Bangkok Floating Market

A number of narrow canals jammed with small wooden boats with vendors in large straw hats paddling happily and peddling fresh fruit and vegetables, hot noodles and cold drinks, spices and souvenirs, just as they’ve done for centuries- Yes, that is Bangkok’s most infamous Floating Market, perhaps one of the most visited tourist sites around Bangkok. The original Floating Market, Damnoen Saduak, is located 110 kilometres from Bangkok in Ratchaburi province. Though, numerous other floating markets have cropped up owing to the popularity of this one.

Getting to the Floating Market takes between one and a half to over two hours from Bangkok depending on traffic conditions. There are mobile food stores selling anything from fruit, Som Tam, barbequed chicken, and other delicacies moving around the canals. Most people visiting the Floating Market are foreigners and Thai tourists, but it does offer visitors an excellent opportunity to see something different and take some great pictures of what is a true Thai icon.

Our travel tip to floating market would be that you organize a tour to enjoy the Floating Market and make sure that it is in fact the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and not any other. The tour to Floating Market generally starts around 6:30 in the morning and may include side trips to the Sugar House, a visit to the Teakwood Handicraft Center, or a visit to the Rose Garden. Whatever be your schedule, a trip to the floating market is a must because it is so very unique feature of Thailand.

Bird watching in Northern Thailand

For the bird watchers, Northern Thailand is a paradise. In the winter months this is a great area to see migrants, especially flycatchers and thrushes. Some of the national parks offering great opportunities for bird watching include:

Doi Inthanon National Park – Owning Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon, this National Park, in Chiang Mai province, is unique in Thailand as it is 300 metres higher than any other mountain in the country which allows it to support a tract of upper montane forest and Thailand’s only sphagnum bog. Doi Inthanon spans a number of habitats and consequently contains the birds associated with them. Some of the popular species found here are Chestnut-tailed Minla, Green-tailed Sunbird, Rufous-winged Fulvetta and Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush.

Doi Chiang Dao National Park, in Chiang Mai province, is Thailand’s third highest mountain at 2220 metres. The higher altitudes hosts winter specialities such as Thrushes occur as well as resident Giant Nuthatch and Hume’s Pheasant. The lower altitude prides itself in large numbers of common forest birds such as Rusty-naped Pitta, Hooded Pitta and Tesias. In April and May Streaked Wren Babbler is particularly common at Wat Tam Pa Plong.

Doi Ang Kang, in Chiang Mai province, is an area on the border with Myanmar consisting of a number of peaks and ridges and hosts a large number of rare species. Crested Finchbill is seen by most visitors. Red-faced Liocichla and Spot-throated Babbler are also found here.

Chiang Saen is a small town, in Chiang Rai province, next to the Mekong river close to the famous “Golden Triangle” border area with Myanmar and Laos. Winter wildfowl often congregate here in flocks of thousands. Ruddy Shelduck are sometimes found on both the lake and the Mekong river and Spot-billed Duck is often easily seen on the river from Chiang Saen town itself. Many Eurasian species of duck can be found here with Ferruginous Duck, Baer’s Pochard, Baikal Teal and Falcated Duck being among the most interesting.

Doi Phu Kha National Park covers 1680 square kilometres of forested mountains in Nan province, close to the border with Laos. Doi Phu Kha has exciting side trails off of the long road through the park, where a number fo exciting species can be seen. Crested Finchbill, Red-faced Liocichla, Black-throated Tit and Green Cochoa have all been seen on this mountain. Also the rare Beautiful Nuthatch has been reportedly been observed here.