Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

Damnoen Saduak is the floating market you see on postcards – a labyrinth of narrow canals in Ratchaburi province, about 100 km southwest of Bangkok. The main canal was dug between 1866 and 1868 by order of King Rama IV to connect the Mae Klong and Tha Chin rivers. The current market was created in the 1980s for visitors, after roads replaced the boats. It's a market geared towards tourists and no longer serves as a functioning waterway where locals buy their breakfast. This is the most common criticism in reviews. What you'll find instead is a truly photogenic scene: wooden boats selling fruit, noodles, and souvenirs, and vendors in wide-brimmed straw hats hawking their wares from the water.

Timing is crucial. The canals are busiest between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. and quiet down in the early afternoon. Try to visit during the first one or two hours, before the tour buses arrive and the canals become overcrowded. The journey takes about 90 minutes each way, so most visitors opt for a morning tour, often combined with a visit to the Maeklong Railway Market. If you prefer not to travel by boat, you can stroll along the banks, as many stalls are located right on the canal. Khun Phitak, about 2 km south of the main market, is the smallest and least crowded of the three canal markets here.

Agree on the price of every boat before boarding. Anecdotal reports indicate that travelers who initially opted for a cheap ride from a roadside ferry were pressured upon arrival into paying 2,500 baht for a private boat. Therefore, book through a company you have vetted and carry small bills for the touts.