Why not visit Amphawa Floating Market?
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It is not the most obvious excursion from Hua Hin, but because a number of ladies from our circle of acquaintances insisted that the floating market of Amphawa was worth a long detour, the alarm went off at six o'clock on Sunday morning.
We had to get there early or it would be too hot. That turned out to be correct, but the market only opens at ten o'clock. The advantage was that we could now easily park (20 baht) on the grounds of Wat Amphawa Chetiyaram. Then we made a trip with a long boat on the Mae klong (400 baht). Sailing in Thailand is an experience in itself, but the purpose of the trip was definitely that: What Bang Kung. The story behind this funny temple is not entirely clear to me, but one of the monks has been a soldier in his younger years and has received a number of planes as a kind of 'bump' and possibly also a herd of strange animals for Thailand. You don't see many dromedaries here in the wild, do you? I'd be happy to give my version for a better one, by the way.
The temple is also an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists. On the grounds is a chapel with a beautiful Buddha statue from the late Ayutthaya period. The chapel is propped up (or vice versa) by a giant bhodi tree.
We can now visit the floating market of Amphawa. By the way, this is not far from the famous sister Damnoen Saduak. With the difference that I have not encountered more foreigners all day in Amphawa than I can count on the fingers of one hand.
What Bang Kung
We enter Amphawa through the back entrance. Just before that a Giethoorn feeling comes over me. We sail through narrow ditches with houses and farms on both sides. Giethoorn is more prosperous, while punts with a V8 engine have been banned for years in favor of an electric drive.
The floating market is basically the only thing that doesn't float. The long tails float and some boats on which squid and shrimp are grilled, but the market itself is built on stilts (so it doesn't float).
Amphawa is definitely worth a visit, both from Hua Hin (130 km) and from Bangkok (75 km). There is something for everyone, especially when it comes to food and drink. The atmosphere is friendly, the people extremely friendly and the prices relatively low. Exactly how a market should be.
About this blogger
- Almost 20 years ago, journalist Hans Bos moved to Bangkok. Almost from the beginning, he was involved in the birth of Thailandblog. As a journalist, he worked for Limburg newspapers and for the travel trade journals of what was once called Elsevier. Hans (76) has lived in Hua Hin for 14 years, with his wife Raysiya and daughter Lizzy. He was secretary and vice-chairman of the Dutch association in Hua Hin and Cha Am for about nine years.
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We happened to be there last Friday, very nice, but we were first at the market, where the train runs right through the market, then we visited various temples and made a beautiful boat trip through nature. We were there with Paul and Bussaya from Cha-am, who probably know Hans very well. They have a small travel agency called Guide Bussaya. Bussaya is a guide who speaks Dutch.
Dear Lex
where was that beautiful boat trip through nature?
did you do the train, the boat trip, and the Amphawa market in one day from Bangkok?
I had plans to do this soon as well.
greeting
Jan
This market is only on weekends: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Nice is that the floating market of Amphawa is open until 20:00. In the dark, the illuminated boats form a magnificent spectacle. Tip: spend the night in this area. There are plenty of nice resorts on the Mea Klong River: do not confuse it with the Mekong.
Combine it with Samut Songkram Railway Market and Ban Nok Kwaek Catholic Cathedral. Take a bike ride on the small roads through the horticultural area. The crops grow on narrow plots in the water. People are busy working from the boats. Boats are everywhere. Enjoy the view from the narrow bridges.
It is now 2021 and we still have our corona problem, but very slowly we think we are moving in the right direction, and we hope that in maybe 6-7 months we can do all these beautiful day tours and tours again.
If you want to get in the mood, take a look at my website http://www.gidsbussaya.nl
And hopefully we will go to Amphawa and all those other beautiful places in our beautiful Thailand
See you then Bussaya
Hello Mr. Christiaans, I've been bored here for a few months because I have no idea where I can go without restrictions.
Is it possible to book a tour for 2 people now without all those restrictions?? Are the restaurants and markets open normally around HuaHin?