Kanchanaburi

One of my absolute favorite places in Thailand is Kanchanaburi and there is so much to see there, I would not hesitate to go back again. The first thing you need to see is Erawan falls! It is at a National Park just outside of town. You could spend the whole day there hiking and swimming in the pools at the base of each of the 7 tiers of the water fall. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are supposedly the best. If you make it all the way to 7 you will be in serious need of a dip and the water will look so inviting to you! It is the perfect blue colour. The hike gets difficult after the 3rd tier and increasingly so. Sometimes it is hard to tell if you are still on the path because there are huge boulders you have to climb over. It is well worth it! The scenery is spectacular and if you pay close attention you will see a good deal of the local fauna. I saw armies of ants, a millipede, giant spiders, monkeys, fish of all sorts, a crab, a lizard, butterflies, and birds. Beware the monkeys. They are vicious pests at this particular site. Do not leave your belongings unattended at the lower levels of the trail and do not feed them. Your guide will remind you.

The lower levels have fish in the pools. They will bite your feet if you do not continuously move. This tickles. They eat the dead skin off your feet. It is what is called a Thai pedicure or fish massage. If you are into that sort of thing take advantage of it because they will charge you huge amounts at massage parlors for the same treatment.

Other highlights are the Bridge over the river Kwai, and the Death Railway. These sites are reminiscent of World War II. There is also a war museum near the market in Kanchanaburi, that is worth a visit if you are interested in the history. Take a ride on the Death Railway. It is a thrilling ride along the precarious trestles and passing many fields with bright red soil. It is well worth the trip. I was especially fascinated by the bomb shelter cave that was near the station where we got onto the train. It has old barrels and cots still in it. Prisoners of war built the railway under the Japanese. Thousands died from hard labour and malnutrition. I could not believe there was a huge golden Buddha inside the bomb shelter. I wonder if it was built there at that time or put there later.

If you have not seen elephants there is elephant riding or elephant bathing. There is also bamboo rafting. It is suggested you BYOB or cold soft drinks. There are hotsprings or you could take a trip to the tiger temple. Remember to wear proper clothing for the tiger temple, long pants and shirts that cover your shoulders for the women. I think if I was to go again I would go on a jungle safari. A friend went and they had amazing close-ups of zebras. You could spend a week or more in Kanchanburi and not be bored.

The Jolly Frog hostel has a wonderful restaurant worth checking out. If you are into the nightlife there is lots of it. Phong Phen guesthouse is lovely and rustic. It is right along the river. It is affordable and has a good restaurant and a nice big pool. I absolutely adore the wooden furniture. The only thing I did not like was the talking birds that made noises like sirens at their own discretion. I am not a bird person, however, so some people might find them endearing. Kanchanaburi is about an hour and a half bus side from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok. It is not suggested you take the number 81 city bus from Phetkasem as I did on the way back. It stops at every stop and they turned off the fans randomly halfway through the trip. If you take the bus from the terminal it is nice and they will give you complimentary water.