There are bike tours available to the White Temple and other destinations, I even read there was a map with a route to go there on a bike, but I didn’t find it. So I made my own route! This article will give you tips on how to go there on a bike, and a recommended route.The White Temple is 13 km away from the town centre. Try to go through the fields and avoid the main roads, and it’s gonna be more like 20 km, so 40 km return. With stops for food and visiting the temple, you might be out for 5 hours.
Also, check out my bicycle itinerary for the Black Temple (Baandam Museum)!
Before you go
Don’t give the weather a chance to ruin your trip. Check the weather and plan your return before the storms. In rainy season mornings tend to be clear, but there can be huge storms after 2pm.Some trails go between rice fields and can be quite muddy even on a clear day. Take a bike that can do it, and dress accordingly. Pack loads of water, a hat, and apply sunscreen everywhere several times.
Where to find the bikes
You can rent bikes from shops in the city center for 60 to 150 THB for a day. Some guesthouses offer them for free. I stayed at Ti Amo Central Guest House, for 240 THB I had a single room with fan, buffet breakfast, free bikes. Probably a low season deal!
How to plan
Google Maps has a very precise map of the area. You would think it doesn’t include the narrowest trails, but actually it does. And when a trail ends on Google Maps, it usually doesn’t continue further. Check the satellite view to choose the most scenic trails.I realized after this trip that the GPS app Here Wego does a pretty good job calculating bicycle itineraries, avoiding the busy roads etc. And, it doesn’t need data if you download the maps in advance.GPS will help you A LOT for that sort of countryside trip. Make SURE you’ll have enough battery until the end, otherwise there will be no other easy way back home than taking the main roads, and you don’t want that.
Suggested route
Start and finish: city centre (Clock Tower)
Distance: 40 km
Time: 5 hours including temple visits, lunch break, and getting lost numerous times.
Things to see: rice fields, rural houses, lots of lakes, lots of temples, funky little bridges, cheap eateries. And the White Temple, the most steampunk temple of Thailand, well worth the sweat!
Difficulty: some muddy trails, potholes. Also some very easy suburban streets. Although most of this route avoids car traffic, some bits here and there are on main roads: be extra careful.
I stopped at Big C (shoping mall / supermarket) for lunch on the way back. There’s a food court and A/C! There is also a cheap shop for visa photos there. Central World is also another big shopping mall across the road.
Itinerary from the city to the White Temple (west) :
Click here to view the map in detail.
Itinerary from the White Temple to the city (east) :
Click here to view the map in detail.
Here are some interesting sights on the way to the White Temple:
The White Temple itself
NB: There’s also a big, free and awesome art gallery to check out, but it’s not allowed to take any pictures. Among other things you can see a painting of Bush Jr and Obama riding a rocket together.
NB2: Photo taking is not allowed either in the main building. It’s the most steampunk and geeky of all, you can see murals with Spiderman, Pinhead from Hellraiser, etc. Unexpected!
And on the way back:
[…] trip is feasible but not as entertaining as the bicycle trip to the White Temple. I didn’t find a way to to come back to town by a completely different route, so instead of […]