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How can you get to Dameon Saduak without the assistance of a tour company?

1. Get to Victory Monument Station (MRT) in Bangkok.

2. Take Exit 4 out of the station and walk for about a minute or so.

3. On the left side of the street (the side you should be on if you took Exit 4), locate the bus terminal. It should be identifiable with some small buses and a ticket window, but is a tad shady-looking hole-in-the-wall place with all signs in Thai.

4. Go to the first window and purchase a one-way bus ticket to Damoen Saduak, Ratchaburi Province. You can purchase a return ticket later at Damoen Saduak.

5. Wait for the bus in the terminal. The staff will tell you when to board the mini-bus.

6. Get on the bus and relax–you’re going to be sitting there for a while!

7. Once you get to Damoen Saduak, you will alight at a tent-like stop. Walk to the Floating Market entrance and haggle with the staff for an hour-long tour. Try to get a price of 100-150 Bhat—this is an average or fair price.

8. Take your tour! Eat amazing food! Enjoy the experience!

9. At the end, ask staff where to purchase a return bus ticket. Follow their directions and board the bus to Bangkok.

Travel tip: Try to take a bus that leaves Bangkok between 8 – 10 am to get to Damoen Saduak between 10 am – 12 pm. This will give you plenty of time to take the tour and return back to Bangkok before sundown.

The story behind the directions…

Thailand is famous for its floating markets, and I wanted to experience this while in the country. However, my humble studying-abroad-university-student-budget didn’t allow me to book a tour company and I honestly didn’t want to blow my meager budget on something seemingly navigate-able. I decided to make the journey on my own.

Trusting my intuition, I roughly planned a half-day trip to Damoen Saduak. Half-day because Damoen Saduak is located in Ratchaburi Province, which is approximately an hour and a half without traffic from Bangkok. This meant I would have to leave Bangkok relatively early to ensure I could get back to the city before sundown. Considering I was alone, I figured being back in Bangkok before dark would be the safest option.

After a lovely complimentary breakfast at the hostel surrounded by fellow travel acquaintances who were psyching me up for the day ahead, I set off around 9:00 am. At the age of twenty, this was my first time traveling solo in a foreign country. I was anxious, nervous, and excited—this was all new. I had no idea what to expect or what to do if something went wrong. My flip phone had no service in Thailand, and I spoke no Thai. In my mind, everything could go south fast: What if the driver took me to an undisclosed location? What if I couldn’t get back to Bangkok? What if I fell into the river and got swallowed by a snake?! Thoughts, logical and illogical, flooded my mind as I sat on the MRT, but I convinced myself that everything would be okay. Positive thoughts create positive outcomes, right?

Everything went as perfect as it could have: timely buses, minimal traffic, new friends, a cheap entrance ticket, amazing food, a kind boat guy, and a return bus ride to Bangkok. My experience getting to, around, and from Damoen Saduak instilled in me a sense of empowerment. I felt accomplished. Better yet, I felt confident in my abilities. This solo trip to Thailand marked a new chapter in my life: a chapter of solo travel and adventure. Taking a leap of faith and doing something outside of my comfort zone allowed growth and life lessons—I’m incredibly thankful for this experience and what it inspired in me.