I heard about the famous Laksa, a Malaysian dish consisting of rice noodles served in a curry sauce or hot soup, at The Parap Markets. But when I visited Parap Market, it's more than just yummy laksa. You can spend your Saturday here, winding through stalls of local produce, arts and crafts, entertainment, and of course delicious cuisine from all around the world.
Some of the crowd
Parap is actually Paraparap but it shortened around the 1960's to Parap. It means Black Cockatoo in the Aboriginal language.
Fresh fruits and veggies, some are home grown
The Parap Markets, located close to the city, only 10 minutes from CBD by car, in Parap suburb of Darwin. The Markets open from 8am to 2pm every Saturdays (rain or shine) all year round. The Parap Markets is located in the Parap Shopping Village and the market takes over every ounce of spare space in the Parap Shopping Village. The Parap Shopping Village itself is a great place to shop and is a favourite among locals and visitors alike.
Fresh asian green in their best price
If you plan to grab a plate while you are at The Parap Markets, so your choice is abundance. You can find laksa, prawn satays or fresh tropical smoothies. A market stall also offers very delicious Asian type sweets, such as coconut sticky rice with palm sugar and steamed rice cakes. Fresh roasted coffee here would just brighten up your Saturday. I didn't try hot coffee, but the ice coffee was just simply delish for warm weather in Darwin. The tables come out around 7.45am but they are scarce. But soon you'll find one - it's all under shady trees so you can enjoy your meal.
One of my favourite stall, selling the best satay ever
The Parap Markets is not only offering food. You can also find a diverse range of fresh produce available at market prices and enjoy locally grown vegetables, herbs, Asian greens and exotic fruit the likes you've never seen. You can also find a precious collection of Territory crafts including clothing, jewellery and gems, artworks, beauty products, specialist crafts, plants and cut flowers, massage, tarot and much more.
Proudly supporting local made arts and crafts, with the highest percentage of Territory products of all the Darwin markets, Parap Markets encourage local arts and craftspeople to be part of this amazing ambience.
There is something for everyone
Parking has recently increased and a car park on Parap Road. Parking also available for 4wds and caravan, although you may consider to go early to get a parking space for such vehicles.
So many to choose
Toilet facilities are available towards the end of the market. For further information, phone 0438 882 373. or 8942 0805. Buses from the city go direct to the market.
