Why would anyone go through the trouble of traveling miles away for a piece of pottery?

It didn’t make sense to us at first glance, especially after we were told we had to take a forty-baht Skytrain ride to Sapan Taksin for a boat ride to Nonthaburi. That almost half of the sixty or so passengers of the boat we took were all headed for Nonthaburi -- and ultimately to Koh Kret, the pottery island – made it all the more mind-boggling.

But boat ride itself made the trip somewhat compelling. The fare was a mere ten baht – too cheap for the one-hour-and-a-half Chao Phraya River cruise. It didn’t have the trappings of a luxury dinner cruise that usually comes with seafood buffet, a batch of traditional Thai dancers and a live band. But just the same it afforded us a great sightseeing opportunity – of picturesque temples, markets, stilted Thai houses on the banks of the majestic river.

Nonthaburi is the final stop of the boat.  But Koh Kret – fantasy island to the constant trickles of tourists who visit the place daily -- is still miles away. From Nonthaburi, there are private long-tail boats to take you direct to the island. But they are a little expensive, charging from Bt600 to Bt800 per return trip for a group of three to eight people. So why the heck when, for only fifteen baht per passenger, a van can take you to Wat Sanam Nua in nearby Pak Kret town where you cross a river into the island on an aging ferry for just two baht.

What strikes you about the island is its community of potters who have lived here for around a century or so. Originally from Myanmar, these ethnic Mon families have dedicated their lives to perfecting their art, the manufacture of terracotta ceramics. Over the years they have transformed their sleepy atoll into one of Bangkok's hidden treasures.

From the flimsy Koh Kret pier, you pass through a quiet food market to start your  exploration of the wonders of this colorful realm. Turn left for the narrow, winding lanes that take you deep into the Mon village. Souvenir shops burst out of unassuming wooden homes. Redbrick kilns sprout from the earth like hobbit-houses. Old ladies tinker away in their workshops, joyfully ignorant of modern technology, where the ancient tools of string and plank shape their mud-colored raw pots. Not only pots, in all conceivable shapes and sizes, but terracotta turtles, fish, elephants, monkeys -- the whole ceramic menagerie! Silently they wait for their turn in the ovens, from there to the souvenir stalls, and from there to ...who knows... maybe a shelf in your home.

Such is the charm of these pocket-sized and inexpensive creations that few tourists can resist stocking up. Unlikely as Ko-kret may seem as the HQ for global domination, turtle by teapot, these products are finding their way all around the world!

You may wish to tour this leafy labyrinth for hours, seeking out that perfect salad bowl or melodious wind-chime, but don't forget the tongue-tickling delights of the food market, where the aromas of Thai and Mon cuisine compete for your senses. (Order a glass of nam pao or chai yen in advance as the spices may curdle your taste-buds!)

Turning right at the landing pier will take you up to the steps of the island's temple, stuffed full with Buddhist antiquities. After that unwind along the shady river banks, where Kho Kret notorious landmark, the lop-sided white chedi, stands,  -- totters, to be more precise -- proudly over the Chao Phraya River.

When you've had your fill of terracotta trinkets, it's back to the steamboat and the delights of modern day Bangkok. Ten minutes back on the mainland and Koh Kret is already slipping into the stuff of daydreams and fairy-tales, and all for less than a hundred baht!