Blogs from Kanchanaburi, Western Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 7

We arrived in Bangkok Tuesday, and for those familiar with E's leg condition, he did great! No great swelling. Qatar Airlines were very accommodating him and even blocking seats so he could keep his legs up. That was a great start. But even better was the trip to the Tiger Monastary. This was a trip we arranged on our own before we left which is why we came a couple of days early. This was one on my bucket list and it was worth every dime! We had to leave our hotel at 5:00 am since Kanchanaburi is 2hours from Bangkok but I had no complaints Our guide helped us buy and give food as alms for the Buddist Monks. This is the only way they receive food and the breakfast meal is the only one ... read more

We stayed in Kanchanaburi for a few nights in a river raft room. It was so basic; our room was completely made from bamboo, the walls were incredibly thin and everytime a boat came past it rocked from side to side! There was no flushing toilet and the shower was filled with gheckos! But...it was so beautiful. It was really peaceful and the staff were so sweet, (despite speaking no english at all!) We had a little seating area on our raft, to sit outside and look at the passing boats, monitor lizards or the sunset over the River Kwai Bridge. We visited a WW2 cemetary, which was immaculate. There were three gardeners working away whilst we were there. It was so quiet considering it was in the city. The head stones were all identical, lined ... read more

Here are some photos from around the city and from my guesthouse. Kanchanaburi is a relaxing place, full of history, quiet when you want and lively when you want.... read more

After the waterfall our tour took us to Hellfire Pass and we also rode on the Death Railway. During WWII the Japanese put POWs to work building a railway through western Thailand. They worked day and night and thousands died. It's called Hellfire Pass because all the torches at night lit up the rock in such a way that it resembled hell. The site of the railway is now a walking trail and a memorial. We walked down the trail, our guide pointing out things like where dynamite sticks had been blasted. It's so quiet and peaceful now, it's hard to imagine it any other way. After visiting the museum we took the train along part of the line. The views were incredible, but it's sad to think about why the line exists.... read more

On a narrow bumpy road and full of uncertainties as we snake through further, we wasn't sure where the driver was taking us. He told us we are going to a tiger temple and I was thinking "Another Tiger temple?" We gave him 2500 baht for the transport and to visit Tiger Temple and The Bridge on the River Kwai but did not expect he came up with one more attraction Kanchanaburi could offer. He said this place has no real tiger, but the temple itself is named Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Ser), which was built not long ago. A beautiful hidden temple nestled on the top of the hill, golden shimmering reflections from afar, as the afternoon sunlight shines on the Tiger Cave Temple. Surrounded by hills, a river and the green patches of ... read more