Samut Songkhram Tourism Suburb 2018/6/6 Posted by: Macchan Updated 2020/02/23

The firefly cruise at night is a must-see! Amphawa Floating Market is full of atmosphere.

This may be out of the blue, but what do you think of when you think of fireflies?
...
Elderly people: ``From the north...''
Soccer fans: ``Japan's representative, Hotaru Yamaguchi...''
Ordinary people: ``Isn't this the grave of the fireflies?''

"Akane Hota r"

Yes, hello, I'm Macchan.

About an hour and a half by car from Bangkok.

I heard that there is a boat cruise where you can see fireflies at the floating market, which is popular with locals. The name is "Amphawa Floating Market". I wish I could see fireflies in Thailand. Very interesting. . During my first trip to Thailand, I went to a floating market near Bangkok, but the boat tour was quite expensive and I was tired of stopping at the same souvenir shops.

. . After that, floating markets didn't have a good image. an article by the highly trusted Thai information site ``Conclusion!Thailand Choice'' , he says that this floating market is not too touristy and is a popular spot among locals (this is important). .
And the fireflies are beautiful! Seafood is also delicious. Wow. I really like boating, and I was looking for sightseeing spots near Bangkok, so I decided to adjust my schedule and go there.

In conclusion, it was a lot of fun. I'm glad I went.

What is Amphawa Floating Market?

This is a peaceful floating market located in Samut Songkhram province, about 90km west of Bangkok. Located at the mouth of the Maeklong River facing the Gulf of Thailand, it has a long history of developing as a key point for water transportation. Amphawa and its surrounding landscape, as well as the somewhat nostalgic way of life of the people who live there, attracted attention, and it was used as a filming location for the Japanese movie "Nanayamachi" starring Kyoko Hasegawa.

Do you know this movie? I didn't know. Amphawa Floating Market is one of Thailand's three major floating markets, along with Damnoen Saduak and Taling Chan, but compared to other floating markets, it is more popular as a sightseeing and date spot for locals than for foreign tourists. It is said to be a place with a strong local flavor.
That's nice, it sounds like "local". It's my favorite.

Access to Amphawa Floating Market from Bangkok

From Bangkok, you can take the Rottu (shared minibus).

The bus stop is the Old Southern Bus Terminal (Saai Taigao). Sai Taigao is a little far from central Bangkok, so you'll need to take a taxi to get there. A metered taxi costs about 150 baht (450 yen). By the way, the Shinnan Bus Terminal is called "Sai Tai Mai". My name means new. If "Saai Taigao" does not convey the message, please show the following to the taxi driver.
สายใต้เก่า

Sai Taigao MAP

Once inside, there are many sales areas, but there is one that says ``Amphawa Floating Market'', so you can buy tickets there. In August 2018, it was sold at sales floor 6. The fare is 70 baht (approximately 230 yen) for both going and returning.

Lotto ticket. This is the return flight to Bangkok.

It takes about an hour and a half to get to Amphawa. It stops at a small minivan bus terminal near Amphawa Floating Market. Flights to Bangkok also depart from here, so if you're going to Lottu on your way back, please remember the location.

Location of bus stop for Bangkok

How to get from the bus stop to the floating market

Follow the route in the image above from the bus stop to the floating market.
Follow the green route and the blue part is the market. If you continue along the blue route, you will see a bridge with a signboard for Amphawa Floating Market. There is a floating market below.

Structure of Amphawa Floating Market

The area around Amphawa Floating Market has a street market area and an endless riverside market area along the river.

If you come by bus from Bangkok, go along the road and the first thing you will see is a street market area.

Stroll through the street market area

As you walk through the market, you'll see fish like horse mackerel in baskets and packs being sold everywhere.
And it's a huge amount. Most stores sell it for about 50 baht for 3 pieces to 100 baht for 5 pieces. I wonder what this fish is. . And his neck is bent.

Selling a basket of mysterious fish. It fits perfectly in the round basket. The true identity will be revealed later

an article on this site , it seems to be a dish called ``Pratunun'', which is made by putting a fish called ``Prathu'' in a basket and steaming it.

(Pratu-kun, are you really swimming in that shape? If so, isn't there a lot of resistance?) I

worried unnecessarily, but it turned out that it was just bent to put it in the basket. Although it looks like horse mackerel, it is a member of the mackerel family and is very popular in Thailand. It is often eaten steamed, grilled, or fried. They seemed to be pushing Pratu quite a bit, and there were also goods such as cushions and keychains.

A cushion modeled after Pratu. It's a photo print so it's very realistic. Platu cushion and key chain. And boobs. Dekasugi! ! It's already a mackerel ghost

``Well, you've really pushed Pratu out across the board.''

Now, this is still a normal market, and the Maeklong River is not in sight.

Where is the so-called "floating" market? We walk straight through the market, which is approximately 100 meters long, while being seen off by hundreds of thousands of Pratu. Oh, I can see the bridge. There are the words "amphwa floating market"! It arrived! This is the Maeklong River.

oh! There's a ship. The scenery with the boats is very atmospheric. This feels like a floating market. From the looks of it, it seems like there are many shops running along both sides of the river.

Stroll around the riverside market area

We arrived at the market area along the river.

There are many shops on both sides of the Maeklong River. There are also many seafood stalls and restaurants. The aroma of fragrant seafood wafts from the grilled seafood restaurant. . Ugh , now that I think about it, I only drank bread and tea today! I'm hungry. .

The shops line up along the river like this. Seafood stall on the ship. It's good because there are no tenant fees. Grilled shrimp. This guy is provoking me again with his good smell.

picture?










picture? Wait a minute, something crazy is happening now.







.

“Horseshoe Crab Senpai!!”

Yes, now that I think about it, horseshoe crabs are a food ingredient in Thailand.

I was distraught over what happened to me. sorry. Even so, it's a sight that would be unimaginable in Japan. . . There are grilled horseshoe crabs on display... you get 10 baht off when you buy two.

“Is this (horseshoe crab) delicious?”

"No, it's really bad (straight face)"

According to my Thai friend, there are very few Thai people who like to eat it, and when I read other bloggers' food reviews, I heard comments like ``It's not food'' and ``It made me feel numb''.

I saw a shocking sight, so I decided to drink a beer and forget about it.
I entered the shop just a short walk from the ticket office.
The guitar player is singing T-POP.
I just made eye contact with the guy across from me, but now that I think about it, I haven't eaten gapao lately, so let's have some gapao.
Of course, we also ordered seafood. I ordered grilled squid and grilled scallops (something like that). Gapao rice and grilled squid. how I feel about Chang Beer today.The scallop-like shellfish looks like this.
The flesh is plump, plump and delicious. Phew, I'm satisfied.

After all, authentic Gapao rice is made on an iron plate. When the sun goes down and the lights start coming on, the atmosphere changes again. At night, the store's lights shine brightly along the river, creating a mysterious scenery. A restaurant similar to Kyoto's Kawadoko. The mat seating area is also nice. Maeklong River at dusk. When the sun goes down, the atmosphere changes dramatically.

Get a T-shirt at a handmade T-shirt shop

On the way there, I stumbled into a shop that sells handmade T-shirts.
It seems that the lady at the shop draws each illustration by hand, making this a rare T-shirt that is truly the only one in the world.

It's customary to buy T-shirts from various parts of Thailand as souvenirs, so I searched for good designs and got one with a cute illustration of a dog. Even though it's handmade, it only costs 200 baht. I love it and even wear it in Japan. Summary of T-shirts bought in Thailand ⇒ [Recommended! Thai souvenir] Choosing a T-shirt is fun! Auntie's handwritten T-shirt.
200 baht.

Enjoy Thai gelato for dessert

I found a gelato shop that looked delicious.
Enjoy some sweet and cold gelato for dessert. 1 scoop 49 baht.

89 baht for 2 scoops. I ordered the standard mango flavor. Yes, Alloy Mark!

We took a walk around and it was almost time for a good time.
Now let's head to the firefly cruise, which is the main purpose of this itinerary.

How and when to purchase tickets for the Firefly Cruise

Where can I buy a ticket for the main menu, Hotaru Cruise, and where can I board the cruise?

As I was wandering around, I came across a shop that was inviting visitors to the Firefly Cruise.

Sister: “Hotaru Cruise is here.”

“Ah, this is the one I saw on the conclusion tie choice!”

By the way, the location is around here under the bridge.It

was true that the boat cruise cost 60 baht.

What was it that took 1000 baht at the floating market in Bangkok? I immediately bought a ticket for 60 baht.
They told me that they would be leaving at 6:30 and that I should come back then. As I walked around, I noticed that various shops along the river were running their own firefly cruises, and it didn't seem like you could only ride them in certain places.

You can buy tickets at any place while strolling around.

I returned to the store where I had bought the ticket earlier. The boat will be leaving soon. This day is Friday. My boat was full of tourists. At the scheduled time of 6:30 p.m., we finally departed.

As the sun sets, the lights from the shops on both sides of the river are truly beautiful.
Once you pass through the floating market, you will be walking through darkness.

Occasionally you can see illuminated temples, but in the first half there isn't much to see in terms of scenery. However, the boat moving silently through the darkness was very atmospheric, and I felt relaxed and calm, away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.
Also, during the hot season, the Thailand Noko cruise is very cool and the breeze feels great. The occasional splash of water on the skin is a nice accent.

Now, I was waiting to see if the all-important fireflies would appear, and from the latter half of the cruise, firefly observation points appeared one after another.

firefly image image

When approaching the firefly observation point, the boat stops its engine and slowly approaches by inertia.

When the engine stops, it's a sign that fireflies are coming, and the sound of the boat will startle you. As I had researched in advance, fireflies in Thailand emit light while blinking.
At the point where the fireflies were clustered, countless fireflies were emitting light on the grass and trees. *The light is not that strong, so I think the photo probably won't show it very well.

Please burn your eyes and enjoy this time. Also, be sure to turn off your camera's flash as the fireflies will run away.

I couldn't understand the language, but from all over the boat there were hushed cheers like, "Oh! Over there!" and "It's so beautiful!"

Being able to share the same excitement with people in a foreign country with whom I don't speak the same language made me feel very calm. The cruise ends in about 1 hour.
We will return to the floating market and disband. On the way here, we were hit by a heavy squall in Rottu, so I was a little worried, but I was very happy to be able to see fireflies with Chanko's eyes.

For day trippers, hurry to the Rottu platform.

“If you don’t hurry, you won’t be able to go home.”

The firefly night cruise starts at 6:30 pm and lasts for just over an hour, ending just before 8:00 pm. The last Lottu flight to Bangkok 20:30 , so if you are on a day trip, please move to the Lottu terminal as soon as possible.

In August 2018, I spoke with a group of Japanese student travelers, but they had to cancel because the departure of the Hotaru Cruise was a little delayed.

Also, since it is not always possible to ride, we recommend staying near Amphawa Floating Market on the day of the night cruise, as introduced in "Conclusion! Thailand is the only choice".

How about having a drink with some ``Pratunam'' that you bought as a souvenir at the hotel? I'm sure it will be a wonderful memory.

Recommended hotels near Amphawa Floating Market

It is best to stay overnight when visiting Amphawa Floating Market. So, I would like to introduce some recommended hotels nearby.

Panviman Amphawa Riverside Resort

Panviman Amphawa Riverside Resort is a resort hotel facing the Maeklong River.
It is characterized by its purple interior walls.

In the morning, we had breakfast on the lawn while looking out at the Maeklong River, which had a great atmosphere. During the regular season, you can stay in a standard room for just under 5,000 yen. There are no convenience stores nearby, and the hotel's shops do not have a good selection of products, so please buy drinks and other items at a convenience store or market near Amphawa Floating Market before coming.

It seems to be quite popular and was already sold out around this year's summer vacation.
I made a reservation last minute, but maybe I was lucky. When considering this, please check the reservation site in advance. View on agoda.com

Enjoy an elegant breakfast overlooking the Maeklong River. We had a choice of Thai breakfast and Western food. There were tropical fruit trees such as mango and coconut in the garden, and the bright green color and the orange color of the building made a great contrast.

“The Maeklong River in the morning is so nice.”

Panviman Amphawa Riverside Resort MAP

It is a little far from Amphawa Floating Market, and it takes about 15 minutes to walk.
The road is quite dark at night, so women may be better off taking a tuk-tuk charter. During the day, you can enjoy a pleasant walk along the green path.

Villa amphawa

This is a stylish Western-style resort hotel with a white theme.
There’s a canopy over the bed!

It was my first time in a canopy bed and I was a little excited. It's not very cheap at around 8,000 yen per night including breakfast, but it was a pretty good hotel in terms of atmosphere, facilities, and breakfast.

“The Western atmosphere is great.”

Villa Amphawa MAP

It is impossible to walk from Amphawa Floating Market, so you can get there by taxi at Amphawa Floating Market.

A white taxi took me there for 100 baht.

summary

Ever since I took an expensive cruise to the floating market in Bangkok, I had avoided going to Amphawa Floating Market, but it turned out to be a relaxing spot full of locals and a relaxing place to spend time.
Night cruises for watching fireflies are also perfect.

It was a very valuable experience to see so many fireflies. The ideal plan is to arrive around 16:00, take a night cruise, and stay overnight. When you come to Thailand, please take a short trip from Bangkok and visit Amphawa Floating Market.

This article summarizes other sightseeing spots that can be accessed on a day trip from Bangkok ↓
All of these places are very fun, so please be sure to visit these places as well.

I am an elephant

Interesting tourist spots in the suburbs that you can go on a day trip from Bangkok

``Thailand is full of fun places other than Bangkok.'' Hello, I'm Macchan. The cold winter is over, and Japan is gradually getting warmer. It's a little hot today. Golden Week is just around the corner, and it feels like the tourist season is finally beginning. This time, I have put together a list of interesting tourist spots that I have visited so far that can be visited on a day trip from Bangkok. It wouldn't be interesting to introduce things that are listed in major guidebooks, so I've intentionally picked out only minor places that aren't listed. We plan to increase this number in the future. ...

I would appreciate it if you could share it if you found it helpful.

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