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| Touring Amphawa on an overcast afternoon |
Amphawa is more than just another commercial market in Thailand. Amphawa is an experience of traditional Thailand, of what Bangkok may have been several hundred years ago. The local government and community here go to great lengths to blend modern culture with Thai traditions from many years ago, earning a nod from UNESCO in the form of an honorable mention several years back. Residents live in small houses located along the klongs and vendors fill their boats with wares in the morning before traveling a short distance up the klongs to Amphawa. Throughout the day, children laughingly swim in the canals, while in the evenings, many residents catch fish from those same waters. The waterways around the floating market are well-maintained and have a very lived in and authentic “feel” to them when contrasted with many “touristy” destinations around the Thai capitol.
Tiger and Bird love spending an occasional day in Amphawa. Our itinerary is typically a late morning arrival, a short hunt for a good parking spot, followed by a leisurely piecemeal lunch, moving slowly between noodles from shops and snacks from the boats. In the afternoon – while the blazing sun is near its peak – we look for small items from the shops, drinking 50 baht ($1.5 US) fresh fruit smoothies to stave off the heat. By the early evening hours, we are weary from walking and then take a boat tour around the market. This is complete right before the extended boat tour leaves to visit nearby klongs filled with bushes frequented by fireflies. Tourist prices tend to be higher than the local prices we are usually able to negotiate, but at 200-300 baht ($10 US) per person, the cost is quite affordable for many visiting tourists.
Please note that this is a quick photo journey through the canals and river adjacent to the Amphawa floating market. Read more about the Amphawa market in our previous post or proceed on through the canals via the photos below!
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| Vendors serving customers lunch at the edge of the klong |
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| One of the nicer sit-down restaurants located adjacent to the main klong (canal) |
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| Passing by Wat Pak Ngam further inland along the main klong |
Picture 1. Kids snacking at a small shop alongside the klong. Picture 2. Several local residents swimming in the klong. As a visitor, I must say it is an enviable way to escape the heat! Similar to what much of Bangkok may have been like several hundred years ago, the people living alongside the klongs seem to spend many evenings enjoying time fishing and swimming in the water. Picture 3. A vendor returns home on his boat with all of his platters empty of food. It must have been a good day in the market!
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| One of the nicer houses converted into a small massage shop along the klong |
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| A smaller house located along the klong has a great lived-in personality to it! |
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| The main klong running through Amphawa has many small tributaries further inland |
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| Boat taxis on the Mae Klong river with Wat Pummarin Kudeethong in the background |
Picture 1. Tourist riverboat around a bend of the Mae Klong river. Picture 2. Definitely in the tropics! Here there is a well-curated walkway along the riverbank. In the background, palm trees glisten in the late afternoon sunlight. Picture 3. Boat ferry taking people to Amphawa Floating Market
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| Passing by Wat Pak Nam on the river tour. Beyond this point is another small klong where bushes frequented by fireflies are located |
Boats tour small klongs along the main river that are lined with bushes commonly inhabited by fireflies. This species doesn’t fly but climbs out on the branches of the bush and flicker just as dusk begins to set. It can be a beautiful sight on moonless nights as a faint darkness begins to creep across the sky!
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| Many Lilly pads line the banks of the river and the small tributaries when moving beyond the immediate vicinity of the market. Here, a large fishing trap contraption can be seen along the banks of the river. |
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| Many charming shops, hostels, and small hotels are nestled into the jungle immediately beside the river. Tiger and Bird highly recommend a visit! |
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| An elderly gentleman slowly paddles his boat near some Lilly pads |
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| The river is wild, after all, and the jungle vegetation lining the uninhabited banks is thick and teeming with wildlife |
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| After a successful night observing fireflies, our boat returns to the brightly lit Amphawa floating market |
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| The coolness of the evening is a welcome change from the long, hot day in the sun! Now, how about that midnight snack? |
As dusk begins to give way to the darkness of night, our boat trip has concluded and it's time to head back to the market. We pass by brightly lit shops and restaurants, some now bustling with customers, as we traverse the klong back to our starting point. Interestingly, Tiger and Bird always find that these boat trips make us hungry! We hurriedly stop by a boat noodle shop and have three or four bowlfuls of their tasty 15 baht dishes.
Bangkok has much to offer, but Amphawa Floating Market has now become a staple place for us to bring international visitors. The authentic feel of the market really helps Westerners see what life in Thailand is really like outside the big city and is a great opportunity to experience what life in Bangkok may have been like several hundred years ago. If you get the chance on your next visit to Thailand, be sure to stop by! You won't be disappointed.
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Coming up next, visiting the Bridge over the River Kwai and the quaint town of Kanchanaburi!
Recently, we made a trip up to Kanchanaburi to see the Bridge over the River Kwai, admire a giant rain tree, and climb the otherworldly Erawan falls. We'll share details from this trip in August!
Previous post A quick eating (and shopping) trip to Amphawa floating market
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