Short Cuts: Bangkok

2 minute read
TIME

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE Nancy Chandler’s technicolor map of Bangkok has been around for almost 30 years. Now in its 21st edition, it is still the best guide to the city, providing useful, fun and downright quirky recommendations of things to see, do, buy and eat in Bangkokor Krung Thep as it is known to Thais. Its detailed commentaries, scribbled at practically every intersection and tourist sight, make a regular guidebook unnecessary. When it comes to visiting the labyrinthine Chatuchak weekend market, her exhaustive rundown of shops and stalls is essential for finding what you want, as well as finding a way out.

SUNSET STROLL The small island of Ko Kred, about 10 km north of Bangkok, makes for a wonderful escape from the oppressive crush of the city’s streets. The lush island is known for the fine quality of its clay and its skilled artisans who craft intricately decorated pottery as well as the more utilitarian red flowerpots seen all over Bangkok. The concrete path that circles the 1,000 hectare island can be walked in about an hour and a half. Go in the late afternoon, when the air is cooler and families sit out on their front porches preparing dinner. After a few hours of hearing nothing louder than the calls of cranes, Bangkok’s rush and roar will be forgotten. The river oasis can be reached by water taxi from Nonthaburi for about $7 for a round trip.

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com