To go to the floating market you have to wake up very early since the market closes about mid-day. In our case we left our hotel around 7 am for the two-hour drive to the market.
Along the way we stopped at a rest stop, the orchid farm, which was already full of tourists (tourist trap?). The 15-minute stop allowed us to browse the stalls selling local handicrafts and souvenirs. They also took our pictures candidly and tried to sell them when we were about to leave.
From the rest stop, it was another 30-minute drive to the boat ride to the market. We then boarded a motorized boat to go to the real market. The ride was thrilling and it was interesting to see friendly locals engaging in their various activities. After about 30 minutes, we arrived at the floating market.
The market was full of sellers, selling everything from fruit, noodles, everyday necessities, to souvenirs, handicrafts, and spices. We roamed the market for about an hour, had fun testing our bargaining skills and bought fried bananas, coconuts, some spices, durians (not to be missed), and mangoes.
The market was full of tourists and some say it's too commercialized now that it had lost some of its original charms. But I still feel it was a good experience. Definitely one of the high points of our visit to Thailand.
Leave a Comment
Address: Damnernsaduak
Directions: About 2 hours by car outside Bangkok city center
email me
add as friend
on Jun 1, 2004
Comments for latte18 about Bangkok