Bangkok Floating & Railway Market with Coconut Farm Tour
Activity provider: Thailand Insight Travel
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This is a seven-hour day trip from Bangkok to the markets of the Mae Klong area, with a coconut sugar farm and a sea salt field along the way. It suits travellers who want both the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and the Mae Klong Railway Market in one outing, and it comes in group, private and luxury versions. The group size is up to 15.
What the day looks like
The tour starts at Damnoen Saduak, where you spend about 75 minutes on the canal. A motor boat ride is included. The canal is 38 kilometres long, and King Rama IV started it about 150 years ago when it served as the area’s road. Fruit and vegetables are still traded here, and you can try mango with sticky rice, fresh coconut ice cream and Thai boat noodles.
A short coconut sugar farm stop follows, around 15 minutes. You watch how coconut nectar is collected and boiled into palm sugar, and try squeezing coconut milk with a traditional wooden machine. The next stop is a sea salt field in Samut Sakhon, also about 15 minutes. The guide shows how salt farmers turn sea water into salt mountains, and you can rub the salt between your fingers.
The last main stop is the railway market in Mae Klong, about an hour. Stalls sit right against the track, and when a train approaches the vendors pull everything back, then set up again once it passes. The train ride to Mae Klong is included on the private and luxury versions, and optional for group guests.
Good to know
Included are a licensed English-speaking guide, the motor boat ride and travel accident insurance. Lunch is not included. Group guests get one-way hotel pickup from downtown Bangkok and no hotel drop-off, and the train ride and salt field may be cut when there are many pickups. After the tour, group guests are dropped at MBK Center, next to BTS National Stadium. Private guests are taken to their hotel or, on request, to MBK Center.
Private and luxury versions include round-trip hotel transfer, but 9:00 AM pickups skip the coconut farm workshop. There is no baby seat for group customers, and infants sit on an adult’s lap. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels.
Itinerary
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
The Floating Market of Damnoen Saduak is one of the most attractive floating markets in Thailand. Worldwide tourists come here to experience this 38 kilometers, man-made canal initiated by the visionary King Rama IV 150 years ago. This canal was used as “road” when there was no road in Thailand. This floating market is currently the center of fruits and vegetable trading. At this floating market, you can try a number of delicious Thai fruits and foods such as sweet mango on sticky rice, freshly-made coconut icecream, and Thai-style boat noodle. A motor boat ride is already included in your tour.
Coconut Sugar Farm
You will observe how Thai farmers produce coconut nectar and palm sugar loaf. You will see a demonstration of coconut flower cutting, pouring the nectar into a bamboo container, putting preservation woods in the container, boiling up and pasteurizing the coconut nectar into the drinkable one. You will try squeezing coconut milk from coconut shell using a traditional Thai “rabbit-teeth” wooden machine.
Samut Sakhon
A special bonus stop for guests who join the floating and railway market tour in 2020. The whitish salt field, not a rice field, of course. This sea salt is produced by Thai local wisdom. The salt farmer rotates the sea water in different levels matching the strength of wind and sunlight. The rotation continues until the salt becomes a “salt mountain” ready for cooking, skincare, and agriculture. On Highway 35 in Samut Sakhorn province, the guide leads you to rub the salt on your hand and take photos.
Mae Klong Railway Market (Hoop Rom Market)
The railway market in Mae Klong District is humorously called the “life-risking” market. It is known as one of the “Amazing-Thailand” sights for its chaotic moments. Normally, seller stalls are attached to the railways. When the bell of the arriving train rings, vendors rush to pull back their stalls and clear away all goods that obstruct the train. Once the train passes, all vendors expand their stalls and resume selling again. Private Tour Only: You ride a local train toward the Mae Klong station for about 30 minutes. Instead of standing on the sides of the railway, you are on the train seeing people doing selfies and recording videos, and you can wave to tourists. The train ride is included for private tour customers only (optional purchase for join tour customers).
You can buy many popular Thailand items in this huge shopping mall. Join tour guests are dropped here after the tour. MBK center is connected to BTS National Stadium, so you can ride the BTS skytrain back to your hotel. Private tour guests are dropped at their hotel, or at MBK center on request.
Included
- Motor boat ride, and travel accident insurance
- [Luxury Tour] Private luxury VIP van, roundtrip hotel transfer, and train ride
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- [Private Tour] Private standard vehicle, roundtrip hotel transfer, and train ride
- [Group Tour] One-way hotel pickup in Bangkok downtown, and conditional train ride
Not Included
- Lunch and hotel pick-up from non-downtown Bangkok
- [Group Tour] No hotel drop-off. No train ride and salt farm if too many hotel pickups. No baby seat.
- [Private/Luxury Tour] No coconut farm workshop for 9:00 AM hotel pickups
Good to know
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Before you go
Public transportation options are available nearby Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap Suitable for all physical fitness levels No baby seat for group tour customers
