Travel blog: Thai floating markets at Damnoen Saduak

Anna Kainberger is taking a year-out from her career to travel in south-east Asia, Australasia and the South Pacific, along with Hawaii and the USA. This month she will be reporting from the Thai capital Bangkok, and will be going on a trekking trip in Northern Thailand. Here is her second blog entry:

After a couple of days in Bangkok, I had enough of it all, so I decided to pack up and head down to Damnoen Saduak on the bus to see the famous floating markets early the following morning, before the rest of my fellow travellers and other tourists arrived.

There are buses leaving from Bangkok's southern bus terminal every 20 minutes and the tickets for the 100km journey are between 60 and 85 baht, which really is next to nothing, plus there is air con and you get to see a bit of the landscape on your way. It took 1.5 hours to get to the tiny village of Damnoen Saduak and the conductor will tell you when to get off, so do not worry about missing your stop.

Damnoen Saduak is not a big place, where you can go out drinking all night. It is a tiny village, where you will find some authentic areas, scattered around the centre of town, with a food market attached, catering for everyday Thai life.

When I got off the bus, a girl approached me straight away though, asking whether I wanted to see the floating markets in the morning and suggesting that she could organise a boat and driver for me, no problem. She also walked me to my hotel, as I did not know where it was and on the way we bargained a bit over the price for renting a boat and driver for two hours from seven am for the following day.

Now, Thais love bargaining. Nothing has a fixed price and they are also very good business thinkers, who will not let a 'farrang' (tourist) walk away, if they feel that there is only the slightest chance of getting some business in.

You bargain for everything and anything, and I knew that renting a boat and driver for the floating markets was to cost about 150-200 baht for two hours, so when the offer came in at 400 baht for two hours I just started the usual spiel of haggling and was quite pleased with the end result. We agreed on 200 baht for two hours and she would pick me up in the morning from my hotel.

I stayed at Lonely Planet's recommended hotel and again did not sleep very much, as Thai mattresses are usually rock hard. Well mine was anyway plus, Thailand is seven hours ahead of GMT and it takes a couple of days to get over the jetlag.

Getting up at seven am therefore was fine, as I had been awake for most of the night anyway, but I was none the less looking forward to some very scenic views of the floating markets and possibly breakfast on the boat.

I have to say, the trip down to Damnoen Saduak was well worth my time, as I am travelling for at least six months and simply have the time to do things in my own pace. Also I really appreciate seeing things away from the bulk of the tourist crowds and I am a keen photographer, so the combination of early morning light, the market only just opening up, the still empty canals was a very enjoyable experience.

The atmosphere at the floating markets is certainly unique, with Thais in their long barges moving gently along the canals, offering fruits, foods, coffee, vegetables and other foods alongside crafted gifts and souvenirs to take home for your loved ones.

Our driver manoeuvred our boat round the area safely and I could pick up fresh coconut pancakes as well as a fresh coffee on the way and have breakfast on the barge.

Every now and then you will stop at a larger market and be able to get off to browse through the stacks of handmade scarves, hats, tin tuk-tuks or just sit and have another coffee or tea on the way.

It is again all about bargaining for a price that both parties are happy with, however I have to say that for me it was mostly fresh food and fruits, as tin-made tuk-tuks just do not do it for me.

The canals have a wonderful feel to them, with people living in wooden houses on stakes, just getting up having breakfast themselves or doing their laundry by hand on their front porch. We were also taken to the "old floating markets" a little further away from the main section and the views were absolutely stunning, with an early morning glow to faces, canals and houses.

After two hours of driving round, shopping and bargaining we slowly headed back to the pier and that is when it came apparent that for me the seven am visit would have been the only time I would have enjoyed myself, as suddenly the motorised barges came in one after one and the canals got busier and busier.

If you have time and fancy getting up early after a night of budget accommodation in Damnoen Saduak: I can wholeheartedly recommend the little trip, to steer away from Bangkok crowds and organised package tours.

Read Anna's last blog entry