Places

Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Kanchanaburi Thailand

Kanchanaburi is a small town just a few hours by bus west of Bangkok. You can book a local bus directly at the station to save a lot of money rather than going to a travel agency office.  Many travelers skip past Kanchanaburi on their way to the islands or Chiang Mai in the north.  Kanchanaburi is one of the cheapest provinces in Thailand for budget travelers and a great spot to relax for a few days in a small town.

Things to do in Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Tiger Temple

The most famous of reasons to go to Kanchanaburi, Thailand is to visit the Tiger Temple. This temple takes in orphaned tigers and allows travelers to interact with them. The tigers are unchained and have attacked rarely in the past, however they are fed well and the hot sun keeps them lazy enough to seem docile to people touching them.

• The temple is expensive to enter – $10 which is a small fortune in the province
• Don’t pay for tours, get a map! You can easily navigate to the temple outside of town and hitch hike back
• Its hot! The temple is in the equivalent of a gravel quarry. It is hot and dusty, take water and a hat.

Erawan National Park

Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi is well worth the long local bus ride. Once again, don’t pay for an organized tour, you can easily get the correct local bus and save lots of money for better things.  The park is full of jungle pools and waterfalls which you can swim and frolic in, making some excellent photo opportunities.

• Take the local buses out to the park, it will save you a LOT of money
• Take snacks with you, the food vendors there are expensive
• Don’t miss the last bus leaving in the evening, otherwise you’ll be hitchhiking back a long way

The bridge over the River kwai

The bridge is famous thanks to a World War 2 movie about the POWs which were forced under extreme conditions to build it for the Japanese.  The movie is only half accurate, but you can still visit the historic bridge and the war cemetary dedicated to all the POWs that died constructing the bridge.

Around kanchanaburi, Thailand

There isn’t much to see inside Kanchanaburi town away from the tourist street which is just outside of town.  You will find a string of guest houses along the River Kwai catering to backpackers with extremely well prices rooms, usually $3 – $5.  The Jolly Frog Guesthouse is a personal favorite with a large eatery, bar, and beautiful garden for watching sunsets on the river and relaxing.

Kanchanaburi is well worth a visit and is a great alternative to the expensive, overcrowded islands.  It is the type of place to bring a book or a laptop, get some work or studying done, or just relax in the gardens along the River kwai.

Bangkok Khao San Road

Khao San Road Bangkok

Khao San Road

Madness. Sheer madness.

That is the only way to describe coming into Bangkok’s Khao San Road after a long, late flight. The infamous haven for backpackers and budget travelers is the first stop for many in Bangkok, and some never leave. The noise, non-stop party, and very cheap prices will either make you want to run away or set up camp.

You can find everything on Khao San road from great shopping bargains to the darkest sleaze Bangkok has to offer. Only on Khao San Road can you buy a fake ID card (or press badge), get dreadlocks, eat some deep-fried insects, and listen to a local band rock out Sweet Child of Mine in Thai. This corner of Bangkok can be a circus and it never sleeps.(and neither do most of the people that stay in guest houses here!)

If this is your first trip to Bangkok, here are some Khao San road tips:

If you want to stay where the action is, meet other travelers, and party party party – this is your spot.

If you want to be near Khao San Road and the party, but manage to get a little sleep still – check out Rambutri Street, just 1 block around the corner from Khao San. You will find plenty of street food, places to stay, and still be a 5 minute walk away from the action.

Get used to constant attention and harassment from tuk-tuk drivers, touts, and people selling things. Remember that they have to make a living here and try to give a firm, polite “no” without loosing your cool.

Many of the extremely cheap guest houses come with bonus features such as giant cockroaches and ladyboy prostitutes which knock on your door at night to proposition. The good news is that there are many to choose from, if one doesn’t work out – simply walk 100 meters in either direction and upgrade. Avoid paying in advance so you can move if things get too dodgey.

An alternative to this district in Bangkok is Sukhumvit, which is still a traveler zone but slightly upscale. If you decide to go there instead, check out Suk11 hostel on Soi 11 (the street intersection). It is quite popular and usually requires an email reservation in advance.