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Erawan National Park
 The national park is 65 kilometers from Kanchanaburi along Route 3199. The park, covering 550-square-kilometers, is the site of the seven-tiered Erawan waterfall, one of Thailands loveliest waterfalls. The second tier has a pool, which is ideal for swimming and is particularly picturesque. However, the most popular activity in the park is trekking. Bungalow accommodations and camping facilities and a daytime food market are available.
Shelters and camping are available for tourists in the park. Admission is Bt400 for adults and Bt200 for children. For more details, please contact the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok at Tel. 0 2562 0760 or www.dnp.go.th.
Visitors may take a bus departing from the Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal to the waterfall every 50 minutes from 8 a.m. to 5.20 p.m. The journey takes 1.5 hours.
Sai Yok National Park
The park covers approximately 300-square-kilometers and contains several interesting caves and the nations famous Sai Yok Yai waterfall. The park has dense forests, including majestic teak trees and an abundance of small mammals such as squirrels, bats and deer, as well as numerous bird species. IN addition, the park is home to what is probably the smallest mammal in the world, the two-grammed Kittis Hog-nosed Bat, which was first discovered in 1973 by a Thai naturalist. The park is 104 kilometers from Kanchanaburi via Highway No. 323 and can also be reached by chartered boat from the Pak Saeng Pier. The park is very popular during the weekends. Bungalow accommodations, river rafts, camping facilities, and a daytime food market are available.
Sai Yok Yai Waterfall (Namtok Sai Yok Yai), which is located 104 kilometers from the town, flows directly into Khwae Noi River. Its idyllic beauty has been repeatedly celebrated in Thai poetry and songs. A rope bridge enables people to cross the river to view the waterfall. Rafts are available for a river trip along the riverbank but advance booking is recommended.
Lawa Cave and Daowadung Cave are two caves, which house numerous stalactites and stalagmites. Of the two caves, the Daowadueng Cave, which entails a river trip and 1-kilometer walk, is the more popular cave.
Tham Wang Badan or Tham Sawan Wang Badan, located within the area of Erawan National Park at Tambon Tha Sao, Amphoe Sai Yok, some 63 km. from the province. It is accessible from behind Namtok Sai Yok Noi where there is a direction sign of 3 km. to the national parks safeguard unit, a location of the upstream of Namtok Sai Yok. Another 1,500metre walk from the safeguard unit will lead to the cave with nature interpretation signs along the way. Tham Wang Badan is a small but deep cave of 500 metres long. It is a 2-storeyed limestone cave with a small hole at the mouth to be entered one by one. Its upper storey houses various chambers of beautiful stalagmites and stalactites of different shapes. The lower storey contains a stream to look like a tunnel of water under a large boulder.
 Sai Yok Noi Waterfall (Namtok Sai Yok Noi) is also dubbed as Khao Phang Waterfall. It is situated 60 kilometers from town via Highway No. 323. The place is best visited between July and September.
To get to Sai Yok Noi Waterfall:non air-conditioned buses leave Kanchanaburi Bus Station every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. until 6.30 p.m. The journey takes 2 hours and costs 25 baht.
Alternatively, visitors can take a train from Kanchanaburi to Namtok Station and continue on foot or by local transport to the waterfall, which is 2 kilometers away. Trains depart from Kanchanaburi at 6.11 a.m., 11 a.m. and 4.37 p.m. and return from Namtok Station at 5.25 a.m. 1 p.m. and 3.15 p.m. The one-way rail trip takes about 2 hours and costs 17 baht. (Please check the current schedule from TAT Kanchanaburi or the railway station before departure.) |
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The Bridge on the River Khwae (the Death Railway Bridge)
Thanks to several films and books, the Bridge on the River Khwae has become notoriously famous and attracted both Thais and foreigners to the site. If an ordinary black iron bridge can tell a story, you can be sure it's a dramatic one.
The bridge spans across Maenam Khwae Yai which is a branch of Maenam Mae Klong. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army brought the iron bridge from Java. It was then resembled by Allied Prisoners of War (POW) under Japanese supervision. The bridge was part of a strategic railway route to Myanmar in which the Japanese aimed to secure supplies with which to conquer other western Asian countries. It was 415 kilometers long (about 303 kilometers in Thailand and about 112 kilometers in Burma) and passed through the Three Pagoda Pass in Sangkhlaburi District, the northern most part of Kanchanaburi province.
Construction started on September 16, 1942 at Nong Pladuk, and was completed on 25 December 1943. It is estimated that over 16,000 POWs from England, Australia, Holland and America died while building the bridge which was a target of bombing raids in 1945. In addition to this, approximate 90,000 laborers from Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia died during its construction.
Rebuilt after WWII, the bridge is still in use today with the curved portions of the bridge being that of the original. An attraction of note is the annual light and sound event at the bridge to commemorate the Allied attack in 1945.
The railway currently ends at Ban Tha Sao or Namtok Station, a distance of some 77 km. from Kanchanaburi Station. A special train running from Bangkok to Namtok Station is available on weekends and national holidays. For further details, please contact the State Railway of Thailand, Tel. 0 1690, 0 2220 4334 or http://www.railway.co.th/.
Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno
A tiger conservation area where various kinds of wild as well as domestic animals live together freely in the nature such as barking deer, deer, hog, gibbon, peafowl, red junglefowl, horse, water buffalo, goat, etc. Wildlife of different species will be seen living together in peace and being friendly to the monks and visitors. The temple is open during 8.30 a.m. 3.45 p.m. (from 3.30 p.m. onward for tiger). Admission fee is 300 baht. For further information, please contact the Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno Foundation, Tel. 0 3453 1557 Fax 0 3453 1558 http://www.boonheng.com/ or http://www.tigertemple.org/
The temple is 38 kilometers far from Kanchanaburi on highway no. 323. You could take the Kanchanaburi-Sangkhlaburi public bus and get off at k.m. 21 on the main road. Then walk about 2 kilometers from the main road to the temple.
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Tham Than Lot National Park
 Announced on 12 February 1980 as a national park, it is also called Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park. This 54-square-kilometre park embraces pristine forest, waterfalls, and several caves including include Than Lot Noi Cave and Than Lot Yai Cave, which are accessible through a 2.5-kilometer nature trail along the stream. The two caves are naturally decorated with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites one of which is the worlds tallest stalagmite pillar. The ideal time of the year to visit the caves is from February to April. It is recommended that you request the services of a park ranger as your guide.
Outside of the caves are several species of birds and the barking tree frog whose croak sounds very much like a barking puppy. Admission fee is 200 baht. Bungalow accommodations and camping facilities are available.
The park has two forest trekking routes:
Route 1: Start from Tham Than Lot Noi to Tham Than Lot Yai. Tham Than Lot Noi contains stalagmites and stalactites. The creek Lum Kraphroi flows inside the cave. After passing through Tham Than Lot Noi, go on foot about 1.5 km. to Namtok Trai Trueng and walk on for 1 km. to Tham Than Lot Yai. The total distance is 2.5 km.
Route 2: Forest trekking route to Namtok Than Ngoen and Namtok Than Thong, about 1.8 km. long.
Namtok Than Ngoen It is a small waterfall with 7 levels and takes about 35 minutes to travel from the park office to the first level. Another waterfall called Namtok Than Thong is a massive waterfall with 15 levels and takes 25 minutes leaving the park office to its first level.
To get there, Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park is 97 km. from the provincial city. When getting to Kanchanaburi, drive on about 7 km. then turn right and take the route Kanchanaburi-Thung Masang for about 23 km. Turn into Highway 3086 passing Amphoe Bo Phloi to get to King Amphoe Nong Prue. Hire a Song Thaeo at Nong Prue Market to the park. Admission fee is Bt400 for adults and Bt200 for children. Accommodation and camping ground are available. For more information, please contact the National Park Office; National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok, Tel. 0 2562 0760 or www.dnp.go.th. |
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Travel Ayutthaya
