In recent times, 'bicycles' have become increasingly influential in urban society.
This time, we would like to recommend tourist attractions for those who enjoy cycling.
You don't have to travel far and you can still experience the community that still maintains the traditional way of life of the villagers. When you're ready, we'll take you and your friends to cycle and enjoy the scenery at Bang Krachao .

Bang Krachao is located in Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan Province. The shape of the area resembles a stomach surrounded by the Chao Phraya River. It is a lush green area with a large community forest park, which was recognized by Time Magazine in 2006 as The Best Urban Oasis of Asia.

Let's start with the journey first, shall we? For traveling to Bang Kra Jao, it's not difficult. You can go by many routes, but we'll focus on traveling for those who don't have a private car. We recommend visiting on Saturdays or Sundays because the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market and the museum will be open for you to visit. Then you won't have wasted your trip.

Electric train

- BTS: Get off at Bang Na Station, Exit 2 (Wat Bang Na Nai) and take a taxi to Wat Bang Na Nok Pier for about 50 baht. If you are alone, there are motorcycle taxis available. Tell the motorcycle taxi driver to go to Wat Bang Na Nok Pier for 20 baht. Then take a ferry across the river to Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nok Pier for 4 baht per trip. This ferry can also carry motorcycles or bicycles for 10 baht per trip. The ferry comes every 10 minutes. (We chose this route ^^)

- MRT: Get off at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center Station, Exit 4 (Soi Phai Singto). Then take a taxi to Wat Khlong Toei Nok Pier, which costs around 50 baht. Then take a boat across to Bang Krachao Pier.

Bus

- Take bus number 4, 72, 72A, 102, or 102A, which terminates at the Port Authority of Thailand. Walk along the wall of Wat Khlong Toei Nok Temple for about 200 meters and then take a boat to Bang Krachao Pier.

At Bang Nam Phueng Nok Temple Pier

Upon arriving at the pier, the first thing we looked for was a bicycle rental shop. There are many bicycle rental shops in Bang Krachao, so it's up to you to choose which one. The rental prices vary from shop to shop, and some shops offer promotions to attract customers. The shop we chose is located on the right-hand side as you walk out of the pier. The shop is called Dang & Maem, and their phone number is shown in the picture below.

This shop is owned by a local council member. (The locals joke that the council member's bike is parked everywhere and never gets lost, haha!) This shop has a variety of bicycles to choose from, depending on your preference. The price is very affordable at 60 baht for the whole day! And there's a promotion where you get a free return boat ticket. Hehe... Don't forget to return the bike by 6 pm. I was over 20 minutes late returning it, but they still waited for me. Sorry! Once you've chosen your bike, don't forget to ask the shop to pump up the tires. When everything is ready, pay, leave your ID card, and let's explore Bang Kra Jao! I chose a city bike because it has a front basket for carrying things. Hehe.

Recommendations

1. In this hot weather, don't forget to bring drinking water to quench your thirst. It will give you the energy to cycle. Prepare an inhaler. Um, is it necessary? Just in case, haha.

2. I recommend renting separate bikes instead of riding double. The paths are narrow, and it's easy to get into an accident. Plus, Bang Krachao is several kilometers long, so you'll be doing the rider a favor. 😉

3. Upon returning, you may experience leg tremors or pain. It's a good idea to have some massage oil on hand. With concern from the topic owner, Ping Ping.

Map of Ecotourism Attractions

The first place we're going to is Phop Rak Na Bang Nam Phueng Restaurant. This restaurant was once the filming location for the drama "Phop Rak" starring Mark Prin and Bella Ranee. Anyone who watched it? .. The reason we chose to come here first is because we're hungry, that's all. Haha! An army marches on its stomach, right! .. After leaving the bike rental shop, we rode straight ahead. Follow the road and you'll find Phop Rak Restaurant, but you'll see Bangkok Tree House first. From what we read in the reviews, Bangkok Tree House has quite high food prices, but the atmosphere is great for taking pictures. So we decided to come back and take pictures in the evening on our way back, so we decided to skip this restaurant and head straight to Phop Rak Restaurant. ..

There are signs along the way, so you don't have to worry about getting lost.

We have arrived at the Pob Rak Restaurant in Bang Nam Phueng.

The atmosphere at the restaurant is incredibly romantic. The seats in that area could be called VIP, as they are very private and perfect for a romantic evening.

We're happy with just this table by the water, haha.

Here's what we ordered: Tom Yum Seafood Fried Rice for 120 baht and Butterfly Pea Honey Lemon for 55 baht per glass. As for the taste of the food here, we give it a 10/10. Very filling and delicious, highly recommended.

With full bellies, we continued our journey. According to the map, Baan Thup was the closest to our current location, so we decided to head there. The map we had was a bit difficult to follow, but we managed to ask for directions from the locals. The villagers were very friendly and even stopped their cars to let us pass when we were driving on the same road. Before reaching Baan Thup, we came across a house where they taught people how to make herbal compresses. The smell of herbs was very strong as we cycled past, but we didn't stop there. We continued driving to Baan Thup.

The Aromatic Incense House This community enterprise is a source of learning about local wisdom and the Thai way of life through various activities, such as tie-dyeing, Thai cooking, and incense making. The Aromatic Incense House also offers local guide services for 300 baht per day and has bicycles available for rent. You can contact them here: 02-815-0729. On this trip, we recommend supporting local guides because they are local people who know the tourist attractions better than non-local guides. Plus, it's a way to generate income for the community. We highly recommend it if you're interested in a guide. Oh! I forgot to mention that incense making and cooking classes need to be booked in advance. They usually only teach large groups (they're not usually available for walk-ins on weekdays because most groups come on weekdays. On Saturdays and Sundays, they only accept walk-in customers). Foreigners, such as Chinese tours, French tours, or other international tourists, often visit here.

The production of aromatic herbal incense. The unique formula used here is a special one. The various scents are derived from natural herbs that have been adapted into incense scents, such as orange peel, lemongrass, kaffir lime, turmeric, cinnamon, and neem (Indians are particularly fond of this scent and often order large quantities for export). The incense has the property of repelling mosquitoes and has a pleasant aroma. The uncle who taught me how to make incense said that they are currently experimenting with a black pepper scent. How novel, right? We usually only encounter scents like rose, lavender, and jasmine. This is what makes this place unique, creating a point of difference for their products. They even take products that we might consider useless, such as the sawdust from sawing bamboo, and experiment with mixing them with other things until they can be molded into incense sticks. Anyone interested in making aromatic herbal incense themselves can learn for only 60 baht.

Main ingredients

1. Ground mango wood

2. Ground sticky wood

3. Bamboo core

4. Various herbs such as orange peel, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, turmeric, cinnamon, and neem.

5. Other ingredients such as water, food coloring, and lemongrass oil

Production process

1. Wash and grind the herbs into a fine powder using a grinder or a stone mortar and pestle.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Knead the dough until it is soft and add food coloring for a beautiful color.

4. Take the prepared bamboo sticks and shape the mixed ingredients into sticks, leaving a small amount at the bottom.

5. Dry the incense sticks in the sun for about 2-3 days. It should be in the shade. Wait for the incense to dry. Do not dry it in direct sunlight as it may cause the incense to break.

6. Then, bake in an oven at approximately 100 degrees Celsius for about 1 hour.

7. Packaged for distribution

Small incense sticks burn for about 45 minutes, while large incense sticks burn for about 4 hours.

**Tie-dyeing** taught by the Bang Nam Phueng Housewives Group, who came to the vocational training and then helped teach tourists how to tie-dye. .. First, we have to choose the fabric and pattern. There are 2 types of fabric to choose from: large fabric, 120 baht, small fabric (half of the large fabric), 100 baht. We chose the large one because we came all the way. Let me tell you that I have never done tie-dyeing before, this is my first time. ..

There are many patterns to choose from, such as plain patterns, floral patterns, triangle patterns, snail patterns, double snails, single snails, snail patterns, and even custom patterns. I saw someone making a heart pattern, but we chose the single snail pattern (I secretly asked the teacher which pattern was the most difficult, and the teacher said that the snail pattern was the most difficult, but it was also the most popular). What will our single snail tie-dye fabric look like? Let's take a look together....

1. Place the chopsticks in the center of the fabric and gradually twist and gather the pleats (Figure 1). When you feel resistance while twisting the fabric, gradually arrange the edges of the fabric to curve along the line until all the edges are aligned (Figure 2). 2. Use a rubber band to tie the fabric we twisted, dividing it into sections like a pizza (Figure 3). We chose to have 5 sections, so the colors on the fabric will have 5 colors (Figure 4).

3. Once the compartments are divided, gently pull out the chopsticks and spray water on them to ensure that the color will penetrate evenly when we apply it (Figure 5).

4. Then we will go to color it (picture 6)

The colors used will be tie-dye colors. The tie-dye group will provide us with gloves before we apply the colors. Dip the fabric thoroughly so that the colors can penetrate evenly. Apply the colors to each section as you wish. The top color will be the bottom color (a teacher will be present to assist with the color application. You can ask the teacher for advice).

The tie-dye group offers 5 shades of color: yellow, blue, navy, orange, and pink. If you want other colors, you have to mix them yourself. Apply the color theory that we learned before, such as blue mixed with pink will give you purple, blue mixed with yellow will give you green, etc.

5. Once you've colored everything in, you'll have something like picture 7. Do you like the colors we chose? ^^

6. Once finished, wrap the tissue paper (Figure 8) and press it to spread the color evenly. The tissue paper will help absorb the color, making it smoother (Figure 9).

7. Gently peel off the tissue paper (Figure 10)

8. Let's hang our tie-dye fabric out in the sun to dry. The sun is so strong, it will dry quickly for sure.

This is our masterpiece! Amazing! Applause! ..

Note: When you arrive home, please air it indoors for 2 days and then wash it with plain water twice. This completes the ceremony.

A heartwarming experience When we first arrived at Baan Thup, we were warmly welcomed by an uncle (I forgot to ask his name). He made us feel very comfortable and at home. While we were waiting for our clothes to dry, he kept offering us cold water and making sure we were comfortable. He was very kind and polite. After our activity, we were going to continue to Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market. We looked at the map and were a bit confused. The same uncle came to suggest that we go through the back of the house, which would be closer and faster. After giving us clear directions, we followed the path he suggested. When we arrived at Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, we found that the uncle had followed us on his bicycle. He came to make sure we didn't get lost. It was so kind of him! We will never forget his kindness. ..

Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market This market is open only on Saturdays and Sundays. Tourists will stop by for lunch here. There are many community products to choose from to buy and eat.

If you come around noon, it will be a bit crowded. If you come in the late afternoon or evening, the market will start to wind down.

Don't be afraid of the heat when walking through the floating market in the summer. We have a place to recommend for you to sit and relax to cool down. The shop is called "Fresh Milk House". Come and visit and relax for free!

They also sell 'Mieng Kam' here. Small set 20 baht, large set 30 baht, take-home set 35 baht.

This place also sells old-fashioned coffee and refreshing drinks. It's nice to sit and sip a cold drink on a hot day. The prices are also very reasonable.

The atmosphere at the shop is a Thai-style house. The space under the house is used as a resting place for tourists to experience the ancient house. There is a gentle breeze blowing, making it a great place to sit and relax from the heat.

Alright! When you've rested and recovered from your fatigue, the next route will be a long bike ride. The next place we're going is the Thai Fighting Fish Museum. Let's go! From the market, head towards Khop Bua sub-district. Keep cycling along the path, there will be signs at intervals. If you're not sure, just ask the locals. The cycling route is quite long, as I mentioned earlier, my legs were shaking and my butt was sore. But since we're here, let's go all the way, right? ..

The Thai Fighting Fish Museum was established to promote ecotourism in the form of a 'museum for learning and relaxation'. Tourists will learn about the history of the Thai fighting fish and the beauty of the various fighting fish species on display, such as the long-tailed fighting fish, the pot-bellied fighting fish, the giant fighting fish, and the crescent-tailed fighting fish.

Open every Saturday-Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. .. Ride a bicycle along the Srinakarin Dam Public Park route, the museum will be a little further than the park. There is no admission fee, but it is a donation to the box according to your faith. Don't forget to register in the visitor's book. Bicycles must be parked in the area provided by the museum in front and walk around the atmosphere. .. The museum has a coffee shop. After cycling, you can stop by for a drink to relieve your fatigue.

After taking a break to rest, we cycled back to Sri Nakhon Khuan Khan Park. ...

Sri Nakhon Khan Park

Also known as "Sri Park" for short, this park is a popular spot for locals to relax and enjoy the outdoors. In the evenings, people come to walk, sit, feed the fish, ride bikes, and exercise. The atmosphere is similar to that of Rot Fai Park or Chatuchak Park. The park is open from 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM and vehicles are not allowed inside.

At the water pavilion near the entrance bridge, you can rent bicycles for 30 baht per hour. If you come by car, you can park and rent a bike from here.

This Sri Park also has a landmark. If you look at the map of Sri Park, you have to go to point 14, the bird watching tower (we rode our bikes around many times but couldn't find it. We are not good at reading maps, haha). But we did arrive at the bird watching tower.

The three-story bird-watching tower offers a stunning view from the top, making it a popular photo spot and a landmark for visitors. Almost everyone who comes here takes a picture.

We stayed here until the evening, but we didn't get to go to the Bangkok Tree House. On the way back, we rushed back as fast as we could before the sun went down. But on the way back, we passed the Chang Daeng mushroom farm. Hey, we love mushrooms, we want to stop by. Just a little bit, okay? We came all the way here, so let's stop by. ^___^

**Chang Daeng Mushroom Farm** is a learning center for mushroom cultivation, covering topics such as spawn cultivation, mushroom cultivation, and care. The farm boasts a wide variety of mushrooms, including lingzhi, Hungarian, Himalayan, and oyster mushrooms. They also offer processed mushroom products and health drinks, which are sold as OTOP products. Come visit, explore, taste, and shop at this wonderful farm!

The Red Mushroom Farm also offers bike tours, with a guide who will take you on a bike ride through all the nooks and crannies of the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market and Kung Bang Kachao. You can contact P'Pond at this number: 084-082-1140. The price is negotiable. FB: PonponTourGreenZone or the page "Ordinary Bicycle, But... Takes You Everywhere". You can like their page, they are very friendly and fun to talk to. .. For those who love to eat mushrooms, this is also a restaurant. We had dinner here. All the menu items are related to mushrooms (no meat, it's vegetarian). .. We ordered 3 dishes to try, everything was delicious and we ate everything. We really like mushrooms. The damage was about 150 baht for the three dishes. ^_^

The first menu is battered and fried mushrooms. I highly recommend this menu. It's crispy, the mushrooms aren't chewy at all, delicious, and satisfying.

The second menu, mushroom salad. This menu for us, we are indifferent. We can eat it and finish it, but we secretly like the first menu more ^^

The third menu, mushroom jelly, is a sweet dessert that you can enjoy. It's a jelly with mushroom inside, which is a bit strange. .. I'm full now, and the sun is about to set. Let's hurry and head to Bangkok Tree House. Will we make it? Let's find out. ..

**Bangkok Tree House** We arrived here just as the sun was setting. Bangkok Tree House is both a hotel and a restaurant. We arrived around 6pm and the restaurant was already closed, leaving only guests who were staying there. The place is stylishly decorated and is a favorite among tourists who love to take photos. There are many cool corners to explore. You can come in and walk around, admire the place, or stop by for a bite to eat. However, the food is a bit pricey for us. Delicious or not, come and see for yourself. We didn't get to try it because we were busy chatting elsewhere ^^ All we could do was take photos of the atmosphere around us to share with our friends.

Note: Thank you for the pictures from the SONY A5000 and Iphone 6S cameras that gave us beautiful pictures throughout this trip.
(All pictures are unedited, I want the pictures to be as real as possible, according to the quality of the camera)

Thank you to everyone who followed, if there is any mistake, I apologize here. I am happy to receive all comments and suggestions.
Thank you to Pang Fak, the traveling couple who joined us on this trip and took the pictures for us on this trip.

.. See you on the next trip ..