grandparents, nothing beats Bintan Lagoon Resort. This resort is also a favourite with corporations due to its sheer size.

Bintan Lagoon is the largest resort on Bintan Island, covering over 300 hectares of ground, much of which faces the tranquil South China Sea. There are 473 rooms, suits and villas, all tastefully done up in a modern Balinese style.

The Foral Suites are built for honeymooning couples, with a jacuzzi and private sundeck, while the Forest Suits offer separate living areas for parents and an adjoining suite for two children.

For VIPs, there are two huge suits – the Indraloka and Swargaloka, which come with separate living areas, sofa lounges and executive club access.

Private villa
The best options for families is the villa. There are three types which vary in size and view, and all are equipped with a kitchen and BBQ facilities. The largest of these, the Angsoka villa offers plenty of creature comforts. Watch DVDs indoor all day or dip in the private pool in the back garden. The villas are located a few minutes away from the main hotel, so every villa is equipped with a golf buggy so you can get to the big pool or restaurants for meal.

If you’d rather have your food come to you, full-service in-room BBQ dining is available. For SGD 200, there is enough food for 10 adults. A professional “BBQer” will do the grilling for you.

At the resort, two grand pools, including one with a waterslide, are guaranteed to keep your kids busy for hours. The beach is just a minute away – relax with a book and gaze at the clear horizon.

The resort also offers activities in the unlikely event guests get bored: Archery, all-terrain vehicles, beach volleyball, go-carting, petanque, elephant rides, laserquests as well as seasports such as snorkeling, scuba-diving and jet ski. or just enjoy a massage in the privacy of your own villa or a sala by the beach.

Dinner at Nelayan, the beachside restaurant, is highly recommended. Take your pick from a huge spread of fresh seafood – snapper, prawn, lobster – or sirloin steaks for meat eaters. Your selection is freshly grilled and served with a buffet of salads, starches and dessert.

Work of all that food in the championship 18-hole golf courses. Both are designed by golf legends, Jack Nicklaus and Ian Baker-Finsh. Each offer different terrain, landscapes and water hazards to challenge golfers of all standards.

Where to stay:
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Jalan Indera Segara, Bintan Utara,
Lagoi, Riau, Indonesia

Telephone: +62 (0) 770 691388 (Indonesia)
or: +65 6750 2280 (Singapore)

Things to do:
BRC Nature and Heritage Tours
Telephone: +62 (0) 770 692092 (Indonesia)