Wednesday, July 13, 2016

The Floating Deal: Asia's Most Stunning Floating Markets

When travelling in an altogether new land, it's generally suggested to head to the local, open air markets and gain some insight into the way of life of the locals. To make your shopping experience even better, a few markets do without road stands and set up their shops right in the water. You can shop for the daily items or trinkets by directing your little pontoon in the midst of an extensive "floating" market on the water. While such markets are without a doubt an intriguing idea, the only constraint of such markets for tourists is their timings, for every floating market opens at 4 in the morning! You mind?

As a matter of fact, majority of the best floating markets in the world exist exclusively in the Asian continent, and these are a lifetime worth of a spectacle to the eyes. So shun the lazy-pangs for a day, get up at the crack of light in the morning, and go out and shop from these markets, if you happen to be at one of the following Asian cities.

1. Dal Lake Floating Market, Srinagar
Kashmir's Dal Lake is known all around the world for its unfathomable magnificence and shikaras. In any case, did you realize that Dal Lake additionally has a floating vegetable market? The Dal Lake Floating Market is a stand out of its kind in India and turned heads towards it on a global level in 1960, when a Japanese photographer highlighted it in a traveler guide. So if you are looking for the Chandigarh to Srinagar flights, look for the latest one, and stay up till sunrise to shop from this marvel of a kind in India. Set up that alarm!

2. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand
The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market can be found around 60 miles southwest of Bangkok and is best experienced at the early morning hours before it gets crowded and the heat gets unbearable. The market is exceptionally brilliant and vivacious as sellers row down the waterway in their kayaks offering fresh vegetables. Several boats gather to offer food, plants, fruits, and vegetables, hanging their merchandise on a tall shaft so that potential purchasers can without much of a hassle see what is being sold. Just make sure to leave right on time, as the floating market starts at 5:00 am and closes at mid-day.

3. Lok Baintan Floating Market, Indonesia
The Lok Baintan Floating Market is situated in Banjar Regency in the Indonesian part of Borneo. You can reach the market within an hour from the central Banjarmasin by a riverboat. Baintan has been viewed as one of the city's real points of interest for quite a long while. This charming floating market is a representation of the Banjar society, which has stayed consistent throughout the years, where purchasers and dealers meet each other utilizing just pontoons. Such a watery deal!

4. Aberdeen Floating Market, Hong Kong
This market is more than just a market. On the Aberdeen Harbor, there are around 600 waste boats that house approximately 6,000 individuals. These boat locals are essentially Tanka people who came to Hong Kong around the 8th century, and hold a long history of marine and angling society and custom. If you wish to taste fresh fish, you can visit one of the numerous boat restaurants here, the best out of all being The Jumbo Floating Restaurant which is a noteworthy tourist destination that serves fantastic Cantonese-style fish.

5. Mekong Delta Floating Markets, Vietnam
The Mekong Delta floating markets are known for the Phung Hiep and the Cai Be markets. The greatest and busiest floating market in the Delta locale is Phung Hiep and to visit this market, one needs to stay in the Mekong Delta range, wake up right on time and take one of the boats amid the early morning hours. Who minds waking up early to catch such a delight, right?

Forget the swanky malls and uptown lanes for shopping. These floating markets are not just a delight for the eyes, but also dole out heaps of goodies at cheap prices. The experience that follows, well, that cannot be described in words exactly. Try for yourself!