Khum Damnoen Resort — Balinese villas by the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, with a 70 m saltwater pool
Picture a Balinese resort set among Ratchaburi's orchards, with a saltwater pool running the length of the grounds, so close to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market you can paddle a boat to it — Khum Damnoen Resort delivers that picture at a price you can reach · Opened in 2018 on more than 7 rai ringed by local orchards, it's split into a hotel zone, a villa zone and a jacuzzi-villa zone · The highlight is a roughly 70 m saltwater pool running through the middle of the resort, with a kids' pool and a jacuzzi · Many villas have a private outdoor jacuzzi · Rooms start from around ฿2,150/night on weekdays — a sharp deal for a good-looking villa near the floating market.
Damnoen Saduak is famous for the floating market travellers worldwide want to see at least once, yet good places to stay in the area are surprisingly few — and Khum Damnoen Resort is the name that comes up most among resorts near the market · The idea here was to build a Balinese-style resort on more than 7 rai, ringed by orchards and a natural canal, open since 2018 · Step inside and it feels like leaving the city for another world: leafy, quiet, and finished in the natural wood and stone of Bali, which guests say photographs beautifully from every angle.
The resort is split into three main zones — a hotel zone, a villa zone and a jacuzzi-villa zone — for about 47 rooms in total · There are several room types, from Villa Room and Lake Villa (looking out over the canal) to Villa Jacuzzi and Lake Jacuzzi, which come with a private outdoor jacuzzi · The villas are decorated in Balinese style, with soft beds, strong air-con, bathrobes and room service · Many guests describe the Lake Villa as a dream-like room, where you can sit by the canal in front of your villa all day.
"Incredible service, clean room, wonderful nature, and really close to the floating market — just around the corner; you can even take a boat there."
The highlight everyone mentions is the roughly 70 m saltwater pool that runs through the middle of the resort · It's split into an adult pool, a kids' pool and a jacuzzi corner, open round the clock · Saltwater stings the eyes far less than chlorine, which suits children and anyone who swims for a while · Beyond the pool there's plenty to do — kayaking, SUP boarding, and free e-bikes to ride around the grounds, which families and groups love · There's a spa, a coffee shop, and an evening bar to relax by the water.
The food is another thing guests praise · The resort restaurant serves bold Thai cooking at prices many say are lower than expected for a resort this pretty — standout dishes include squid-roe soup, fried shrimp in tamarind sauce and a rice-noodle salad · There's a hot-pot set at around ฿699 · Some rooms even offer a floating breakfast served in your private pool for that picture-perfect shot · A fresh coconut welcome at check-in is a small touch guests like.
Location is the main reason people choose this place — it's in Damnoen Saduak District, very close to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, a few minutes' drive or a longtail boat ride from the resort · From Bangkok it's about 1.5-2 hours' drive, ideal for a weekend trip · The thing to know is that this area is all about quiet and nature: there are no shops or places to walk to right around the resort, so you'll need to drive to go anywhere · Real guest scores sit high at around 9.1 from over a hundred reviews on Trip.com, and Tripadvisor rates it 4 out of 5.
Honestly, Khum Damnoen Resort isn't a full five-star luxury resort, but it gives you a look and an atmosphere well beyond its price · The selling point is photogenic Balinese villas, the long saltwater pool, in-villa jacuzzis, plenty of activities and a location by the floating market, for low-two-thousands baht on weekdays · There are things to know, though: some reviews mention that certain hotel-zone rooms have no windows and have had damp issues · A few nights you may hear sound from a nearby temple or community event · And some walls are on the thin side · If you book, choose the villa zone or a Lake Villa, which are more open and better reviewed than the building rooms.
A tip from following the reviews here closely: pick a villa-zone room or a Lake Villa over the building rooms, as they give you the full open-air Balinese feel · If you're a group or a family, a villa with a jacuzzi near the pool is the best value · There's a fair gap between weekday and weekend rates (roughly ฿2,150 up to ฿4,800+ by room type and date), so compare a few platforms before booking · Wake up early and take the boat to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market before the big tour groups arrive — that's when it's at its best.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Pretty Balinese-style resort, leafy nature, photogenic everywhere
- ✓ Long saltwater pool with a kids' pool and a jacuzzi
- ✓ Very close to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, reachable by boat
- ✓ Good service, friendly staff, tasty and inexpensive food
- ! Some hotel-zone rooms have no windows and can feel damp
- ! Nothing to walk to around the resort; you need to drive
- ! Some nights you may hear a nearby temple or community event
- ✓ Beautifully styled villas; the Lake Villa's canal view feels dream-like
- ✓ Plenty to do — kayaking, SUP, free e-bikes
- ✓ Floating breakfast served in a private pool in some rooms
- ✓ Fresh coconut welcome at check-in, a nice small touch
- ! Some walls are thin; you can hear the next room
- ! No fitness room
- ! Weekend rates rise noticeably over weekdays
- 💡If you book a budget hotel-zone room — some have no windows and have had damp complaints → choose the villa zone or a Lake Villa, which are more open and better reviewed, if the budget allows.
- 💡If you want shops or somewhere to walk near the stay — the resort is ringed by orchards and a quiet community with nothing walkable → plan to drive out, or use the resort as a stay-put retreat.
- 💡If you're a light sleeper sensitive to noise — some nights bring temple or community sound, and some walls are thin → ask for a villa set deeper into the resort, and pick free cancellation just in case.