If you have been following my solo adventures, previously I wrote about Wat Pho Temple Now, I'll take you to one of Thailand's famous floating market, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi province. I guess many of you who have gone here share the same sentiments about this place! Bustling if not yet crazy.
Again, this is a DIY trip because I don't want to spend more than what I budgeted for. So I took the bus from Bangkok to Ratchaburi. It was an hour or so until I reached the bus terminal near my destination. One thing I should tell you, my secret of not getting lost was google map. It was such a big help back then especially when no one can show me directions.
I was on the same bus with this guy, overheard him talked to the bus driver and other locals how to get to the market. So, I invited him to walk with me since we were heading to the same direction. It took us 30 minutes of walk to get to Damnoen Saduak and getting to know each other. His name is Marco 😏. Once we got to the entrance of the market, unfortunately we parted ways. 😩
I did a little bit of sight seeing once I was alone again. I don't recall any entrance ticket to be paid. It was exciting to be there once I saw the dozens of boats moving along the waters. A totally different culture and experience I must say. And Its amazing how they made their canals as a primary place for economic development.
After checking some food which costs much, I decided to forsake eating and go for the boat ride. I should do that at least since I was already there. Little did I know, Marco and I bumped into each other near the boat terminal. Yes, meant to be and cheesy! 😂 We decided to do the boat ride together. We paid 300 baht each for 30 minutes of the boat ride.
During my initial planning of this trip, I wanted to squeeze as much places to visit in a few days. For Thailand, I only had 4 days. The floating market sure came up during my research. Tourists flock the area for the "experience" and shopping. I already knew that the place was going to be jam packed with people that is why I decided to come here on a weekday. But I wasn't expecting this.
Boats bumping each other. At one point we weren't able to move for about 10 minutes. Me and the other tourists from the other boats were just looking at each other, smiling because of the predicament we were in.
The highlight for the place was in fact the dozens of floating stalls lined up. The souvenirs and products such as clothes, figurines, paintings, and hats were in fact beautiful however I just cant afford to buy anything because of the crazy mark up they placed on the items. Yes, you can haggle all the way but prices are still too much.
Food are also sold in their floating boats. Some have affordable prices, others don't. From noodles, to seafoods, to fresh fruits, to coconut ice cream! yes, you can find delicious foods here.
Our 30 minutes of boat ride turned to 40 minutes which was worth it. I think you will be paying more if you did those tours from travel agencies. Also, I did somehow enjoyed my short date with Marco 😏 despite the absurd and bustling place we were in. And no, we didn't exchanged numbers.
Do I recommend this place? Yes for those who want to experience their culture, No for those who can't handle crowded places.
Before I end this piece, I will showcase some shots I got featuring all the women I passed by during my boat ride. I was not expecting women to be mostly steering the boats. Hats off to all hardworking women out there.
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