A trip to Bangkok is not complete without a visit to one of the famous floating markets.
Due to the vast network of canals and waterways, Bangkok and the surrounding area, were formerly known as the Venice of the East. People relied on canals for transportation, and therefore people would tend to sell things directly from their boats, and thus giving rise to many floating boat markets.
These are the perfect places to immerse yourself in a whole new shopping experience, and taste some of the best local cuisines!
Here are the list of floating markets in Bangkok, mentioned in the order of their popularity.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Distance from city center - 94 kms
Opening Hours - 7 AM - 11 AM (Morning market)
Highlights:
Amphawa Floating Market
Distance from city center - 96 kms
Opening Hours - Fri, Sat and Sun from 12:00 PM until 8:00 PM (Afternoon market)
Highlights:
Khlong Lat Mayom floating market
Distance from city center - 15 kms
Opening Hours - Sat and Sun from 9 am – 4 pm
Highlights:
Food paradise. It is one of the best places to taste local food. Some of the must try items are:
Khlong Lat Mayom is close to the city and is situated in a lovely green lush area with an abundance of good food to eat. Here there are less of floating boats, but more of solid structures next to the waterway, selling stuffs.
You can take a boat ride and explore the nearby villages in just 50 THB.
Taling Chan Floating Market
Distance from city center - 9 kms
Opening Hours - Sat and Sun from 8 am – 5 pm
Highlights:
Close to city and has good food options
Option for Thai foot massage
Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market / Bang Phli Floating Market
Distance from city center - 23 kms
Opening Hours - 8 am – 5 pm
Highlights:
One of the oldest and traditional floating markets
Perfect place to try thai noodles, fresh fruit, seafood and other local delicacies.
Unique Markets - Maeklong Railway Market of Bangkok, Thailand
Maeklong Railway Market, is a unique market that is held every day literally on the rail tracks.
Maeklong Railway Market, nicknamed as Talat Rom Hup, meaning the "umbrella pulldown market".
It is one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand, and is centred on the Maeklong Railway's track.
The action at this busy market begins few minutes before the train is due to pass through the market. As soon as the siren signals the arrival of the train, the shoppers will hop off the tracks, and vendors will quickly pack their goods and prepare to close/retract their awnings from the train track as the train passes by.
Once the train is gone, its business as usual as if nothing happened.
This is a usual event for locals since 1905; but it is an out of the world experience for all the tourists come to this market, just to witness this.
Train schedule:
These are the times the train is scheduled to pass through the market 6:20am, 9:45am, 10:20am, 1:45pm, 2:30pm, 6:22pm.
How to reach:
This famous Maeklong Railway Market is at a distance of 82 kms from Bangkok.
Nagaland – at a Glance
Nagaland is one of the “seven sisters” of the North-East India. It is one of the smaller hill states of India, it is known for its large population of tribes with their rich culture and traditions and colourful festivals.
Nagaland is a culural state where different types of community have different culure and festivals. Each community celebrates their colourful festivals according to the agrarian calendar that makes Nagaland as, a land of festivals. "NAGALAND HORNBILL FESTIVAL: FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS" is a celebration of the colour and vibrant elements of all the tribal festivities and give a picture of Naga and cultural sensibilities. This local heritage event has become a national and international festivals and also now become a must visit event and unique attraction in the travel industry.
HORNBILL FESTIVAL
Why it is celebrated
Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is named after the Great Indian Hornbill. Folklore in Nagaland represents the hornbill. Hornbill is central to the Naga tradition finding symbolic representations in their faith and costumes. One of the tales relate how a Naga youth, unable to bear his step-mother’s ill-treatment, turned into a Hornbill and took to wings promising to be in his village every year. During such fights the youth came across two of his past beloveds who are now married. Seeing his beloveds the man-hornbill plucked two feathers from his body and presented a feather to each of them. The man-hornbill flew away never to return but his gifts to his beloveds made their way into headgears as they kept dancing elegantly as human crowns at yearly held festivals for posterity’s recognition of a tradition and the enjoyment it gave to man and his community.
The main aim of the festival is to rejuvenate and protect the culture of Nagaland and display its cultural values and traditions.
Hornbill represents or shows nobility – beauty and bravery and because of its roar-like call, its strength is believed to be equal to that of a tiger. It is also a symbol of fertility for reproductive and agricultural.
The Hornbill Festival takes place between the 1st December, which is the Nagaland Formation Day, till the 7th of December. It is coducted annually. Because of its grand success and ability in attracting more number of tourists from across India and abroad, the Hornbill Festival has been extended for another three days which is, till the 10th of December.
Hornbill festival is conducted to encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland, the Government of Nagaland organizes the Hornbill Festival every year in the first week of December. It is organized by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, Hornbill Festival showcases different types of cultural displays in one patform. This festival takes place between the 1st and the 10th of December every year in Kohima.
Where it is celebrated
The feastival is held at Naga Village which is Kisama which is about 12 km from Kohima. All the tribes of Nagaland used to take part in this festival.
How to reach
By Air: Airport is in Dimapur, serviced by major airlines (Indigo & Air India). The city is linked to Kolkata by air. Tourists have to travel to kohima from dimapur by road which will take hardly 2 and half hours.
By Road: The state capital Kohima is linked to Shillong and Guwahati, Eastern India. First travel to Dimapur and then to Kohima.
By Rail: Dimapur is the major railway station, which is linked to Guwahati.
What one can expect in this festival
For visitors or tourists it is an opportunity for closer understanding the people and diverse culture of Nagaland, and a great opportunity to experience Naga food which is no less varied, as are the songs, dances and customs of the place. This great festival is a paradise for a foodie, particularly if one is a non- vegetarian. Nagas mainly love to feast and feed guests, and at Kisama one can try different kinds of traditional food and also watch how they r preparing during the Hornbill Festival days. Tourists are welcomed warmly to the traditional huts of tribe which depicts respective traditions. Visitors who are interested can also interact with the village tribe. They also can take part in various events such as Naga chilly eating, pork eating and traditional games and other traditional competitions.
How it is celebrated
The 10 days festival unites everyone in Nagaland and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. They sing folk songs, perform their traditional dances and play unique and thrilling games and sports. Traditional arts include paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures are also on display. Festival highlights include Traditional Naga Exhibition and sale of Arts and Crafts, Food Stalls, Herbal Medicine Stalls, Flower shows and sales, Cultural Medley – songs and dances, Fashion shows, Beauty Contest, Traditional Archery, Naga wrestling, various other attractive Games. There will be a music concert competition in the evening, which will like by every kind of people, so that the festive spirit continues through the night. The major attractive of this festival is the Hornbill International Rock Festival which is held at Indira Gandhi Stadium where local and international rock bands perform.
Check out exclusive Hornbill festival packages from Navigers and be a part of this extraordinary event.
Thailand is one of the favorite holiday destination for tourists from India.
You can avail 2 types of Visas for travelling to Thailand.
(1) Take Visa on Arrival on Thai airports
(2) Apply for Thailand Tourist Visa for stay more than 30 day
The VISA ON ARRIVAL allows passport holders of 19* countries to enter Thailand under this rule provided that they meet these requirements:
(1) The visit is strictly for tourism purposes.
(2) The passport must be genuine and should be valid for at least 30 days.
(3) You must have a valid address in Thailand whether a hotel or apartment that can be verified. (Atleast 1 day of hotel booking is mandatory)
(4) You must have a confirmed return ticket to show that they are flying out of Thailand within 15 days of entry
(5) It will also be necessary to prove that you have funds of at least 10,000 THB (250 USD) per person and 20,000 THB (500 USD) per family during your stay in Thailand.
(6) A fee of 1,000 THB (decreased from 2,000 Baht) is payable upon entry and is subject to change without notice. It must be paid in cash and Thai currency only.
(7) Submit one 4 x 6 cm. headshot photo taken no longer than 6 months.
Apply For Visa before You Travel
If you’re in Thailand for longer than the 30 days, then you can pre-emptively apply for Visa to the Royal Thai Embassy. The regular tourist Visa can be obtained from the Royal Thai Consulate General present at New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.
It takes 3 to 5 working days for visa processing.
Here is the list of Thailand's international airports were Visa on Arrival service is available:
• Don Muang Airport, Bangkok
• Phuket International Airport
• Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
• Samui Airport, Surat Thani
• Chiangmai International Airport
• Hatyai International Airport, Songkla
And here is the list of countries eligible for the Thailand Visa on Arrival (VOA):
• Andorra
• Bulgaria
• Bhutan
• China
• Cyprus
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• India
• Kazakhstan
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Maldives
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Papua New Guinea
• Romania
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan