Last week we took a trip about an hour north of Bangkok to Ratchaburi. From here, we boarded a longboat and headed along the canals for a visit to the Floating Market at Dumnoen Saduak.
In 1866, King Rama IV ordered the digging of a 32 km long canal to connect the Mae Klong and Tachine Rivers. This area has always been known for its agricultural significance, and the canal became a place where trading was done by longboat. There has been a floating market of some sort here ever since, although today it is geared mostly towards all the tourists who make the pilgrimage by bus and minivan from Bangkok.
We arrive seemingly all at once, swarming the dock as we queue up to board longboats for a trip around the market. There are so many boats that a traffic jam occurs, and we all come to a standstill, boats bumping into each other and jockeying for position so we can escape the crowd.
Finally, we break free from the crush of boats and glide along peacefully for a bit, pulling up to shops along the water’s edge, or purchasing coconuts from a passing boat loaded down with them. Here are some of our favorite moments from the floating market.
All too soon, it was 11 am and time to head back to Bangkok. But not before a bit of young coconut ice cream, served in its own coconut shell bowl.
All in all a very fun and frenzied day full of color, haggling, and lots of good food.
Leave a Reply