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Issue 62 - Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62

Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62 is the first issue of the year and always a great time to put our best foot forward. With Adam Goodrum, the loveliest man in design, as Guest Editor, we draw on his insights as a furniture designer, artist and educator to look at the makers shaping our design world. Sustainability has never been more important, and increasingly this is a consideration from the start with projects designed to address their immediate environment as well as the longevity of the planet. From the coldest winters to the most tropical of summers, addressing how we live in the environment is crucial to creating the perfect home.

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Thailand's Floating Markets
OtherHabitusliving Editor

Thailand's Floating Markets

Thailand

Thailand’s famous floating markets have roots in the country’s history and today, continue to attract a flock of locals and tourists.
 


In the past, daily commerce in Thailand was conducted mostly along rivers and canals, or ‘Klongs’ in the Thai language.

This busy water network served as the principal means of communication which earned Bangkok the moniker, "Venice of the East" courtesy of its early European visitors.

According to history, around 1866 King Rama IV ordered a 32-kilometre canal to be dug at Damnoen Saduak, 109 kilometres southwest of Bangkok, to connect the Mae Klong River with the Tacheen River, later becoming the site of the most renowned of the floating markets.

Today, Bangkok’s floating markets provide vibrant and bustling marketplaces that are open each day until noon.  The culture-rich market at Damnoen Saduak is considered a "must see" for visitors seeking to experience the age-old and traditional style of buying and selling fruits and vegetables.

Australian-based travel company Bunnik Tours’ Victoria Brett says every morning hundreds of boats crowd the market area with most of them paddled by women in straw hats who are ready to stop and bargain at a moment’s notice.

"The canals are filled with flat boats piled high with fresh produce as the region is famous for Malacca grapes, Chinese grapefruits, mangoes, bananas and coconuts," Brett says.

Visitors will also find locals selling freshly cooked noodles and a smorgasbord of souvenirs.

Brett says a boat trip through the colourful markets will give travelers a taste of everyday Thai life as they drift past traditional Thai houses built on stilts.

Bunnik Tours offers a 15-day small group tour to Thailand. Highlights of the tour include the Damnoen Saduak floating markets, Grand Palace and Golden and Emerald Buddhas, a visit to the Australia-funded Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum and Allied War Cemetery, explorations of world heritage listed ruins in the former capital city of Ayutthaya and sightseeing at Suthotkhai Historical Park.

Travellers will also have the opportunity to experience a working temple at Wat Mahathat, visit the Golden Triangle and hill tribes and enjoy a cruise on the Mekong River.

Bunnik Tours
bunniktours.com.au

 

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Issue 62 - Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62

Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62 is the first issue of the year and always a great time to put our best foot forward. With Adam Goodrum, the loveliest man in design, as Guest Editor, we draw on his insights as a furniture designer, artist and educator to look at the makers shaping our design world. Sustainability has never been more important, and increasingly this is a consideration from the start with projects designed to address their immediate environment as well as the longevity of the planet. From the coldest winters to the most tropical of summers, addressing how we live in the environment is crucial to creating the perfect home.

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