Kanchanaburi ( Thailand ) - Reminds us of horros of WW II

Kanchanaburi is a beautiful district 130 kms from Bangkok. You can opt for a guided tour of the region offered by the local tour operators. 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. You will 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 you board the “DEATH RAILWAY” to Nam Tok station. This is a wonderful ride through Thai countryside and provide you 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. You spend overnight at one of the famous resorts on the banks of river kwai. Next day you visit the Hellfire pass memorial, now maintained by Australians in honour of their soldiers who died here during the WWII. You must walk down the path from the memorial 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. You are taken on a Elephant trek through the dense jungles and can have a close view of the beautiful tropical forests. Elephants wade though the river kwai with water level almost reaching their head. It is a wonderful experience. You can then take a ride in the bamboo raft. The raft is pulled upstream by a tug boat and then released. The raft slowly cruises downstream with the river current. If you are adventurous you can jump into the river for a swim. The only sound you will hear is the sound of water and the chirping of birds. The serenity of this ride is breathtaking. After the ride you 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 you come back to Bangkok is 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.