Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [187]
Samed Cliff Resort ( 0 2635 0800; Ao Noi Na; d 1700-2800B; ) These whitewashed bungalows set into the hillside are older and less stylish but cheaper and still perfectly comfortable.
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FLOATING MARKETS
Pictures of floating markets (đà·làht nám) jammed full of wooden canoes pregnant with colourful exotic fruits have defined the official tourist profile of Thailand for decades. The idyllic scenes are as iconic as the Grand Palace or the Reclining Buddha, but they are also almost completely contrived for, and dependent upon, tourists. Roads and motorcycles have long moved Bangkokians’s daily errands onto dry ground.
The most famous of the breed – the one you’ve seen photographed hundreds of times – is the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (Khlong Damnoen Saduak; 7am-noon daily). You can hire a boat from any pier that lines Th Sukhaphiban 1, which is the land route to the floating market area. The going rate is 150B per person per hour, but you’ll need to haggle to get it. The 100-year-old market is now essentially a floating souvenir stand filled with package tourists. This in itself can be a fascinating insight into Thai culture, as the vast majority of tourists here are Thais, and watching the approach to this cultural ‘theme park’ is instructive. But beyond the market, the residential canals are quite peaceful and can be explored by hiring a boat for a longer duration. South of the floating market are several small family businesses, including a Thai candy maker, a pomelo (shaddock, a type of citrus) farm and a knife crafter.
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TRANSPORT: FLOATING MARKETS
Damnoen Saduak
Distance from Bangkok 65km
Direction Southwest
Travel Time Two hours
Bus Air-con buses (80B) go direct from Thonburi’s Southern Bus Terminal (Map) to Damnoen Saduak at least every 40 minutes, beginning at 5.50am. Most buses will drop you off at a pier along the klorng, where you can hire a boat directly to the floating market. The regular bus stop is in town just across the bridge. A yellow sǒrng·tăa·ou (5B) does a frequent loop between the floating market and the bus stop in town.
Don Wai Market
Distance from Bangkok 50km
Direction Southwest
Travel Time 1½ hours
The easiest way to reach Don Wai Market is to take a minibus (45B, 35 minutes) from beside Central Pinklao (Map) in Thonburi.
Amphawa Market
Distance from Bangkok 80km
Direction Southwest
Travel Time 1½ hours
Buses run every 40 minutes from Thonburi’s Southern Bus Terminal (Map) directly to Amphawa (72B).
Tha Kha Floating Market
Distance from Bangkok 55km
Direction Southwest
Travel Time Two hours
Tours can be organised through Baan Tai Had Resort.
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Not technically a swimmer, Don Wai Market (Talat Don Wai; 6am-6pm daily) claims a riverbank location in Nakhon Pathom province, having originally started out in the early 20th century as a floating market for pomelo and jackfruit growers and traders. As with many tourist attractions geared towards Thais, the main attraction here is food, including fruit, traditional sweets and Ъèt pah·lóh (five-spice stewed duck), which can be consumed aboard large boats that cruise Nakhorn Chaisi River (60B, one hour).
The Amphawa Floating Market (Ðà·làht nám am·pá·wah; 4-9pm Fri-Sun), about 7km northwest of Samut Songkhram, convenes near Wat Amphawa. If you can get your timing right, several nearby floating markets meet in the mornings on particular lunar days and tend to be mainly tourist-free zones. Tha Kha Floating Market ( 2nd, 7th & 12th day of waxing & waning moons, & 7am-noon each Sat & Sun) is one notable example, coalescing along an open, breezy klorng lined with greenery and old wooden houses.
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INFORMATION
Baan Tai Had Resort ( 0 3476 7220; www.baantaihad.com; 1 Moo 2, Th Tai Had, Samut Songkhram) Rents kayaks and organises trips for exploring the Amphawa and Tha Kha markets.
Bike & Travel ( 0 2990 0274; www.cyclingthailand.com) This tour