To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.

~ Bill Bryson

A visit to Thailand  isn’t complete without a trip to  a floating market. Escape to an exciting showcase of local custom,  rustic atmosphere and colorful ambiance.

Thailand’s most famous floating market is the vibrant Bangkok Floating Market or  Damnoen Saduak located in Ratchaburi Province. It’s around 105 kilometers away from the bustling city. Despite it’s distance, tourists and vendors alike flock the massive market catering everything from exotic food to fresh fruits to great bargains.

Thailand’s exotic food or not. I dare not to get near this stall.

We only have half a day to spare and the travel time to Damnoen Saduak will take away long hours of our time. Pursuing travel means we have to take a package tour, else burden ourselves and get lost with the blurry sketches on going there.   So, we checked out a nearby alternative that’s easier to navigate. You know we always do an off the beaten path exploration and itching DIO (do-it-ourselves) rather than taking a package tour.

Amphawa Floating Market it is!

After our early shopping at Platinum Mall and Pratunam Area, we checked out from Old Charm House by lunch time. Our host offered to keep our luggages until our flight that evening. We then hurried to catch the skytrain to  Victory Monument.

How to get there:

1. Ride the skytrain and get off at Victory Monument.

2. Find the bus terminal and hop on to a van going to Amphawa. Fare is around 70 baht per pax. Make sure to *tell the driver or operator that you’re getting off at Amphawa Floating Market. Get an interpreter if you must. =P

3. Enjoy the scenic landscape or sleep for about 2 hours.

The hard rain made us worry if we’ll get there on time, we can only hope that it wouldn’t ruin our last minute tour. Travel time is around 2 hours. We got lost initially since our driver wasn’t aware that we are getting off at Amphawa Floating Market. We *missed our stop. Good thing  he arranged for our transfer at another van going  back to the same direction.

Getting lost is part of the fun. I know Iphone maps has made my life easier now, but I’ll still prefer to get lost and take all the adventure I can, most of the time. teehee!

Amphawa Floating Market is open on weekends from 12 noon onwards. Perfect for the late risers! Enjoy good food, local music and busy friendly atmosphere. There are also boat tours to nearby wats.

The canal is filled with small boats maneuvering for the best place to sell  goods. It’s totally chaotic, especially when you see how they fit a lot of stuff into such small space. Slightly larger boats carry passengers for a fee.

Too bad we can’t stay long enough, the least we could do is try native delicacies and sweets like this yummy ice kacang.

Needless to say, our short visit requires a comeback. I hope soon. We can probably try a cruise to the river. Or husband will volunteer to taste spiders. lol.

Going back, we were greeted with heavy traffic. We raced to get our luggages from our host and head straight to the airport for our midnight flight. A bit crazy sked but we made it!

Zoobic Safari is the only Tiger Safari located in the heart of Zoobic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines. A 25-hectare land full of diverse exotic animals.

I remember I was going through a rough week of work overload, so when my balikbayan Aunt & her husband invited me to join them to a road trip in Subic, I didn’t think twice and meet them early the following day.

We fetch my grandparents, 2 cousins and my Uncle’s girlfriend. My aunt’s husband on the wheels. At 6 o’ clock in the morning we were cruising the road going north.

At half past 8, we made a stop at Shell Station in NLEX Bulacan to have breakfast. We just ordered coffee from Jollibee since were still full from the bread & spam we ate inside the car.

We then continued our journey to Subic. No one knew the current way going to Subic, so we had to rely on signages.

Directions going there:

We passed through North Luzon Expressway and took the exit at Dau going to SCTEX (Subic – Clark – Tarlac Expressway). This is by far, the most  convenient and efficient way to go to Subic Bay Freeport, Central Techno Park in Tarlac and Special Economic Zone in Zambales and Pampanga. The four lane road and the country’s longest expressway is worth bragging.

We passed through quite a number of toll gates, I lost count on how much the total toll fees cost.

We just followed the long and winding road, and voila, welcome to Subic.

Be aware though that driving in this area is under the compelling traffic rules of America. Do not even attempt to try Manila driving here or you’ll have tons of violations before you get your butt back to where you came from. =P

The signage going to Zoobic Safari are not much of a help inside Subic. The quest to finding it is quite challenging. We were told to just follow the signage which was supposed to be just few meters away or should be in every block. Mind you, there were times that we think we’re lost inside the forest, because we can’t find the next signage. Where to go? Left, Right, Up, back?

Finally, we found the entrance of Zoobic Safari at past 10 AM.

It was burning hot outside.I know its not good to visit the zoo in this time of the year because it just adds up to the animals’ burden. Who would want to entertain people at this weather, right?

Entrance Fee is P395 per pax which is valid for a visit at Zoobic Park, Serpentarium, Rodent World, Aeta’s Trail, MuZooeum, Tiger Safari Ride, Savannah and more.

We had a close encounter with tigers, ostrich, Ferret, Camels and lots of  crocodiles. I can’t remember all the animals we’ve seen, but most of them were resting. The place looked dull during Summer.

We hopped into a Safari Jeep for tiger feeding. Our guide said that earlier that morning, one tiger even bite the tire of one of their jeepneys. And the passengers have to wait inside for at least an hour before getting off the ride.

We enjoyed the Aeta’s tribal dance. Very talented, I must say.

We also had a good view of how many arsenals are scattered within the area.

Here is our random photos. Enjoy!

We were stinking by the time we  finished the tour at half past 1 PM and headed to Chowking for lunch.

We were back in Manila early and spent the rest of the day at my Aunt’s & Uncle’s condo.

Family Weekend is priceless.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

Finally, a place to chronicle my travels.

This blog is entirely a collection of guides, tips, itineraries, solo travels, honeymoon destinations, musings, off the road discoveries, and budget travels.

I aim to help and entertain you with places that ought to be discovered and protected.

~valerie {nature & beach lover, adventure seeker, mountain climber, getaway mastermind,  haven hunter }