THAILAND'S TOP DESTINATIONS VOTE
http://www.bangkokpost.com/9destinations
Unlike nearby Damnoen Saduak, the floating market at Amphawa has so far managed to stay under the tourist radar. Roughly an hour's journey by car from the capital, this place is just one of several good reasons to visit the province of Samut Songkhram and the delightful community of Amphawa.
Only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from about 2pm onwards, the Amphawa Floating Market is perfect for night-owls who occasionally get the yearning for some yesteryear ambience but don't want to subject themselves to the torture of responding to an alarm clock any time before noon. The canal which bisects the market is lined with small wooden boats peddling tasty treats like noodles and barbecued seafood at ridiculous prices (when was the last time you got a portion of noodles for 10 baht?).
And though it's a floating market most of the vendors here operate from canal-side shops and stalls selling everything from hot coffee, artwork and clothes to gifts, handicrafts, old-fashioned sweets and food. You'll have a hard time not finding something to tickle your fancy.
As night falls another exciting opportunity presents itself. In and around the market area touts from dozens of competing boat operators will begin to advertise firefly-watching cruises along the Mae Klong River. Swarms of these insects emerge at dusk, lighting up many of the trees along this waterway as if someone had strung up thousands of fairy lights.
Over on the other side of the Mae Klong, their compounds coming right down to the riverbank, are 30 or so rather distinctive Buddhist temples, from Wat Bangkae Yai with its centuries-old murals and Wat Bangkae Noi, whose interior is adorned with exquisite wooden carvings, to the banyan tree-engulfed bot of Wat Bang Kung.
In the vicinity is Ban Maeo Thai, a privately-owned centre for the conservation and breeding of several kinds of indigenous Siamese cat. Amphawa is also home to many artisans who produce hand-painted Benjarong porcelain.
Closer to the market is the Rama II Memorial Park, a landscaped expanse of green with beds of native flowers where, within a group of traditional Thai houses, one can view artefacts from the early Rattanakosin era.
So whether you drop by just for the afternoon, or choose to spend the night, in Amphawa you'll always find plenty to fill your stomach and satiate the other senses.
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GETTING THERE
From Bangkok, cross the Chao Phraya River via the Rama IX suspension bridge and follow Rama II Road for about an hour until you see signs directing you to Samut Songkhram. Farther along there are plenty of signs pointing the way to the district of Amphawa and its floating market.
Public buses on the Bangkok-Ratchaburi-Damnoen Saduak route, which depart from the Southern Bus Terminal in Thon Buri, go directly past the floating market.
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/9destinations
THE FOLKS UP IN LAMPANG are displaying in no uncertain manner how proud they are of their home province. Wat Phra That Lampang Luang sits at the top of our charts, netting over 250 votes during the past week. Members from Lampang are still flooding into our site at an impressive rate to support their local pride and joy. I doubt that anyone anticipated such an incredible showing from this province; let's hope they can keep it up!
EXPERIENCING ITS OWN SURGE THIS week is Phu Soi Dao National Park. Just like Lampang, there's been a spike in registrations by users hailing from Uttaradit province, coinciding with this national park's rise to second place, leaving early leaders Krabi and Kaeng Krachan National Park in the dust. Rounding out the rest of the top nine at the moment are: Muang Boran (the Ancient City); Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao; Rattanakosin Island; Doi Inthanon; and Pai. Which means that those two havens for divers, Ko Similan and Ko Tarutao, are no longer among those leading the field. So, scuba enthusiasts, what're you all goin' to do about that?
BANGKOK WAS NAMED THE WORLD'S BEST CITY, the other week, by a leading travel magazine, but so far our capital's two candidates have had a fairly disappointing showing. That all changed this past week, however, as Rattanakosin Island has awakened and is pushing its way upwards in the rankings. It'd be a great shame if our nation's capital were to come away from this competition empty-handed, given that no other province can compete with Bangkok in terms of sheer numbers of people. So, Bangkokians, it's time to wake up and vote! Besides (last time I checked anyway), this contest isn't being organised by the Lampang Post newspaper now, is it?
IT'S STILL A LITTLE EARLY IN THE GAME, but the challenge facing Lam Klong Ngu National Park might already be far too daunting. In dead-last position since voting kicked off, it has continued the trend of attracting one miserable vote per week, to attain the not-so-grand total of four votes in the past month. Maybe there'll be a last-minute revival in support, or perhaps we should consider giving its place on the shortlist to another destination.
NEVER BEEN TO Phu Soi Dao National Park? Here's your chance to see why this week's dark horse is creating such a fuss. Meet us bright and early on Friday, September 12 in Uttaradit town and we'll have a van waiting to take you to the national park. If you're interested, let us know via the "Free Transportation to Phu Soi Dao National Park" thread on our webboard. And hurry! Seats are limited to the first five respondents.
THERE'S ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT IN OUR "Invite Friends" competition for July. If you don't make the top three this month, there's no need to worry: the accumulated points all get wiped out once we hit August, and we start over with a new set of prizes. In the meantime, keep clicking! An Olympus weatherproof digital camera, Caggioni travel bag or complete set of Horizons' 'Road Map' travelogues could still be yours.
And while we're on the subject of prizes ... if spending two nights in Amphawa, our featured candidate this week, sounds like good fun, you may be in luck. Something tells me that there might be some free accommodation coming up for grabs in the very near future. Where and how? You'll have to stay tuned ...
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