Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kanchanaburi
FamousforthebridgeovertheriverKwai,Kanchanaburiisgrowinginthebackpackerscene
with its relaxed setting on the river. Just two or three hours by bus from Bangkok Thais have
long visited this city as the gateway to a beautiful region. The bridge and associated mu-
seums are a big attraction for many who want to learn about the Death Railway to Myanmar
(then Burma). The iron bridge over Kwai Yai River was built by POWs and Asian civil-
ian laborers workers during World War 2 and in the process of its construction more than
100,000 of the workers died as a direct result of the project. It was made famous by many
novels and movies about the death bridge like "The Bridge on the River Kwai".
Getting around Kanchanaburi is pretty easy though it is slightly too big to walk. You can
easily catch a songthaew, tuk-tuk, motorcycle taxi or metered taxi to get between destin-
ations. The popular places to go include walking across the bridge, visiting the Thailand-
Burma Railway Center to learn about the railway's construction, and stopping by the war
cemetery, the final resting places of almost 7,000 POWs. There are many temples in town
and the golden dragon at Wat Bam Tham is worth a visit.
For places to stay and local drinking holes check out Mae Nam Kwae Road near to the river.
There are plenty of pad thai options by the market in front of the train station and street
vendors go up and down the road all the time. A more expensive option is to eat on one of
the floating restaurants and while the atmosphere and views are great the expensive food is
not very impressive. There are plenty of cheap places to stay as well as more luxurious op-
tions especially as you get closer to the bridge.
To the northwest of Kanchanaburi there are many beautiful waterfalls, caves, lakes and
mountains all within day-trip distance from the city. The popular Erawan Falls are well
known as a beautiful place to take a swim. There are seven tiers and it is recommended that
you wear sneakers but you can make it down in flip flops too. Most people don't go very far
into the tiers so if you have the time and want a more secluded experience, keep climbing
down.
The Sai Yok Noi Falls are easier to get to as it lies on the road between Kanchanaburi and
Sangkhlaburi. The falls are located in Sai Yok Noi National Park which has the Tham Lawa
cave system, hiking trails and many other activities to enjoy. You can stay in the park in a
bungalow or at one of many raft guesthouses.
