Sightseeing in and around Bangkok
Oct 25, 2015, 12:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,677
Sightseeing in and around Bangkok
This report was going to recount my recent trip to Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Sakhon. However, I felt that rather than write individual reports on different places I had visited I thought it best to amalgamate my recent trips to Thailand and include it all in one report. It would give readers an opportunity to see what could be achieved in a few days in and around Bangkok. This is clearly not a complete nor comprehensive list, as obviously there are plenty of other things.
As such you can surmise that I didn't do this all in one trip, but there is nothing stopping you from doing these over a couple of days.
There are some YouTube videos but for all the photos, please visit my website.
For information about how I got to Bangkok and where I stayed, you can find my flight report here and also the hotel that I stayed at the Arcadia Suites, Bangkok, Thailand.
Amphawa Floating Market, Samut Sakhon, Thailand
I wanted to visit a traditional floating market and many guidebooks suggest Damnoen Saduak. In my painful attempt to be different and be cool I asked around for an alternate and came up with Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Sakhon, about 2 hours outside Bangkok.
The image of floating market, at least in my mind, is idealised by sitting in a boat and floating gently by others selling wares and food.
In fact Amphawa isn't really a true floating market where you float gently by in your boat buying the various brick-a-brac that you would imagine purchasing. In fact it is a bit like a market with boats in it.
As you can see from the photos you can buy food freshly cooked from the boats and sit by the water front. You actually sit on some very very narrow steps which I would never consider except that everyone seems to do it successfully without any hint of falling into the (brackish looking) water. Of course there are restaurants along the route, but why would you do that when you can really experience the local way of doing things -- just kidding; the restaurants of course have a much wider variety. If there is one thing you must try, it is the coconut ice cream, made fresh for you.
This is not just a floating market. You are able to hire a boat for THB 500 (think it was but cannot be exactly certain) to take you around the many temples that surround the waterways. I believe the THB500 was for 5 temples. A selection of photos from the temples can be found on my website.
Originally I was going to put some commentary on each of the temples, but realised I would just embarrass myself with my lack of knowledge. I'll just let the picture speak for themselves.
Mah Boon Krong (MBK)
Mah Boon Krong or MBK as it is known among regulars is one of the large shopping malls in Bangkok. When you visit here you will see a mix of both local as well as tourists who are looking for good deals and wide choices. Bangkok has been experiencing a mall building boom of late but many of these new malls are typically more upmarket and cater less to the ordinary tourist. Mah Boon Krong is one of the older malls (opened in the mid 1980s) and hence the target audience is not at the top end of the shopping spectrum.
It is very close to Siam Square and you can get there by BTS Skytrain at the National Stadium. It is also apparently within walking distance of Siam station but I have never gone from there so I can't really say.
It has a variety of shops that sell a wide range of products from clothing to luggage to electronics and food. There is also a department store called Tokyu covering 4 (?) floors which has a wide variety of the normal department store wares. Additionally as with all Bangkok malls, there is a wide variety of food on offer. I have only put a sample of what I have eaten there in the above photos from the food court.
Wat Pho, (sort of) Grand Palace and (partial) Wat Arun
One of the most famous sites in Bangkok Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is found among a whole group of amazing temples/palaces. What makes Wat Pho famous is of course the giant (and I mean giant) reclining Buddha. It is gold (I believe gold leaf as opposed to be wholly made out of gold).
I got here by taking the BTS to Saphan Thaksin and then taking the river boat. As it was a week day I thought this would be the best chance to avoid the rush hour traffic (I only wish I had thought of this when I went for a massage later in the trip)
Of course the reason for going to Wat Pho is to experience the traditional Thai massage. This temple is considered by many locals I have spoken to about Thai massage, to be the place to learn massage in Thailand and thus the place to enjoy your experience [just a word of warning: be prepared to be stretched and contorted in ways you never thought possible].
Bear in mind that this is working temple so you need to take your shoes off before you go in (they give you a bag in which to carry them) and you must wear long skirts/trousers (cover your shoulders and chest) --- you would be surprised the number of tourists who turn up like they've just come off a beach.
As you can tell from all the photos, there are so many different things to learn about Wat Pho. In fact although I have never done it myself, I think it would definitely be worthwhile (if you have the time) to hire a tour guide who can take you around the temples and give you all the interesting facts and little snippets you would never get from just reading the guidebook. I am seriously considering doing this the next time I go there.
Of course there is nothing stopping you from doing what I have done the 2 times I have been, which is to take a leisurely stroll around and enjoy the sights.
Right next to Wat Pho is the the Grand Palace. Unfortunately it just started raining (drizzling as opposed to torrential rain) as I arrived so there are almost no photos of this marvelous site.
One of the most famous sites here is Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha). Inside is a very small Emerald Buddha. You are not allowed to take photos inside this particular Wat so you have stand outside and try to get a good zoom for it. Unfortunately I was just using my iPhone and it was really impossible to get a good photo especially as all the crowds had gathered to shelter from the rain.
Finally in this group is Wat Arun.
Annoyingly it was under renovation when I visited. As you can see from the limited photos there is scaffolding all over the place.
It is situated across from Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. You can take a shuttle boat from the Wat Pho boat stop for THB3 (yes three) which will make the journey across the river for you.
Of course because it was undergoing renovation there were fewer people there and I had it almost all to myself save for a handful of other tourists. Apparently the best time for best views is at sunset (ironic given the name is Temple of the Dawn). However, I would imagine early morning is the best time before the crazy crowds appear (I believe 8 am is the opening time)
Of course just outside Wat Pho there are opportunities to eat and drink! This time it was vegetarian spring rolls and freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juice.
Or Tor Kor Market
Or Tor Kor Market is situated near the Kamphaeng Phet MRT --- yes the same as for Chatuchak Market. But, this market is not as crazy as Chatuchak Weekend Market and the prices are slightly higher than what you might initially expect from a Thai market. However, what you typically find is the produce here is of the highest quality. You don't see bruising on the fruit, the smell of the fish is fresh (i.e. no fishy smell) and the food is delicious.
There is a food court area which serves really local food -- when they talk about Thai spicy, this is what they mean.
As such you can surmise that I didn't do this all in one trip, but there is nothing stopping you from doing these over a couple of days.
There are some YouTube videos but for all the photos, please visit my website.
For information about how I got to Bangkok and where I stayed, you can find my flight report here and also the hotel that I stayed at the Arcadia Suites, Bangkok, Thailand.
Amphawa Floating Market, Samut Sakhon, Thailand
I wanted to visit a traditional floating market and many guidebooks suggest Damnoen Saduak. In my painful attempt to be different and be cool I asked around for an alternate and came up with Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Sakhon, about 2 hours outside Bangkok.
The image of floating market, at least in my mind, is idealised by sitting in a boat and floating gently by others selling wares and food.
In fact Amphawa isn't really a true floating market where you float gently by in your boat buying the various brick-a-brac that you would imagine purchasing. In fact it is a bit like a market with boats in it.
As you can see from the photos you can buy food freshly cooked from the boats and sit by the water front. You actually sit on some very very narrow steps which I would never consider except that everyone seems to do it successfully without any hint of falling into the (brackish looking) water. Of course there are restaurants along the route, but why would you do that when you can really experience the local way of doing things -- just kidding; the restaurants of course have a much wider variety. If there is one thing you must try, it is the coconut ice cream, made fresh for you.
This is not just a floating market. You are able to hire a boat for THB 500 (think it was but cannot be exactly certain) to take you around the many temples that surround the waterways. I believe the THB500 was for 5 temples. A selection of photos from the temples can be found on my website.
Originally I was going to put some commentary on each of the temples, but realised I would just embarrass myself with my lack of knowledge. I'll just let the picture speak for themselves.
Mah Boon Krong (MBK)
Mah Boon Krong or MBK as it is known among regulars is one of the large shopping malls in Bangkok. When you visit here you will see a mix of both local as well as tourists who are looking for good deals and wide choices. Bangkok has been experiencing a mall building boom of late but many of these new malls are typically more upmarket and cater less to the ordinary tourist. Mah Boon Krong is one of the older malls (opened in the mid 1980s) and hence the target audience is not at the top end of the shopping spectrum.
It is very close to Siam Square and you can get there by BTS Skytrain at the National Stadium. It is also apparently within walking distance of Siam station but I have never gone from there so I can't really say.
It has a variety of shops that sell a wide range of products from clothing to luggage to electronics and food. There is also a department store called Tokyu covering 4 (?) floors which has a wide variety of the normal department store wares. Additionally as with all Bangkok malls, there is a wide variety of food on offer. I have only put a sample of what I have eaten there in the above photos from the food court.
Wat Pho, (sort of) Grand Palace and (partial) Wat Arun
One of the most famous sites in Bangkok Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is found among a whole group of amazing temples/palaces. What makes Wat Pho famous is of course the giant (and I mean giant) reclining Buddha. It is gold (I believe gold leaf as opposed to be wholly made out of gold).
I got here by taking the BTS to Saphan Thaksin and then taking the river boat. As it was a week day I thought this would be the best chance to avoid the rush hour traffic (I only wish I had thought of this when I went for a massage later in the trip)
Of course the reason for going to Wat Pho is to experience the traditional Thai massage. This temple is considered by many locals I have spoken to about Thai massage, to be the place to learn massage in Thailand and thus the place to enjoy your experience [just a word of warning: be prepared to be stretched and contorted in ways you never thought possible].
Bear in mind that this is working temple so you need to take your shoes off before you go in (they give you a bag in which to carry them) and you must wear long skirts/trousers (cover your shoulders and chest) --- you would be surprised the number of tourists who turn up like they've just come off a beach.
As you can tell from all the photos, there are so many different things to learn about Wat Pho. In fact although I have never done it myself, I think it would definitely be worthwhile (if you have the time) to hire a tour guide who can take you around the temples and give you all the interesting facts and little snippets you would never get from just reading the guidebook. I am seriously considering doing this the next time I go there.
Of course there is nothing stopping you from doing what I have done the 2 times I have been, which is to take a leisurely stroll around and enjoy the sights.
Right next to Wat Pho is the the Grand Palace. Unfortunately it just started raining (drizzling as opposed to torrential rain) as I arrived so there are almost no photos of this marvelous site.
One of the most famous sites here is Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha). Inside is a very small Emerald Buddha. You are not allowed to take photos inside this particular Wat so you have stand outside and try to get a good zoom for it. Unfortunately I was just using my iPhone and it was really impossible to get a good photo especially as all the crowds had gathered to shelter from the rain.
Finally in this group is Wat Arun.
Annoyingly it was under renovation when I visited. As you can see from the limited photos there is scaffolding all over the place.
It is situated across from Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. You can take a shuttle boat from the Wat Pho boat stop for THB3 (yes three) which will make the journey across the river for you.
Of course because it was undergoing renovation there were fewer people there and I had it almost all to myself save for a handful of other tourists. Apparently the best time for best views is at sunset (ironic given the name is Temple of the Dawn). However, I would imagine early morning is the best time before the crazy crowds appear (I believe 8 am is the opening time)
Of course just outside Wat Pho there are opportunities to eat and drink! This time it was vegetarian spring rolls and freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juice.
Or Tor Kor Market
Or Tor Kor Market is situated near the Kamphaeng Phet MRT --- yes the same as for Chatuchak Market. But, this market is not as crazy as Chatuchak Weekend Market and the prices are slightly higher than what you might initially expect from a Thai market. However, what you typically find is the produce here is of the highest quality. You don't see bruising on the fruit, the smell of the fish is fresh (i.e. no fishy smell) and the food is delicious.
There is a food court area which serves really local food -- when they talk about Thai spicy, this is what they mean.
Oct 25, 2015, 6:02 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
I think Amphawa Floating Market is in Samut Songkhram, which is the next province south/west of Samut Sakhon. (The largest wholesale seafood market, Maha Chai is in Samut Sakhon.)
Samut Songkhram is amazing to tour around with quite a few famous temples and attractions, but you need a car.
The Rama II park is definitely worth a visit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samut_Songkhram_Province
I think most of the floating markets are for domestic/foreign tourists, eager for a glimpse of the olden days. You see a lot of this nostalgia in markets these days. "Boat Noodles" are rarely served from a boat, rather everyone just fashions a khlong boat into their land-based shop.
Not too far from Suvarnabhumi Airport (SBIA/BKK) is a temple: Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai which has one of the most traditional canal-based markets I've seen. A large portion of it burned a few years ago, and has been rebuilt, the first stretch from the temple is original.
Or Tor Kor is interesting, it is a clean, spiffed up, organic version of a traditional Thai wet market, very high-end. JJ Mall is nearby, which offers Chatuchak-like stuff in an indoor/aircon, 7 day environment (like Platinum Fashion Mall vs. Pratunam).
The (pre-paid/Level 6) food court in MBK has been refurbished and enlarged and is quite nice. My favorite Food Court currently is Food Republic (a Singaporean company) with outlets in Siam Center, Central Rama 9 and Mega Bang Na. But any food court in any mall/office park/building is usually reliable, clean, comfortable.
Samut Songkhram is amazing to tour around with quite a few famous temples and attractions, but you need a car.
The Rama II park is definitely worth a visit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samut_Songkhram_Province
I think most of the floating markets are for domestic/foreign tourists, eager for a glimpse of the olden days. You see a lot of this nostalgia in markets these days. "Boat Noodles" are rarely served from a boat, rather everyone just fashions a khlong boat into their land-based shop.
Not too far from Suvarnabhumi Airport (SBIA/BKK) is a temple: Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai which has one of the most traditional canal-based markets I've seen. A large portion of it burned a few years ago, and has been rebuilt, the first stretch from the temple is original.
Or Tor Kor is interesting, it is a clean, spiffed up, organic version of a traditional Thai wet market, very high-end. JJ Mall is nearby, which offers Chatuchak-like stuff in an indoor/aircon, 7 day environment (like Platinum Fashion Mall vs. Pratunam).
The (pre-paid/Level 6) food court in MBK has been refurbished and enlarged and is quite nice. My favorite Food Court currently is Food Republic (a Singaporean company) with outlets in Siam Center, Central Rama 9 and Mega Bang Na. But any food court in any mall/office park/building is usually reliable, clean, comfortable.
Last edited by transpac; Oct 25, 2015 at 8:19 pm
Apr 11, 2016, 5:44 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,677
Amphawa Floating Market, Samut Songkhram, Thailand
I want to start by saying thank you to transpac for highlighting my schoolboy error.
Yes Amphawa Floating Market is indeed in Samut Songkhram. On my journey to the market, I had to go through Samut Sakhon.
After writing a more generalised review above (which was from my July 2015 visit), I thought I should write going into a bit more detail and just into the Amphawa Floating Market and surrounding areas. Rather than posting a separate post, I thought it might be better to just add it to this one I already started.
My trip in October was actually the second trip I had made to the market and interestingly, that time I went on a Wednesday. Now, what is so special about a Wednesday you might ask? Well, being the typical tourist I was, I rocked up with my friend and as we got nearer, I thought it seemed remarkably quiet ... and yes ... it was shut. Seems they shut one day a week, and I had hit the jackpot! Yes that day was Wednesday. Anyway, this was actually even better as I and my friend, more or less had the temples all to ourselves.
[incidentally you can find my trip report on JetStar here, and my hotel review on the Arcadia Suites here]
Of course, as this is an expansion of a previous post, you may see some of the same photos being banded around. There is clearly an element of laziness, but I would say this 1) pictures really do speak a thousand words, so the more pictures the better (even if some are the same *embarrassed*) and 2) the first time I showed these pictures, they were all small sized. By making them larger, it means readers don't have to keep clicking into them. Bear in mind, as FlyerTalk doesn't have a good way of posting photos so I have just putting the links. You want to see photos in context you can see the report on this on this post on my blog.
And as if that wasn't enough, given how boring and samey photos and text can be I have made my first foray into video editing. YAY!!!!!
Ok! Ok! Settle down!!! Don't all jump up and down with enthusiasm.
My earlier Sightseeing in and around Bangkok alluded to the fact that I wanted to visit a traditional Thai floating market -- yes, a really touristy thing to do, but I had never done it since I had started going to Thailand back in the mid 2000s. Many guidebooks suggest Damnoen Saduak and so In my painful attempt to be different and be cool I asked around for an alternate and came up with Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkhram (thanks to the beady eyed reader who spotted my original mistake of saying Samut Sakhon!!!!), about 2 hours outside Bangkok. Little did I realise that this is apparently the next most popular!!!!
The best way to get here, especially if you are a tourist is to take a taxi. Most taxis will offer flat fares for the whole day to certain locations. In my case I paid THB1500 (US$40) though I am almost certain that you could get a much more favourable deal with other taxi drivers. And as I usually just come here by taxi, I don't know the hotels in the area, but you could always try to use booking.com which I find pretty helpful in most parts of the world.
On my most recent trips, I have been staying at the Arcadia Suites (you can see my latest review on that hotel here), and the journey from here was just about 2 hours (or a bit more). As long as you have air conditioning in the car (which most of them should have), it really is quite a pleasant journey. Try to avoid being on the road between 9.30 and 10.30. You do get a bit of early rush hour, but after 9.30 it does start to get very busy and the roads get super super clogged up!!!
The parking around the market area is quite limited so if you want to stop right by it, you might find it easier to be dropped off at the entrance, and have your driver park while you start looking around. Though the times I have been there, if you are willing to look around you are usually able to find a spot.
On the way back, I recommend timing it so you do not arrive back around 6pm. That is the evening rush hour and if it's bad (like on a Friday and it's raining) it can be really really bad - as in not moving bad. Remember that Bangkok is a sprawling metropolis, so once you actually get to Bangkok, if you stay centrally like I do, you will have to navigate the city traffic. So either aim to leave Amphawa around 5pm to get back around 7pm or leave around 3pm to get back into Bangkok slightly early. Of course, being the absolute legend I am, we managed to arrived at 6.30pm and it was horrendous. Fortunately, I was sat at the back of the car snoozing away for the 45 odd minutes it took to get back to the hotel; and by the time we arrived at the hotel I was ready to get drunk ... but that's another story.....
The image of floating market, at least in my mind, is idealised by sitting in a boat and floating gently by others selling wares and food. Really, that is exactly what I was expecting. And when I got to Amphawa I was surprised by how busy it is. Yeah, yeah stupid visitor. In fact there were times walking along the market edge I didn't feel all that safe.
When I first came here, I ate lunch before getting to the market, on the advice of my guide and driver. Which was probably a good thing, because (as the pictures attest) it was pretty busy. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the restaurant we ate at but there are a number of seafood restaurants within half an hour of the market.
As you can see from the photos you can buy food freshly cooked from the boats and sit by the water front. You actually sit on some very very narrow steps which I would never consider doing except that everyone seems to do it successfully without any hint of falling into the (brackish looking) water.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....pg?w=748&h=561
THB50? Well that equals about US$1.50. Yes, and those are scallops. Pretty much cooked to order so you can't really get much fresher than that! As I mentioned, for my first trip here, I had already eaten an outstanding seafood meal about 15mins drive away so no need to eat any more.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_5145.jpg
I'm not sure what you guys think, but it looks like these guys are perched pretty precariously!!! I don't know about you, but I would be to terrified of slipping and falling in! But I guess there is nothing like eating freshly cooked food!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....pg?w=748&h=283
Of course there are restaurants along the route, but why would you do that when you can really experience the local way of doing things -- just kidding; the restaurants of course have a much wider variety. From the picture below, the restaurants are on the other side. When I arrived at near to midday, that side was pretty much empty (as you can see). However, when I got back from the temples, it was very very busy.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....pg?w=748&h=315
On the nearside are all the shops, which you can see below. It really as jammed as it looks. The further you go towards the end, the less crowded it becomes (and the coconut ice cream is down that end
)
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_5148.jpg
When I saw this boat full of limes, I couldn't quite work out if we could buy them. I'm guessing we could I just didn't have the guts to ask, and by the time I thought about going through with it I was already on to the next shop .... yes, you guessed it... coconut ice cream!!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_5158.jpg
There is a store (in fact if memory serves me correctly, there are actually two stores) that serves both coconut ice cream and coconut water. I didn't actually eat it when I first saw it, but I did have some on the way back from the temples, and yes it was delicious and refreshing, especially when you are walking around in the heat (and sun) for any length of time.
Don't forgetto replenish your electrolytes!!!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_5165.jpg
The Amphawa experience is not just limited to the floating market. With such a large community living and thriving in the area, there was always bound to be other experiences to be had here. And I think it's kinda interesting that a lot of tourists come to Amphawa to visit the floating markets, but decide not to go to visit the temples. In fact I saw quite a number come in, walk (what I assume was) all the way to the end and walk back as if they were going to leave.
To get to the temples from the market you should take a boat. It is possible to be take a car/bus there, but why not add a Thai river boat to your list of methods of travel (though you might have tried one in Bangkok)
You have a choice of taking a tour or hiring the whole boat to yourself. For the tour, it's only THB50 (US$1.50). If you are on a budget, this is definitely worth it. Bear in mind that because you have gone for the cheaper option, you will have to wait until the boat is more or less full up before it will start.
If you are time conscious and/or money is less of an issue, it's better to hire the whole boat. It's the same boat as on the tour, but if there's only two of you, you wait for no one. And at THB 500 (US$15) it really is a bargain.
Both tour and private boats will take your to about 5 temples. And in fact, you dictate the pace. From what I could tell, even if you took ages in one temple, the driver wouldn't skip a temple (disclaimer: my sample size is 2, so although it is 100% accurate, it is not necessarily a valid test).
Remember, waiting also means waiting at each of the temples. And yes, if you are on a tour, you are rather subject to the whims of your fellow travellers. I've seen some boats just waiting for one person/couple who just wanted to take that extra photo. In one case, a boat was waiting for a few more people when our boat arrived, and when we left the temple 30mins later, that same boat was still waiting ...
#TopTip: Don't want to wait for your boat journey to start, or wait for others at the temple stops? Hire your own boat for only THB500 (US$15.00)
Originally I was going to stitch together a time line of photos of the boat and then the first temple, the second and so on. However, I thought that since I went twice, it would be difficult for me to get a decent timeline.
Off we go!!!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....pg?w=748&h=386
When you first leave Amphawa market, the channel that the market occupies opens up into the large expanse of water which I believe is the Mae Klong river, which eventually makes its way out into the Gulf of Thailand. The area around the Mae Klong appears to be a flood plain, which means there are lots of two things 1) water and 2) alluvial soil, which makes it a very productive area for agriculture.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_7556.jpg
A number of the temples are located on the Mae Klong river, but there are also a number of temples located on the minor waterways that act as tributaries.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5253.jpg
Of course people do live along these waterways and it's voyeuristic but also fascinating to peer into the lives of others.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5254.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5260.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5283.jpg
Of course our boat was not the only one out there. There were indeed other tourists making the rounds!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5311.jpg
Oh I am a star! The lady is photo of me!!!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....pg?w=748&h=421
When they're waiting for their charges, the drivers, take their boats out into the river so as to let other boats dock. That was considerate of them.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5266.jpg
This probably seems like a bit of a pointless photo, but what I wanted to point out was how low the boat is in the water. If you have problems bending down, these boats really aren't good for you; they require a lot of lower joint flexibility.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5270.jpg
Someone has gone up market and decided to hire a posh boat!!!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5271.jpg
Let's chase the boat in front!!!
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5278.jpg
Finally, got them .... oh, you caught me, it's not the same boat....
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5280.jpg
In fact these guys were clearly in a hurry. Their driver really was putting his foot down.
At each jetty, there is usually someone there to hold the boat as you alight/board (usually because when I went on a market's closed day there wasn't always someone there). For those of you inclined to (read: Americans) I have never ever seen anyone tip them, so take that on board when making that decision.
Of course there is lots of waste both man-made and natural, so it's important that the waterways are kept clear. And you can see they actually do have a kind of dredger (though I'm sure that's not the right word).
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5295.jpg
As a small aside, while we were being driven around the little side channels, we happened upon a set of what looked like a tv show.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....pg?w=748&h=561
So this is the point that I stop talking about the trip and let you see the photos of the temples that are along the waterway. I don't know much about them so I won't pretend. Not every single photo is here. I realised as I was copying this from my globetrekka blog that some of the photos are repeated in the post, so didn't want to bore you if you accidentally click the same picture.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....pg?w=748&h=997
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_5261.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_5298.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_7522.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_7530.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_7537.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....0/img_7546.jpg
Now one can't finish this trip without mentioning the animals, yes you heard me right. The animals.
At one of the temples there is also a zoo; if that's the best way to describe it. You can buy items to feed the animals from the monks near the entrance. For some reason I don't have many photos. Just one piece of advice ... don't come here in the heat of the day... I think the word "fresh" might be appropriate. It really is impossible to get away from the smell, and I'm not sure how aggressively they clean the pens. Though, as you will see from the photos the pens are kept pretty clear.
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5315.jpg
https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5209.jpg
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And then it was time to head back to the market and onwards to Bangkok.... On my second trip here, this was where the real fun began.... the engine in my boat stopped working. Yup, that's right. Fortunately the driver had the good sense to take us to the side of the Mae Klong or else we would have been "swept out to sea" --- ok a bit dramatic... but still I was worried as this second trip was the day that the market was closed.
Fortunately with modern technology, the driver whipped out his mobile phone, and called his buddy in from the market to give us a tow. And within 15 minutes he was there connecting the umbilical to us and dragging us (rather unceremoniously) back to the market.
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And that, as they say, is that.
Hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you did, please follow my globetrekka blog, as it provide encouragement for me to write more!
Yes Amphawa Floating Market is indeed in Samut Songkhram. On my journey to the market, I had to go through Samut Sakhon.
After writing a more generalised review above (which was from my July 2015 visit), I thought I should write going into a bit more detail and just into the Amphawa Floating Market and surrounding areas. Rather than posting a separate post, I thought it might be better to just add it to this one I already started.
My trip in October was actually the second trip I had made to the market and interestingly, that time I went on a Wednesday. Now, what is so special about a Wednesday you might ask? Well, being the typical tourist I was, I rocked up with my friend and as we got nearer, I thought it seemed remarkably quiet ... and yes ... it was shut. Seems they shut one day a week, and I had hit the jackpot! Yes that day was Wednesday. Anyway, this was actually even better as I and my friend, more or less had the temples all to ourselves.
[incidentally you can find my trip report on JetStar here, and my hotel review on the Arcadia Suites here]
Of course, as this is an expansion of a previous post, you may see some of the same photos being banded around. There is clearly an element of laziness, but I would say this 1) pictures really do speak a thousand words, so the more pictures the better (even if some are the same *embarrassed*) and 2) the first time I showed these pictures, they were all small sized. By making them larger, it means readers don't have to keep clicking into them. Bear in mind, as FlyerTalk doesn't have a good way of posting photos so I have just putting the links. You want to see photos in context you can see the report on this on this post on my blog.
And as if that wasn't enough, given how boring and samey photos and text can be I have made my first foray into video editing. YAY!!!!!
Ok! Ok! Settle down!!! Don't all jump up and down with enthusiasm.
My earlier Sightseeing in and around Bangkok alluded to the fact that I wanted to visit a traditional Thai floating market -- yes, a really touristy thing to do, but I had never done it since I had started going to Thailand back in the mid 2000s. Many guidebooks suggest Damnoen Saduak and so In my painful attempt to be different and be cool I asked around for an alternate and came up with Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkhram (thanks to the beady eyed reader who spotted my original mistake of saying Samut Sakhon!!!!), about 2 hours outside Bangkok. Little did I realise that this is apparently the next most popular!!!!
The best way to get here, especially if you are a tourist is to take a taxi. Most taxis will offer flat fares for the whole day to certain locations. In my case I paid THB1500 (US$40) though I am almost certain that you could get a much more favourable deal with other taxi drivers. And as I usually just come here by taxi, I don't know the hotels in the area, but you could always try to use booking.com which I find pretty helpful in most parts of the world.
On my most recent trips, I have been staying at the Arcadia Suites (you can see my latest review on that hotel here), and the journey from here was just about 2 hours (or a bit more). As long as you have air conditioning in the car (which most of them should have), it really is quite a pleasant journey. Try to avoid being on the road between 9.30 and 10.30. You do get a bit of early rush hour, but after 9.30 it does start to get very busy and the roads get super super clogged up!!!
The parking around the market area is quite limited so if you want to stop right by it, you might find it easier to be dropped off at the entrance, and have your driver park while you start looking around. Though the times I have been there, if you are willing to look around you are usually able to find a spot.
On the way back, I recommend timing it so you do not arrive back around 6pm. That is the evening rush hour and if it's bad (like on a Friday and it's raining) it can be really really bad - as in not moving bad. Remember that Bangkok is a sprawling metropolis, so once you actually get to Bangkok, if you stay centrally like I do, you will have to navigate the city traffic. So either aim to leave Amphawa around 5pm to get back around 7pm or leave around 3pm to get back into Bangkok slightly early. Of course, being the absolute legend I am, we managed to arrived at 6.30pm and it was horrendous. Fortunately, I was sat at the back of the car snoozing away for the 45 odd minutes it took to get back to the hotel; and by the time we arrived at the hotel I was ready to get drunk ... but that's another story.....
The image of floating market, at least in my mind, is idealised by sitting in a boat and floating gently by others selling wares and food. Really, that is exactly what I was expecting. And when I got to Amphawa I was surprised by how busy it is. Yeah, yeah stupid visitor. In fact there were times walking along the market edge I didn't feel all that safe.
When I first came here, I ate lunch before getting to the market, on the advice of my guide and driver. Which was probably a good thing, because (as the pictures attest) it was pretty busy. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the restaurant we ate at but there are a number of seafood restaurants within half an hour of the market.
As you can see from the photos you can buy food freshly cooked from the boats and sit by the water front. You actually sit on some very very narrow steps which I would never consider doing except that everyone seems to do it successfully without any hint of falling into the (brackish looking) water.
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THB50? Well that equals about US$1.50. Yes, and those are scallops. Pretty much cooked to order so you can't really get much fresher than that! As I mentioned, for my first trip here, I had already eaten an outstanding seafood meal about 15mins drive away so no need to eat any more.
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I'm not sure what you guys think, but it looks like these guys are perched pretty precariously!!! I don't know about you, but I would be to terrified of slipping and falling in! But I guess there is nothing like eating freshly cooked food!
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Of course there are restaurants along the route, but why would you do that when you can really experience the local way of doing things -- just kidding; the restaurants of course have a much wider variety. From the picture below, the restaurants are on the other side. When I arrived at near to midday, that side was pretty much empty (as you can see). However, when I got back from the temples, it was very very busy.
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On the nearside are all the shops, which you can see below. It really as jammed as it looks. The further you go towards the end, the less crowded it becomes (and the coconut ice cream is down that end
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When I saw this boat full of limes, I couldn't quite work out if we could buy them. I'm guessing we could I just didn't have the guts to ask, and by the time I thought about going through with it I was already on to the next shop .... yes, you guessed it... coconut ice cream!!
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There is a store (in fact if memory serves me correctly, there are actually two stores) that serves both coconut ice cream and coconut water. I didn't actually eat it when I first saw it, but I did have some on the way back from the temples, and yes it was delicious and refreshing, especially when you are walking around in the heat (and sun) for any length of time.
Don't forgetto replenish your electrolytes!!!
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The Amphawa experience is not just limited to the floating market. With such a large community living and thriving in the area, there was always bound to be other experiences to be had here. And I think it's kinda interesting that a lot of tourists come to Amphawa to visit the floating markets, but decide not to go to visit the temples. In fact I saw quite a number come in, walk (what I assume was) all the way to the end and walk back as if they were going to leave.
To get to the temples from the market you should take a boat. It is possible to be take a car/bus there, but why not add a Thai river boat to your list of methods of travel (though you might have tried one in Bangkok)
You have a choice of taking a tour or hiring the whole boat to yourself. For the tour, it's only THB50 (US$1.50). If you are on a budget, this is definitely worth it. Bear in mind that because you have gone for the cheaper option, you will have to wait until the boat is more or less full up before it will start.
If you are time conscious and/or money is less of an issue, it's better to hire the whole boat. It's the same boat as on the tour, but if there's only two of you, you wait for no one. And at THB 500 (US$15) it really is a bargain.
Both tour and private boats will take your to about 5 temples. And in fact, you dictate the pace. From what I could tell, even if you took ages in one temple, the driver wouldn't skip a temple (disclaimer: my sample size is 2, so although it is 100% accurate, it is not necessarily a valid test).
Remember, waiting also means waiting at each of the temples. And yes, if you are on a tour, you are rather subject to the whims of your fellow travellers. I've seen some boats just waiting for one person/couple who just wanted to take that extra photo. In one case, a boat was waiting for a few more people when our boat arrived, and when we left the temple 30mins later, that same boat was still waiting ...
#TopTip: Don't want to wait for your boat journey to start, or wait for others at the temple stops? Hire your own boat for only THB500 (US$15.00)
Originally I was going to stitch together a time line of photos of the boat and then the first temple, the second and so on. However, I thought that since I went twice, it would be difficult for me to get a decent timeline.
Off we go!!!
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When you first leave Amphawa market, the channel that the market occupies opens up into the large expanse of water which I believe is the Mae Klong river, which eventually makes its way out into the Gulf of Thailand. The area around the Mae Klong appears to be a flood plain, which means there are lots of two things 1) water and 2) alluvial soil, which makes it a very productive area for agriculture.
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A number of the temples are located on the Mae Klong river, but there are also a number of temples located on the minor waterways that act as tributaries.
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Of course people do live along these waterways and it's voyeuristic but also fascinating to peer into the lives of others.
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Of course our boat was not the only one out there. There were indeed other tourists making the rounds!
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Oh I am a star! The lady is photo of me!!!
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When they're waiting for their charges, the drivers, take their boats out into the river so as to let other boats dock. That was considerate of them.
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This probably seems like a bit of a pointless photo, but what I wanted to point out was how low the boat is in the water. If you have problems bending down, these boats really aren't good for you; they require a lot of lower joint flexibility.
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Someone has gone up market and decided to hire a posh boat!!!
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Let's chase the boat in front!!!
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Finally, got them .... oh, you caught me, it's not the same boat....
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In fact these guys were clearly in a hurry. Their driver really was putting his foot down.
At each jetty, there is usually someone there to hold the boat as you alight/board (usually because when I went on a market's closed day there wasn't always someone there). For those of you inclined to (read: Americans) I have never ever seen anyone tip them, so take that on board when making that decision.
Of course there is lots of waste both man-made and natural, so it's important that the waterways are kept clear. And you can see they actually do have a kind of dredger (though I'm sure that's not the right word).
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As a small aside, while we were being driven around the little side channels, we happened upon a set of what looked like a tv show.
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So this is the point that I stop talking about the trip and let you see the photos of the temples that are along the waterway. I don't know much about them so I won't pretend. Not every single photo is here. I realised as I was copying this from my globetrekka blog that some of the photos are repeated in the post, so didn't want to bore you if you accidentally click the same picture.
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Now one can't finish this trip without mentioning the animals, yes you heard me right. The animals.
At one of the temples there is also a zoo; if that's the best way to describe it. You can buy items to feed the animals from the monks near the entrance. For some reason I don't have many photos. Just one piece of advice ... don't come here in the heat of the day... I think the word "fresh" might be appropriate. It really is impossible to get away from the smell, and I'm not sure how aggressively they clean the pens. Though, as you will see from the photos the pens are kept pretty clear.
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And then it was time to head back to the market and onwards to Bangkok.... On my second trip here, this was where the real fun began.... the engine in my boat stopped working. Yup, that's right. Fortunately the driver had the good sense to take us to the side of the Mae Klong or else we would have been "swept out to sea" --- ok a bit dramatic... but still I was worried as this second trip was the day that the market was closed.
Fortunately with modern technology, the driver whipped out his mobile phone, and called his buddy in from the market to give us a tow. And within 15 minutes he was there connecting the umbilical to us and dragging us (rather unceremoniously) back to the market.
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https://globetrekka.files.wordpress....4/img_5300.jpg
And that, as they say, is that.
Hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you did, please follow my globetrekka blog, as it provide encouragement for me to write more!
Apr 12, 2016, 12:23 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
Some interesting riverside markets close to Bangkok:
(Note that some may only be open on weekends.)
Khlong Lat Mayom
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/khlong-lat-mayom.htm
Map
Bang Nam Pheung
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/bang-nam-pheung.htm
Map
Khlong Suan Riverside Market in Chachaengsao
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/klong-suan-market.htm
Map
Bang Phli Market
Map
(Note that some may only be open on weekends.)
Khlong Lat Mayom
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/khlong-lat-mayom.htm
Map
Bang Nam Pheung
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/bang-nam-pheung.htm
Map
Khlong Suan Riverside Market in Chachaengsao
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/klong-suan-market.htm
Map
Bang Phli Market
Map