May 23, 2005 03:54 PM
3432 Views
(Updated May 23, 2005 03:54 PM)
Kanchanaburi: Kanchanaburi is a beautiful district 130 kms from Bangkok. All the local tour operators offer guided tours to Kanchanaburi. A trip to Kanchanaburi takes us into the gruesome past of WWII and reminds us of the futility of such conflicts which only cause pain. The beautiful forests and the lovely River Kwai give us the glimpse of natural abundance of Thailand.
The Kanchanaburi tour starts in the morning with a visit to the largest pagoda in the south east asia -“Phra Pathom Chedi”. Next is a visit to the JEATH war museum, on the banks of River Kwai, showcasing the plight of the prisoners of war during the WWII. We then proceed on to visit the well-kept cemetery, which contain the graves of an estimated 9,000 allied soldiers who lost their lives while building the bridge and constructing the notorious ''Death Railway'' which the Japanese had hoped to stretch all the way to the Burmese border.
The famous bridge on River Kwai built during the WWII is the next attraction. A famous Hollywood film has also been made on this bridge “ A Bridge over River Kwai”. After lunch at River Kwai we board the “DEATH RAILWAY” to Nam Tok station. This is a wonderful ride through Thai countryside and provides the glimpses of the route used during the WWII. This railway passes through the famous wooden bridge which was built by hand by the prisoners of war.
In the night, we can stay at one of the famous resorts on the banks of river kwai. Next day we visit the Hellfire pass memorial, now maintained by the Australians in honour of their soldiers who died here during the WWII. A pathway from the memorial takes us to the Hellfire pass. This is probably the narrowest pass cut out into the mountains by bare hands by the POW’s. Embedded traces of the railway line & a tall tree right in the middle of this pass remind us of the horrors of war.
This is followed by a trip to the elephant park. An Elephant trek through the dense jungles gives a close view of the beautiful tropical forests. Elephants wade though the river kwai with water level almost reaching their head. It is a great experience, especially for the kids. We can also take a ride in the bamboo raft here. The raft is pulled upstream by a tug boat and then released. The raft slowly cruises downstream with the river current. Adventurous can jump into the river for a swim. The only sound we heard was the sound of water and the chirping of birds. The serenity of this ride is breathtaking.
After the ride we proceed onto the historic ruins of Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand. The ruins offer a glimpse of old Ayutthaya, which once was a prosperous and majestic capital with over 400 magnificent Buddhist monasteries.
The last attraction before we came back to Bangkok was the summer palace of the King Rama, Bang Pa-In. Within the inner palace are several buildings in various styles. Perhaps the most interesting building in the inner complex, and the only one open to the public, is the Chinese style residence built in China and gifted to King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1889. You must remove your shoes to enter and enjoy the ebony and red lacquer interior.
Kanchanaburi is also famous for its Black stone. Several articles like rings, earrings etc made of these stones are sold in Kanchanaburi district. This is a very beautiful stone and quite cheap as well.
On the whole, this trip was a lovely experience for us and is a great excursion from Bangkok.
