Day 2 in Bangkok
As we finished our first day
in Bangkok along Khaosan Road and Rambuttri Road (you can see our first day here), we took our walk through the streets to also check with the various tour
operators in the area for a private tour, which we were particularly interested
in.
There are several possibilities for tours from Bangkok, but for the
limited time we had, we had to choose chosen the tour to go to two iconic places, namely
the Maeklong Market (train market) and Damnoen Saduak (the floating market).
We were aware that these were
probably two very "tourist places", but they were also places that had fueled
our imagination for years, since we all can remember the famous images of
the train approaching as the merchants move their bunkers away from the train
line, as well as the floating markets with boaters and boats full seeking to persue people to buy their products.
And it is possible, on a
single excursion, to visit these two places, which are still far from Bangkok.
We had read on internet that,
haggling, it was possible to perform this tour for prices starting at 400 BAHT
but, the best we got was for 450 each of us, including the child, who paid full.
This tour included the whole
morning, with a pick-up at the hotel around 8am, started with a visit to the Maeklong by
train, and a later visit to Damnoen Saduak, the floating market.
At the time of booking we were
told that if we wanted to go by boat in Damnoen Saduak, the price would be 150
BATH per person and, as we wanted to do this tour, the total excursion was for
600 BAHT per person ($19USD, € 16).
Maeklong - Train Market
We just have to say good of
the company we hired. There is time combined, they were picking us up at the
hotel (around 8am) and promptly headed to the Maeklong. The market is about 80
kms from Bangkok and the trip takes about an hour, which was done in a new,
air-conditioned, safe van.
Upon arriving at the Maeklong Market, we had the pleasant surprise of not being as full of tourists as we
would expect, and of finding many locals that really used this space to carry
out their daily life, whether they were selling or buying. As we arrived about
20 minutes before the train passed, we were able to walk around the market and
see how it went before the train arrived.
Of course, one of the issues
we were facing was that of security, especially when we were traveling with our
son. And, we can guarantee that this is a totally safe experience to carry out
for those who, like us, travel in family. Before the train passes,
you will hear a sound announcement to warn you of it. Similarly, you will see
merchants preparing their bunkers for the passage of the train and they will also
warn people that this is happening, as well as indicating where they should
remain for this to occur safely. In addition, the train crosses very, very
slowly, so we feel completely safe and it is undoubtedly an extraordinary
experience to do in family, which our child adored and were all were very happy to go.
After the train passes, it is
equally interesting to observe the fast and organized way as the vendors put
their seats back in order, making it almost impossible to imagine that a train
passed that line a few seconds earlier.
D amnoen Saduak, the floating
market
Shortly after the train
passed, our group headed for the next goal, the Damnoen Saduak
(floating market). This market was famous for the chase scene by James Bond
(Roger Moore) in the film "The Man with the Golden Gun", and is less
than 30 minutes by car from the Maeklong Market.
You can see here that part of the movie:
But if at the Maeklong Market
we can say that we were surprised to find "local" life and not
just tourists, now we felt that we are in a place destined solely and
exclusively for tourism. If it is true that we expected it, but it's also truth that
there was an expectation that it will not be so but, in this case, we can
guarantee that it is 100% aimed at the tourist.
In our case, our experience
consisted of a boat ride (peadleboat) by the pier, driven by a
paddler. After this tour, we had free time to stroll through the market, and
everything you see there, you can easily found it in Bangkok for less than half the price.
You also have the possibility to eat but we had our lunch in Bangkok, as this
tour is only midday and by 13h we would be in Bangkok again.
At the Damnoen Saduak you will also be
able to take pictures with snakes and other animals, but this is a practice
that we don't recommend, because this are animals are taken from their natural
environment to be used for commercial purposes.
After the free time to take a walk,
a motorboat ride outside the market was part of the tour, which allowed us to
have some knowledge of how people live around the market.
This trip ends in a
different place from which we started but, at the end, we already had our driver waiting for us to bring us back to Bangkok.
We are obliged to say that, in
relation to Damnoen Saduak we were disappointed with the experience (unlike
what happened with the Maeklong Market). However, the all tour is a unique experience,
which lets you imagine how it really was in the past. Overall, we were very satisfied with the tour, because they are two really
unique experiences and different from what we can accomplish outside Thailand.
Siam Square
Our return to Bangkok took us
to Khaosan Road and we enjoyed lunch at Rambuttri before catching a tuk tuk
(about 200 BAHT) to Siam Square. Our aim for the remaining hours of the day
would be to explore a different part of Bangkok, the more modern and full of
The tuk tuk ride to our
destination through the chaotic traffic
of Bangkok is itself an electrifying and unique experience. We had already ridden tuk tuk in
various locations but, doing so in the center of Bangkok is unique, also not to
be missed in your family trip.
Siam Square is an intense zone
(Bangkok is intense) but it is characterized by several malls, almost
interconnected that we often do not realize if we are still in the same or we
moved to another.
Around the surrounding streets
there is also a lot of street food so, after touring this part of the city
and seeing Bangkok from a different perspective, we decided to have dinner
there before returning by tuk tuk to our hotel.
And so we concluded our second day
in Bangkok. The next morning we were going to catch the plane to Krabi and continue our family trip in Thailand.
Unfortunately, we could not
see all that we would see in Bangkok for not having more time. If you have more
time, we would like to suggest you to visit Chinatown, Golden Buddha, Wat
Traimit, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, Romaneenart Park and flower market Pak Khlong
Talat. Unfortunately, these and other attractions will have to stay for a
second visit.
We hope you enjoy your family
trip to Bangkok and, do not forget to leave your comment and share our Non Stop Family blog.
