Central Thailand and Gulf of Thailand in 9 Days – Day 2
Located at the confluence of rivers Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai, Kanchanaburi is an interesting small city rich in history with great significance related to WWII. There are trains that go to Kanchanaburi from Thonburi station of Bangkok and also buses from Southern Bus Terminal and minivans from Victory Monument, but for four of us, it was convenient to book a taxi that could take us to places which are not easily accessible by public transport in a day.
Highlights of the Day
- Erawan National Park
- Hellfire Pass
- Death Railway Bridge over River Kwai
Taxi to Kanchanaburi
We booked our taxi with Taxi Bangkok Service followed up by a very responsive person called Pat. He organized a taxi at a very economical price compared to other taxi operators.
After having delicious Pad Thai (Thai-style stir-fried noodles) for breakfast at the hotel, we started our journey at around 7.30 AM.
Erawan National Park
Make sure you let the hotel know a night before that you have to leave early in the morning so that they can arrange your breakfast soon.
After a wonderful drive of around 3.5-4 h, we reached Erawan National Park – famous for its emerald-colored natural water pools divided across the area in seven tiers.
Plan to spend at least 2 hours hiking the seven tiers of the falls – all of them are picturesque shaded forest areas.
If not hiking shoes, flip-flops would still be fine for exploring all the tiers of this park. The park timings are 7 AM to 4.30 PM everyday, so decide your time of visit accordingly. The national park has an entrance fee of 300 ฿ per non-Thai national.
Beware of hornets at the top tiers.
There are many food joints before the hiking starts where we had our lunch on the way back.
Hellfire Pass
Hellfire pass is also known as Konyu cutting – it is a highly recommended site that you must visit on your day tour at Kanchanaburi. It was only 40 min away from Erawan National Park, so we reached there by 2 PM.
Its visiting time is 9 AM to 4 PM everyday. There is no entrance fee, but donation is welcome.
The history represents the dark days during WWII when in 1942, the Japanese military officials forced many South-East Asian civilian laborers (almost 180,000 of them worked) and Allied prisoners of war (almost 60,000) to make a railway bridge manually between Thailand and Burma so that they can send their forces to Burma by Death railway easily instead of taking the longer and dangerous sea route. It was extremely difficult to lay down the lines because of the different geographical terrain of the area. Many died in the construction of the railroad to allow the passage of Death railway, which is why the name is “Hellfire Pass.”
Death Railway Bridge over River Kwai
We left Hellfire Pass at around 4 PM and on the way back to Bangkok, we decided to stop by the bridge over river Kwai, which was an hour away from Hellfire Pass. It was an extension of the painful railroad making for Death Railway between Thailand and Burma.
Back to Hotel
We left Kanchanaburi at 5 PM and reached our hotel by 7.30 PM. The moment we reached the hotel, we changed and got inside the pool for some relaxation. Later, we took away food from a local restaurant nearby our hotel and enjoyed our dinner at the balcony overlooking the pool.
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN THB)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Day 2 in Thailand – Kanchanaburi.
- Day-trip to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok: 1500
- Entrance fee of Erawan National Park: 300
- Food: 270
- Miscellaneous: 30
Total expense (roughly): 2100 THB
For an overall idea of itinerary and expense of the trip, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page. You can also have a look at Central Thailand and Gulf of Thailand in 9 Days – Itinerary and Expenses.
If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!
Bankok is one of my “must” places on my bucket list, I watched a lot of videos and I wan to go there. Great tips dear! 😀
While my visit I would be definitely the most interested in Death Railway Bridge over River Kwai – it’s seems so unreal for me!
Yes, not many people know of it, but you should surely visit this place.
Those waterfalls are stunning. I didn’t really know about the history of this place until I read your post. That is a very touching memorial to those that died there.
Yes it was actually painful, but a very significant historical place – not to be missed!!
I LOVE Kanchanaburi! We also went to Erawan National Park! The waterfall was absolutely beautiful. Loved every second! Thanks for the blog, I miss it already.
Great, where else have you been in Thailand?
Would love to go to Erawan National Park some day. It looks like a dream!
Yes, one of the very beautiful national parks in Thailand, indeed.
Why is that bridge called the Death Railway bridge? Erawan National Park looks fantastic, I’d love to go for a short hike there. Have been to bangkok but not Kanchanaburi but I have planned a trip back to Thailand at some stage and it’s good to read about places I didn’t explore on my first trip!
For the dark history that it carries, Medha. It’s related to World War II.
Oh I miss that country and all of this bits and pieces. how good is Kanchanaburi! I hope one day I will go back again and you covered all the tips one needs to know before they go there. well done!
Oh yes, come down soon, Anna!
What a wonderful day trip! Hellfire Pass must have been a fun hike. As for the River Kwai, I have read and listened to much about it. How neat it must have been to experience it in person. I hope the rest of your trip went well!
Yes, it went well!
Thailand is my favourite country. Kanchanaburi looks like an amazing place. The doctor bfosh pedicure is always a delight. The Kwai noi valley looks beautiful.
Yes, it is beautiful indeed.
What an adventure. The pricing for the journey by taxi seems very reasonable especially when it is shared. You have complete control over your timings etc as well. This has always been on our travel list for Bangkok but never quite got there, I think travelling by taxi is really the best way to do it. Thanks.
Yes, taxi is the best when you have so many places to cover.
Kanchanburi is such a lovely part of Thailand and makes for such a lovely day trip from Bangkok. The Erawan National Park looks like a paradise in the lap of nature and the Hellfire Pass seems great for walks. One of the most historic sights for us is of course the Bridge on the Kwai.
True that, Sandy.
I wasn’t aware of this part of Thailand. Thanks for introducing me to a wonderful place. Kanchanaburi is indeed a beautiful city with a rich history. The seven-tier waterfall is simply stunning. I would definitely want to enjoy the natural pedicure by doctor fish at the pool. The story of Hellfire Pass is heart rending, the views and the place itself is quite beautiful though. The death railway bridge is a fascinating historical place telling a painful tale of the bygone era.
Yes, it’s worth a visit.
I love a good park and I think i’ll be able to enjoy Erawan National Park. Kanchanburi, Thailand is one of the places in my travel bucket list. After seeing this post, it makes me want to visit more! Hope to book a ticket soon!
Oh yes, you would love it there.
Sounds like a good alternative to day trips from Bangkok without doing the floating markets which are getting very touristy. Th park looks really beautiful and I’d love to visit the bridge over the river Kwai
Oh yes, you would love it there.
It is strange that I have been to Bangkok so many times but have never been to Kanchanaburi. I like the fact that you could book a taxi to take you there and you could explore more of the lesser-known places. I would do that too. I am sure we will enjoy our time at the Hellfire Pass. The history is very appealing.
Oh yes, you would love it there. It is very interesting.
Kanchanaburi looks like a fantastic day trip, even though it has those scary names lol! I can’t believe I missed seeing these places when I was there. I’d pass on the fish pedicure, I’m so ticklish ha! I’ll be sure to visit if I ever make it back to Thailand again.
Oh yes, you would love it there.