Kanchanaburi Things to Do

Visit the cemetery between the railway station and the town and spend some minutes considering the way these men died. The cemetery was actually started after the war by the Army Graves Service who visited the camp sites along the railway and transferred the remains here. Over 7000 dead are remembered here.

1 more image

Take a ride on the train to the end of the line, Namtok (means waterfall in Thai). Trains leave 5.57 and 10.45 and you can return on 12.50 or 15.50, taking around 2 hours for the journey. This wil take you through Hellfire Pass, and along side the river where so many died constructing the railway under the Japanese. There is not much to do at Namtok except walk the 2 kms to the waterfall or visit Tham Wang Badan, a nearby cave. Bring your own flashlight or rent one when you are there. It is spectacular if you can get the warden to turn on the cave lights.

kANCHANABURI
When you are setting out for the day make sure that you have plenty of fresh cold bottled water with you. Here the temperatures can be so hot with such high levels of humidity you must keep up your fluid losses. Of course if you need more water there are usually places where you can purchase more but sometimes not. Be aware of the affects of the heat as it affects different people different ways. Another handy item to carry is a pack of wet ones ...so great in the heat..

4 more images

KANCHANABURI
My main reason for visiting Kancahanaburi was two fold. Firstly I wanted to see the Bridge , and walk across it. to visit the war graves Cemetery and the Museum. One is really impressed by the way in which these war graves are tended to and kept in such a beautiful state with each grave having beside it a lovely tropical plant along with pristinely clipped grass lawns. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission must be commended for taking such care and thought in this process. They are the same in every War Cemetery that I have visited ..absolutely wonderful.
While here at the Bridge I just wanted to take in the ambience and reflect on the unbeleivable hardships that fellow Australians suffered here at the hands of the extremely brutal behaviour of the Japanese The bridge was a surprise I expected something bigger nevertheless to be walking across this structure was to be inundated with thoughts of the poor devils from so many places labouring beyond their endurances to build such a structure. Apparently the train still runs across the bridge to places north. I only came up here for the day and was dissapointed that i had not organised to stay longer here and go on the train north.
Secondly I wanted to travel a little further north and visit the Tiger temple. This I found to be really an amazing experience interacting with Tigers.(see my tip on this)

4 more images

THE TIGER TEMPLE MONASTERY.
.When visiting here I was fortunate in that I arrived before anyone and I had a good chance to talk with a keeper (who was English)and got to be with him while he was doing his chores..was great without the crowd that came later...This is a fine programme of conservation and there is a lot of new building being constructed here and appears that many improvements are under way....but like most programmes of this kind is so much under funded. and needs assistance..anything that conserves the worlds wildlife has to be a good project.

4 more images

KANCHANABURI
When visiting the Bridge on the River Kwai..make sure you visit the JEATH WWII WAR MUSEUM..The museum contains the history of the occupation of the Japanese here and the construction of the bridge with many items of militaria and information regarding the brutal incarceration and the horrific ill treatment inflicted on the allied and local prisoners of war that were interned in the notorious prison here.
This for me was a really interesting place to visit as I have a big interest in military History and the History here involved a lot of Australian POW's. While in the cemetery I met an interesting dutch traveller who was looking in the cemetery for a relative. A really soft spoken elderly man and we spoke in length of a very prominent Australian "surgeon" whom became quite famous in the prison camp attending to the many hundreds of victims of the Japanese brutality while building the bridge. He was regarded with such high regard by the prisoners of all nationalities and known by all for his relentlessly dedicated work..
This surgeon , a huge man, not only in stature but in character was known as "Weary" Dunlop..his "nick name" of "weary" was apparent. he treated hundreds of prisoners for their tropical disease and the ones who often suffered brutal beatings by the japanese and performed many amputations from the result of tropical ulcers etc. This must have been miracle surgery as they had little if any medical supplies.There is a wonderful memorial for him in his hometown of Benalla New South Wales...it is located in the most wonderful rose garden...I don't think a more deservingly quiet and colourful place could be found for such a wonderful man.

4 more images

I have been here twice , and yes ,it is touristy , the second time i wanted to see if the money they raise is being spent on upgrading the tigers home and compared to when i went in 2008 it looks like a lot had been done .
I reserve judgement on whether the tigers are drugged , they do sleep really soundly , but back in bangkok there were dogs sleeping on the streets inches from the rush hour traffic that looked the same , maybe its the heat in the day and the tigers are more active at night .
I love getting up close and actually touching the tigers , the young girls that are there lead you to each tiger and take your photo with each one ( you get a lot of pictures ) and they tell you how to sit and where its safe to touch the tiger , so they seem to be quite safety minded
Since my first visit there is now an area where the young tigers could play , it had like a moat in it so they could swim , i think you can pay extra to go and play with them
i am going back later this year so i will see how the work is progressing , go and check it out and judge for yourselves
there are also other animals wandering freely round the temple grounds such as deer , wild pigs , birds , buffalo

2 more images

SORRY, I don't suggest you guys to go to this temple any more. I disagree to use the word of 'temple' to make a business. It's all for business and they use a monk and tiger for a good presentation. It's a bad karma.