3 Pagodas Pass - Planning

[honkin]

Hi

My wife and I will be in Kanchanaburi late April for about 6 nights and are planning to this time spend a couple of days to head up to the 3 Pagodas Pass and back.

Hope to see most of the following: Erewan Falls, Hellfire Pass, the Tiger Temple, Hin Dat Hot Springs, Than Daowadung, Thong Pha Phum, Sangkhlaburi and the 3 Pagodas Pass.

Would appreciate any advice you may be able to give re: planning. Not interested in any tour companies. We prefer to go it alone.

1. Is it better to hire a guide with a vehicle for the couple of days? Recommendations?

2. Is it better to hire a vehicle and proceed on our own?

3. Is it all done via road, or are there some parts best done via river ie. Than Daowadung?

4. To break the trip, would it be wise to stay a couple of nights - say Sai Yok and Sangkhlaburi?

5. Best way to get to Huay Mae Khamin as the road sounds pretty bad.

Thanks guys. Any advice will be much appreciated.

honkin

[Kan Win]

Hi

My wife and I will be in Kanchanaburi late April for about 6 nights and are planning to this time spend a couple of days to head up to the 3 Pagodas Pass and back.

Hope to see most of the following: Erewan Falls, Hellfire Pass, the Tiger Temple, Hin Dat Hot Springs, Than Daowadung, Thong Pha Phum, Sangkhlaburi and the 3 Pagodas Pass.

Would appreciate any advice you may be able to give re: planning. Not interested in any tour companies. We prefer to go it alone.

1. Is it better to hire a guide with a vehicle for the couple of days?

YES

Recommendations?

Do not book this in Bangkok

2. Is it better to hire a vehicle and proceed on our own?

No

3. Is it all done via road, or are there some parts best done via river ie. Tha

m

Daowadung?.

Too long by river and very few go that far up if you mean the one in Sai Yok National Park.

4. To break the trip, would it be wise to stay a couple of nights - say Sai Yok and Sangkhlaburi?.

Thong Pha Phum one night and Sangkhlaburi one night.

5. Best way to get to Huay Mae Khamin as the road sounds pretty bad.

Thanks guys. Any advice will be much appreciated.

honkin

Hi Honkin and Welcome to ThaiVisaDotCom.

I live in Kan so this is what I would do.

Late April will be pretty hot (42-48C ) and arid unless it does rain then.

Better to plan for say “Late June and July” if you Kan. (in the 30’s C) The Mountains will be a lot greener by then. Also you could be lucky and the haziness of the country would go by then.

Note:- it will be “Low Season” then and prices should have come down a bit, but then again Kan is quite a lot cheaper that most of Tourist places in Thailand anyway.

Now back to your Qus….. See above 1-4 and below for No. 5

Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall

Level Four.

This place is in Kanchanaburi Province. Go to Erawan Waterfall and just passed that there is a turn off to your left to Sinakharin Dam National Park. Only 42 kms thereafter on a very rough no tarmac road you will reach it. This was my second time there, but went there on that rough road. Near on 2 hours on that road to go 42 kms. I would not advise this road. Use the other route.

See below:-

The first time, I went the long way around on an easier way, on two ferries across the Srinakarin Reservoir. Great views there as well along that way. Go during the "Rainy Season" then the Waterfall should be as full as you have see in my photo.

Should you wish to go there, take a Thai with you that knows the area and way.

Took me 4 hours there, 1 click as you saw, 4 hours back with a whole group of people. On your own it should not take you that long.

Other things to do:-

http://www.thailandguidebook.com//province...nchanaburi.html

Elephant Riding,

Go by Train to Tam Nok along the Death Railway Line (100 baht) to Sai Yok Noi Waterfall (Free of Charge),

Temples like Wat Tum Seu on the Meklong Dam,

The two Larger Dams:-

Srinakarin Dam (near Erawan Waterfalls)

&

Vajiralongkron Dam (Old name was Khao Laem Dam) this hydro-electric dam is situated on the Kwai Noi River, 6 Kilometers north or Thong Pha Phum or 165 Kilometres north of Kanchanaburi. The dam, 1,019 metres long and 92 metres high, forms a scenic reservoir extending to the north towards Sangkhla Buri district. An overnight stay in comfortable resorts or raft-houses also offer a relaxing holiday for visitors.

Also please visit my WebPage for many more photos.

My Webpage

And last but, not least, Welcome to Kan.

Yours truly,

Kan Win

[Nordlys]

April is not a good time to go visit Kanchanaburi I'm afraid...

[honkin]

Hi guys

Yes I realise that April is blisteringly hot. Just the way things worked out this time (9th visit).

Kan Win, great site you have. Would you have any recommendation of a guide in Kan? I would never arrange anytrhing like that in Bangkok - too many extra commissions etc. For us, always a recommendation from someone works best.

If you don't know anyone, that's fine, I can do some more research.

Any reason you urge against self driving? I have driven many times in Thailand - Isaan for 3 weeks, Bangkok to Hua Hin and return, Chiang Mai etc. Is it mainly due to the poor quality of the roads in this particular area?

Very much appreciate the advice.

Cheers

honkin