Trip To Kanchanaburi

[Jebhead]

I'm planning a trip to Kanchanaburi with my vehicle from Chonburi, can anyone recommend hotels, trips to take, routes to take etc...

Any info is appreciated...

JH

[charlie1968]

i usually stay at ktc kanchanaburi travel company not far from the bridge

they also organise trips to local places

charlie

[robbo1]

Hellfire Pass is very moving and I would not miss going to Erawan falls.

Tiger Temple I would not waste my money on it.

There is some really good historical things right in the town itself as well

[dsmith2]

In city would suggest [email protected] location xanadu 2008.Route-out of bangkok then on to nakhon pathom,ban pong and kanchanaburi.Look at kanchanaburi-info.com and good-times-travel.com for ideas re major sights in area-lots! agree re tiger temple.

[Jebhead]

Many thanks for all replies, when is the best time of year to go, or does it not really matter?

JH

[robert121]

http://www.virtualto...uri-TG-C-1.html here is the list of places that are most popular in Kanchanaburi. You can know more about it and read the reviews here only.

Was nice helping.

[floridaguy]

Jebhead, my family is from Kanchanaburi, so I know it well. Here are some tips:

1. Don't stay overnight on the River. The party boats start from 5AM until midnight, and there are usually 2 or 3 every 5 minutes or so. Their music is so loud it will rattle your windows. I couldn't sleep at all.

2. Don't miss the Erawan Falls, it is spectacular, but getting up all 7 levels is a bit of a hike. Be prepared for a 1-2 hour hike up to the top, and remember they will ask all at the top to head back down by 4pm. Take some water and/or snacks, there are no vendors on the way up, but there are no trash receptacles, so please take your trash back with you.

3. There is a great dam also, never a tourist there at the lake, but not much to do if you don't like just the view.

4. There are some nice caves not on any map our guide. Ask some locals, and they will be happy to give directions.

5. Not much English spoken outside of Muang Kanchanaburi, so prepare for that.

The rest you can pick up from guide books, websites, etc.

Have a great time. Thais love going to Kanchanaburi, but not necessarily to the bridge. There are many other things to do.

[Jebhead]

Jebhead, my family is from Kanchanaburi, so I know it well. Here are some tips:

1. Don't stay overnight on the River. The party boats start from 5AM until midnight, and there are usually 2 or 3 every 5 minutes or so. Their music is so loud it will rattle your windows. I couldn't sleep at all.

2. Don't miss the Erawan Falls, it is spectacular, but getting up all 7 levels is a bit of a hike. Be prepared for a 1-2 hour hike up to the top, and remember they will ask all at the top to head back down by 4pm. Take some water and/or snacks, there are no vendors on the way up, but there are no trash receptacles, so please take your trash back with you.

3. There is a great dam also, never a tourist there at the lake, but not much to do if you don't like just the view.

4. There are some nice caves not on any map our guide. Ask some locals, and they will be happy to give directions.

5. Not much English spoken outside of Muang Kanchanaburi, so prepare for that.

The rest you can pick up from guide books, websites, etc.

Have a great time. Thais love going to Kanchanaburi, but not necessarily to the bridge. There are many other things to do.

Thanks for all the good info...

JH

[NALAK]

i drove up from pattaya remembrance day and used sat nav, going was ok, coming back nightmare in BKK 3 hours to go 2 miles, if there is away to stay on express ways i would do it, not sure how put quickest route into sat nav but still nightmare. maybe next time i stick to the roads under BKK if that makes sence rather than going through BKK..

very moving but a lot more comerialised than 15 years ago when i first went, now they have a flippin train that looks like something out of disney land going over the bridge. beggars beleif

edit: 11am on the 11th day 11th month me and wife alone in the cemetry, not even a flag or any sign of the day, so easily forgoten.

Edited April 16, 2011 by NALAK

[Thaiered]

Hi Jebhed

I have stayed there twice this year and loved it - I stayed at "Pong Phen Guesthouse" which, whilst I agree with Floridaguy re: the party boats, this one is by the river and whilst there can be many parts of the river that are noisy I found this one to be quiet because it's situated inside a 'tee' off of the main river so had no problems with noisy party boats there (although some of the fast the river boats do sound like a jet fighter coming past but only operate in the day)

They have accomodation from 150 - 1300 baht per night - I payed 1000 baht for a detached "bungalow" per night (one room really with en-suite and balcony) but this included daily room cleaning, minibar, breakfast, outdoor swimming pool, parking outside the door etc - I found the staff really friendly and helpful and the guesthouse forms the end of a 'dead end' so really nice and quiet - good food, laundry service etc etc - close to the Bridge and the town centre

Definitely agree with Robbo1 - Hellfire Pass, Erawan waterfall: fab - Tiger Temple: TOTAL RIP OFF in my opinion and should not be supported - the war cemetaries are quite moving - the Bridge: gotta do it ('though try to get there early as it does get busy) and the museum next to the bridge is pretty interesting (make sure you go downstairs as well as up)

Hope you enjoy it

[galoubet]

Snap! I have a house in Sriracha and now have a small holiday home in Kanchanaburi so I make the trip quite often. Takes me about 3 hours. Before I bought my home I used to stay at the RS Hotel (GPS N14.05878 E99.50061) which is at the far NE of the main road going through the town. Comfortable double or twin rooms are around 1000B including buffet breakfast. They have a good swimming pool. Ask for a room overlooking the pool, very pleasant! There is an enormous safe car park. The hotel is very quiet at night. No karaoke like the River Kwai Hotel downtowm and far from the dreadful noise from the rafts on the river.

Kan is my favourite place in Thailand. The roads are smooth and free from heavy lorries most of the time (except January to March when they are harvesting the sugar cane). It's perfect for motorcycling. The locals are very friendly. The scenery is wonderful. What more could you ask for?

[Jebhead]

Snap! I have a house in Sriracha and now have a small holiday home in Kanchanaburi so I make the trip quite often. Takes me about 3 hours. Before I bought my home I used to stay at the RS Hotel (GPS N14.05878 E99.50061) which is at the far NE of the main road going through the town. Comfortable double or twin rooms are around 1000B including buffet breakfast. They have a good swimming pool. Ask for a room overlooking the pool, very pleasant! There is an enormous safe car park. The hotel is very quiet at night. No karaoke like the River Kwai Hotel downtowm and far from the dreadful noise from the rafts on the river.

Kan is my favourite place in Thailand. The roads are smooth and free from heavy lorries most of the time (except January to March when they are harvesting the sugar cane). It's perfect for motorcycling. The locals are very friendly. The scenery is wonderful. What more could you ask for?

Thanks for the info.

I'm also after a holiday home elsewhere in Thailand & currently checking a few places out, is there much available there or did you buy land and build? prices? Nakhon Nayok is also on my list, it's also nice there, been a few times as the wife has some relatives there - good roads also...

JH

[galoubet]

Thanks for the info.

I'm also after a holiday home elsewhere in Thailand & currently checking a few places out, is there much available there or did you buy land and build? prices? Nakhon Nayok is also on my list, it's also nice there, been a few times as the wife has some relatives there - good roads also...

JH

Yes, I think there are plenty of places to buy. You will need to ask around locally as much land and many properties don't adverstise that they are for sale. My neighbours are desperate to sell but there are no buyers. No one has any cash. I bought my place 16 months ago for around 550,000B. Gave them cash drawn out from an atm from my bank in London! All done and dusted in just a few weeks. We moved in after I gave them 100,000 down payment. What attracted me was the house was ready built with all the necessities in place and had good shelter for my car and motorbike and a high fence right round the property to keep my dogs straying into the busy road outside. I can walk out of my front gate, turn down the next soi and I have just paddy fields and mountains to look at. Never tire of the view. And I'm only a few hundred metres from the river.

A warning if you are thinking of buying. You may never be able to sell the property so don't think of the purchase as an investment. Treat it as cash you will never see again then you won't go far wrong. But there are equally lots of places to rent.

Kan is a lot hotter than Chonburi. Often a good 6C warmer.

Good luck!

[happyjune]

1. Don't stay overnight on the River. The party boats start from 5AM until midnight, and there are usually 2 or 3 every 5 minutes or so. Their music is so loud it will rattle your windows. I couldn't sleep at all.

Very True for a Friday and Sat night. Not a big issue the other times. Bus loads come form Bangkok after work, get shit faced, then bus it back leaving at 3am.

Here is an interesting link I found in another forum.

http://www.thailand.embassy.gov.au/files/bkok/ANZAC%20DAY%202011%20-%20Embassy%20Website%20Update.pdf

I like Kan, coming from where are, I would go up the motorway, with the airport on your right, then go under Bangkok on the ring road to the other side, pay the tolls to avoid the traffic.

[wellred]

Anyone know where the girly bars are in Kan? Im staying on Mae Nam Kwai Road. Is that close to any of them?

Cheers