Kanchanaburi & The Bridge Over The River Kwai

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Kanchanaburi

Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
A fantastic museum in Kanchanaburi that explains why the railway was built during WWII for aiding the Japanese troops in transporting supplies and ammunition safely overland to Burma. The museum certainly illustrated quite graphically the suffering and torture that was endured by those POW having to contruct the railway through such mountainous terrain.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetary
Across the road from the railway centre is the cemetary where hundreds of British, Dutch and Australians are buried following WWII.

Hellfire Pass
Walked through Hellfire Pass - large cutting through the mountain (approx. 25 metres high) where the POW constructed the railway day and night until it was completed. Called "hellfire" because it was hell for the POW having to work under such terrible conditions with inadequate rest, food and disease. The fire comes from the bamboo which was lit to provide some light as they continued to cut through the pass at night. Lots of POW died at Hellfire Pass. When you are there it really is hard to believe that they cut through this mountain to get a train line through.

Death Railway & The Bridge Over The River Kwai
A section of the Thailand-Burma Railway still runs today and I spent 2 hours on the train until it finished by crossing the Bridge Over The River Kwai.

Erawan Falls
Very impressive falls with 7 tiers. It took over an hour to walk to reach the 7th tier. Great swimming at most tiers except for the big fish which nibbled your legs!

Tiger Temple
There is a monastery just out of Kanchanaburi and back in 1999 a tiger cub was brought there to be cared for. The cubs mother had been killed by poachers near the Thai-Burma border. The cub was actually sold to a wealthy Bankok resident who ordered that the cub be stuffed. However the local hired to deliver the cub to Bankok botched it and took the cub to the monastery. Now border patrol police intercept poachers and cubs continue to be taken to the monastery to be cared for. The monastery is in the process of expanding the grounds for the tigers to be able to roam further. I did have the opportunity to sit and pat a tiger which I was a little hesitant about. Some tourists had said that they thought the tigers were drugged for you to be able to go up and pat them but I don't think so. Two of the tigers actually took off and started sprinting - the keepers also took off in a sprint and very quickly retrieved them. They didn't harm anyone. I think they were just running off to play with each other. Needless to say we still got a fright though because there was absolutely nothing between us and the tigers.

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Photos

Tiger Temple
It's a good thing they were feeding this tiger as I was giving it a pat!