Floating Market Damnoen Saduak and Meklong Railway Market: Half Day Tour

Do not use

They were not cooperative and were rude. Tried to cancel within the allotted time and they stopped responding- do not use

Response from the operator: You booked an excursion and then requested a departure from Laem Chabang Port, where cruise ships dock, more than 100 km from Bangkok. Our excursions only include pickup in central Bangkok. You were rightfully asked for a supplement to depart from Laem Chabang, but you refused, even calling it a scam on our part. You should be ashamed of your behavior and this feedback!

via Viator

Floating Market and Railway Tour

We had am amazing private tour with our guide. Really knowledgeable and well worth doing. Would highly recommend

via Tripadvisor

Good but risky

The guide was excellent but I injured my leg getting in and out of the boat

via Tripadvisor

Lucky 7

Helpful informative guide .pick up punctually at hotel .We enjoyed the train and floating market but worth factoring in its an hour and a half there and back .we had originally booked a group tour but were only informed the day before that as we were the only 2 who had booked the group tour the company stated our original tour booked months in advance was cancelled and that the only way we could ensure going on the trip was to pay an extra 1000bahts which I found unacceptable but having travelled thousands of miles to do the trip felt we had no option other than pay the extra .I will make a formal complaint to Viator about this on our return home hence the review score .the score is not a reflection on the guide ,driver ,transportation or the venues visited

via Viator

Fun but crowded and busy. Definitely not something you would see at home!

Pretty good experience. Picked up on time, managed time expectations well, but there seemed to be a focus on wanting us to buy things everywhere we went. We chose this tour for the experiences, and the train market and floating market did not disappoint, but we were not interested in buying things. Watching the train's arrival was very interesting. One moment the tracks are covered with vendors and their wares, shoppers and tourists, and in the next you see it clear out like magic, with awnings being pulled in, goods and people scattering. After train goes by, all is back to a busy market in less than a minute. The crowds are large, and walking the market can be a challenge, as you are walking on the actual train tracks, which are very narrow. Our guide also wanted us to stop to see some elephants. When we asked about the details of this unexpected stop, we discovered that this particular place does not treat the elephants ethically, but rather exploits them by offering rides on them to tourists. We do not condone that, regardless of how short the ride is. Our guide seemed disappointed that we did not want to support this local business, but did as we asked and skipped it. At another unscheduled stop, we were told we would see coconut sugar being made, but when we pulled in it turned out to be just another place selling things. There was some evidence of the tools used to make the sugar, but no one was there to show us the process, and our guide did not/could not explain it to us. Our guide had passable English, but no real desire to explain things and answer our questions. She would toss out odd comments about something as we drove by an area, but further questions were not answered. At the floating market it was very busy. We were loaded into a boat, which was a challenge for me personally, as I have limited mobility as I am recovering from recent leg surgery. I was not offered the opportunity to let the rest of our party take the boat ride, while I remained on land to meet them at the end. I was told we had to take it because we were not being picked up at the same place we departed from. This turned out not to be exactly correct. We were brought back to the other side of the square we departed from, about 50 feet away. While in the boat, there was no explanation of the area, life and homes we saw, only the repeated offer to stop anytime so we could buy something from the vendors. After about 45 minutes of roaring up and down the canals, while sitting on the bottom of the boat, we were told to get off at a very shaky pier that consisted of two wooden planks laid end to end, partially submerged in water. The rest of our party struggled a bit, nearly falling off because you had to be very careful to balance yourself on the thin boards. When it was my turn to exit the boat, everyone was in a rush because other boats were waiting. I had no feeling in one leg, hence I could not simply stand in the boat, finding my balance, before trying to step out onto a board. I will say about 4-5 locals came quickly to help, but all were pulling me in a different direction at the same time. I ended up on my butt on the concrete market step, unable to stand until my husband pushed through to help (as he is used to doing this and knows where and how to assist without overwhelming and unbalancing me). At this point, we walked along a sheltered part of the market, which was very crowded. Again our guide told us we had 30 minutes for shopping. We said we were not interested in buying anything and had seen plenty, so we were ready to go. Finally we headed back to our hotel in Bangkok. It was a very long trip back due to traffic. It would seem there is always traffic, so this should be considered, no matter what tour you take. They did allow for this in the timing of the tour. However, we did skip one stop and the shopping time at the market, or we would have been back late. In the end, we enjoyed both the train market and the floating market, getting much from our own observations. Both are interesting and fun, but too much pestering us to spend money and buy things such as fruits, vegetables and other foods (what would we do with these, as we are staying in a hotel and were leaving the next day?) and a variety of cheaply made, touristy goods found throughout the area. I feel another guide could have added more value with explanations of the area, etc. Knowing this ahead of time, you can make an informed decision if this is the trip for you.

via Viator