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Oil lamps along the bamboo river River Kwai TripThis trip is similar to our popular River and the Railway module. However, this time you'll spend two nights in an African safari-style tented camp along the River Kwai, which makes this module a lot more relaxed. A tent may sound basic but, rest assured, this one is anything but basic.On your first day, you'll travel from Bangkok to the floating market where locals sell their ware from their little boats. Following the spectacular Death Railway you will travel by train to the tented camp on the bamboo-lined banks of the River Kwai. In the evening, your tent will be lit by oil lamps and you can sit around the campfire under the starry skies. It’s very peaceful here. On the second day, you can hike through Hellfire Gorge, a beautiful part of the Burma railway. Walking along the railway, we realised what incredibly hard work it must have been building this railway in the 1940s. You can also take a kayak out on the river or explore the countryside by mountain bike. On Day 3, you'll be picked up at the camp for a trip to the Erawan Falls where you can swim in the crystal clear waters for a couple of hours before heading back to Bangkok. |
Duration | 3 days / 2 nights | Accommodation | 2 nights in luxury tented camp along river Kwai with private bathroom and hot water. |
Price | From $369 per person - based on 2 people | Included | Return transport from Bangkok, accommodation with breakfast and 2x dinner, English-speaking guide on Day 1 and 3, kayaks and bikes at tented camp |
Transport | Minibus, boat | Excluded | Other meals, excursions, admission fees (admission Erawan Waterfsalls approx $17 per person) |
Day 1: Bangkok - KanchanaburiEarly this morning, you'll be picked up in Bangkok and, together with other travellers, who booked this trip you will be driven through the suburbs of Bangkok to Damnoek Saduak, the most famous floating market in Thailand. We’ll make sure you get there before it gets too busy. These days the market is mainly for tourists but it’s still fun watching the little boats filled with all kinds of goods weaving in and out through the river. Besides mangoes and huge bunches of bananas, you can find Thai hats, parasols, beautiful skirts and other clothes here. After 1½ hours you’ll leave the market and continue on to Kanchanaburi, the tropical province to the west of Bangkok. Here you will board the train to follow a stretch of the Death Railway. The railway was built in the Second World War by prisoners of war held captive by the Japanese who had occupied Thailand. Your guide will tell you all about the harrowing history of the railway during the 1½ hour train ride. There are beautiful views across the jungle and the river Kwai, best views are from the right of the train. |
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Highlights of the train ride are crossing “The Bridge on the River Kwai” and the stretch along a high viaduct which is partly built on the original (wood) structure, with a sheer drop down to the river below. You'll leave the train in Nam Tok around lunch time (lunch included). After lunch you'll be brought to the pier where the longtailboats to the tented camp depart. Step into one of the boats and let them take you in half an hour to the camp for only a few Dollars. All you can hear is birds twittering along the river banks, the breeze whispering in the trees and the soothing sound of the river. You will arrive in an open field surrounded by khaki-coloured tents, which are surprisingly spacious inside. There’s a comfortable bathroom with a ‘normal’ toilet and a (warm shower). There’s no electricity but your oil lamp is refilled daily and lit in the evening once it gets dark. Once you’ve freshened up you’ll join the other guests in the restaurant for dinner. A tented camp wouldn’t be complete without a camp fire and the evenings are usually clear so people generally gather around the open space and the fire under the starry skies. What the evening may bring depends on the company: swapping travel stories, Hotel California on the guitar or singing a Bob Marley repertoire. It’s all in the stars… |
Day 2: Free Day - River KwaiIn the morning you'll probably want to get up early, or perhaps not so early if it was a late one last night. After breakfast you can hire a kayak to explore the river. There's also a path in land where you can walk, and free mountain bikes in the camp, if you don't want to kayak. If you want to know more about the culture, history and explore the area, it's possible to walk through the impressive Hell Fire Pass. The 1½ hour hike along even paths which passes through bamboo forests with views across the river, then through a rocky gorge where you can see parts of the railway, monuments and old tools. The Hellfire Pass museum is considered one of the best in Thailand, well thought out, interactive and very interesting. You can arrange a visit to the Hellfire Pass at the camp. In the evening you can have a wonderful diner at the restaurant. You spend the night in the tented camp. |
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Day 3: Erawan waterfalls - BangkokAfter another night in the camp, it's time to head back to civilization. This morning, the minibus will waiting to take you to the Erawan waterfalls. You'll be dropped off at the entrance to the park, where you'll also find a couple of kiosks selling snacks. A ten-minute walk will take you to the first of the seven levels of waterfalls. The place is popular with Thai families who come here for a picnic or a dip in the pools. You'll notice everyone wears a t-shirt in the water, we felt a little out of place in our bikinis and swimming trunks, so you could consider keeping on your shirt and shorts. If it's not too hot, you can head further up the path to the higher waterfalls. It's a tough uphill walk at times, especially in stifling heat, but the higher you go the more exotic the waterfall plateaus become, and the less people around. Once you reach the highest plateau and sink into the warm, turquoise water you'll feel duly rewarded for the arduous climb. In the afternoon the minibus will pick you up again and take you back to Bangkok, where your River Kwai trip will end. You'll be back in time to catch the sleeper train back to Chiang Mai, but you may prefer to spend another night in Bangkok and take the train in the morning to Ayutthaya or Sukothai if you're heading north, or continue your trip to Islands and palm trees in southern Thailand. |
