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"Lean to the left a bit. Thank you. Right a bit, please."

These are not instructions at a pop concert or the doctor's surgery.

No. This is a guide seeking cooperation from passengers in a long-tailed boat touring Taling Chan canal.

The canal is narrow. When the boat changes direction the guide asks you to move left or right to make things easier and safer, too.

"This is fun ... leaning left and right," says Weerapong Thong-on, 21. "I've never been on a boat trip before. Breathing fresh and cool air and seeing the trees makes me feel fresh."

On a two-hour Taling Chan canal trip you experience a way of life and an environment you don't usually see in the city.

On either bank of the canal is vegetation and old, wooden houses. Young children are diving and splashing in the water.

As you pass houses the elderly greet you with a big smile and a wave.

"Both their ways of life and their friendliness are things we as city dwellers are unfamiliar with. It's hard to believe this still exists in Bangkok," says Patcharapong Pimpikanon, 25.

Some locals still travel by boat. Along the way there are vendors paddling the canal. You can stop and try the food - noodles and grilled pork balls.

You can buy Khao Laam (glutinous rice roasted in bamboo joints) and Kluay Khek (deep-fried sliced banana) along the trip.

The boat leaves every hour - but if you leave too late in the day you might miss all the great food.

A temple along the route offers bread to feed the fish.

"We enjoyed everything. We didn't have to do much. I just let life slow down for a while," Patcharapong says.

The last stop is an orchid nursery where a middle-aged man greets you and then explains how the flowers are bred and raised.

You can buy flowers, too ... but you'll have to bargain.

All along the route the good-humoured guide chatters away, describing what the boat passes.

The canal trip is run by the Taling Chan community. Its chief, Noppadon Masermsin, is encouraging eco-tourism and wants to keep the community's culture and lifestyle.

The trips are on weekends from 9.30am to 4.30pm. The boat leaves from Taling Chan River Market located near the Taling Chan District Office every hour - except during heavy rain.

Tickets are Bt70 for adults and Bt40 for children. There is a special trip to a snake farm at 1pm. The three-hour trip is Bt120 for adults and Bt60 for children.

For more information call (081) 374 7616.

By Suwicha Chanitnun

The Nation