Bangkok - Dumnoen Saduak Floating Market

Day 3 AM

Woke up early on Day 3 as the itinerary for the first half of the day is to visit Dumnoen Saduak Floating Market, which is located in the Ratchaburi Province, about 105 km away from Bangkok. Since this Floating Market closes about mid-day, coupled with the long distance, you just need to start your journey early.

As Bangkok was once called the "Venice of the East", it is worth to pay a visit to at least one of the floating markets while you are in Bangkok. You get to see the old style and traditional way of selling and buying from small boats.

Being a free and easy trip, instead of joining a local tour, we took a bus from the Southern Bus Terminal to Dumnoen Saduak Floating Market. It took us about 2.5 hours to reach the so-called jetty near the Floating Market.

Take Bus No. 78 to Dumnoen Saduak Floating Market

Once we reached there, we were being approached by a boat tour operator asking us whether we want to hire a boat. The price offered by her is definitely a "cut-throat" tourist rate ~ 800 Baht per person for a 1-hour ride. She kept on pestering us to hire the boat and promoting to us what we would get to experience and see from the boat ride (blah blah blah~). Knowing that this is definitely not a fair and reasonable price to pay for, we did not agree to hire the boat but tried to bargain for a better rate. Yet, we still find it expensive even after some so-called price off given.

We then decided to walk to the Floating Market instead, when at this point of time, she was willing to reduce the rate to 500 Baht per boat. Imagine if there are 2 of us, it's only 250 Baht per person. If there are 3 of us, it's 167 Baht per person. Now, that's a huge difference from the initial rate offered !!! Also, remember to settle the fees before settling off :)

The boat ride covers a few canals ~ the boatman calls it the "Big Market" and the "Small Market" ...

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Routes covered by the boat ride

Long tail motor-operated boat which we hired :)

The sight of the Floating Market is something which you rarely get to see. Opened daily, it is routinely crowded with hundreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their boats selling and buying goods. Goods sold include food, fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, paintings and souvenirs, to name a handful.

Price wise, of course, don't expect very good bargain here as it is a tourist spot, and thus you should expect at least a tourist "rate" being charged.

Sightseeing and photo-taking are what I look forward to this visit here. Here are a handful of shots to share ...

Houses along the canals



Dumnoen Saduak Floating Market ~ I was there :p

Cooking on the boat

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What to eat and drink?

Fruits ... coconuts ... etc

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Paintings

Handicrafts


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Handicrafts and souvenirs

Handicrafts in a souvenir shop, the last destination of the boat ride

Bags :p

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Spicy ... or spices ... or spicy spices?
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Getting there by bus :
Take Bus No. 78 from the Southern Bus Terminal ~ air-conditioned bus, more comfortable :p
Each trip costs 64 Baht.

Note :
Bus driver drops you at the jetty (where the tour boat operator is) on the trip to the Floating Market. However, to catch the bus back to Bangkok, you would need to walk to the bus "terminal" instead.

From the jetty, walk to the main road (take the left turn at the juncture adjoining the main road). Go straight until you cross the flyover, of which head or "turn" right. The bus "terminal" is in front of the shops there.

You would pass by a police tourist information centre, so if you are lost or unsure on the direction, feel free to drop by and ask for direction :)

Another option ...

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For those who prefer to join a local tour to the Floating Market, the tour will probably include another stop to places such as the Rose Garden (where you can see Thai dancing, Thai boxing and a demonstration of a Thai wedding) and Samphan Elephant Farm.

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Next ~ Sam Sen Nai Philatelic Museum ...

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