Top 7 Best Things to Do in Kanchanaburi

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Located only 140 km from Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is a great place to visit for those who are looking for a quick trip to escape the concrete walls of Bangkok and ... read more...

  1. Erawan Falls is one of the most magnificent waterfalls in Thailand. With its stunning layers of cascades, the clear blue water, and over 7 levels for us to explore. Since Erawan Falls is 65 km away from Kanchanaburi City, the drive there with a scooter will take you about 1.5 hours and so you should start your day as early as you can. The road there is pretty straightforward forward and the road is not difficult to drive with the majority of the way on a 4 lanes road.


    You can also take a bus from Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal which leaves every hour from 8 AM to 5 PM. Once you arrive, you will be right at the first level of the waterfall where all the cascades are. There are 7 waterfalls you can hike in the Erawan Falls area stretching along the 1.5 km trail. The trail from level-1 to level-4 is pretty easy with around 5 minutes walking distance apart. The trail takes about an hour to an hour and a half to hike to the top and about an hour or less to get down. The opening hours are from 8 AM to 4:30 PM so do prepare accordingly if you plan to hike the whole stretch. The entrance fee is 300 THB (100 THB for Thais) plus 20 THB if you are there with a scooter.

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    BucketListly Blog
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    BucketListly Blog

  2. After you are done with Erawan Falls if you have a few hours to spare, be sure to continue on for about 10 km and visit Phra That Cave, one of the many mountain caves tucked away in the thick forest of Kanchanaburi. When you arrive at the entrance, you will have to show your Erawan National Park ticket to a ranger and they will point you to a trailhead where you will have to hike up the steep 600 m stairs for about 30 minutes hike until you arrive at the cave.


    Within the cave, you will be guided by a national park ranger to each of the 5 caverns in Phra That Cave where you will see some of the most stunning rock formations out there with one looking like a Buddha image and another like a coral reef. There is an elevated walking path and there used to be a working artificial light system but it was broken due to a lightning strike a year ago and the government has yet to release a fund to fix it.

    Flickr
    Flickr
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    BucketListly Blog
  3. Huay Maekhamin Waterfalls is one of the best waterfalls for swimming in Thailand and a total hidden gem tourist attraction in Kanchanaburi that not many people know about. Huay Maekhamin Waterfalls is just like Erawan Falls with 7 levels of waterfalls you can hike around in, all of which are as magical as you could imagine. Best of all, it is way less crowded than Erawan Falls, it has more spacious swimming areas, and the waterfall at each tier is way prettier, all in all, Huay Maekhamin Waterfall is a prettier, less crowded version of Erawan Falls that nobody knows about.


    The journey from Kanchanaburi city to Huay Maekhamin Waterfalls takes almost 2 hours one-way so 4 hours of travel time in total. The area is pretty big with around 3 - 4 km worth of hiking to do. To get to Huay Maekhamin Waterfalls, you will have to pay an entrance fee to the Sri Nakharin National Park which is 300 THB for adults and 100 THB for children. The national park is open from 6 AM to 5 PM every day. Expect to spend an entire day here you are looking to really enjoy what Huay Maekhamin Waterfalls have to offer.

    Good Times Resort Kanchanaburi Thailand
    Good Times Resort Kanchanaburi Thailand
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    BucketListly Blog
  4. The name JEATH War Museum is derived from countries engaged in the WWII death railway construction from 1942 to 1945: Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand, and Holland. And as the name suggests, this small museum displays photographs and illustrations narrating the living condition of prisoners of war (POWs) during that cruel time, some of which were donated by former POWs who survived. The museum building itself was also turned from the detention hut, used during that period.


    The museum is run by a local family so you might find the navigation a little confusing but the place is jam-packed with a ton of information and artifacts from the old swords and stones they found in Kanchanaburi to imperial Japanese airplanes and helicopters casually sitting in the courtyard. The museum opens from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM. There is a ton to see and learn here so be sure to spare some time before the museum closes. The entrance fee is 50 THB for both Thais and foreigners.

    TripAdvisor
    TripAdvisor
    6 o'clock train
    6 o'clock train
  5. Mallika R.E 124 City is a newly built themed retro city that replicates and depicts the lifestyle of the people living around the palace during the time of King Rama the Fifth, the king that was known for abolishing slavery, in a modern way. Some of the architecture here like the Merchant Turnable Wooden Bridge is created in a way that is both pretty to the eyes and entices your imagination of what it is like back in the day. The bridge is filled with stalls where you can actually buy stuff from fruits to souvenirs.


    Another great example of Mallika City taking it to the next level is its ancient market zone. Within the market zone, you will find many food stalls selling Thai traditional food and desserts from the famous boat noodle to the beloved grilled coconut hotcakes. You can spend hours just trying all the delicious Thai traditional street food here and once you are full, you can shake all the fat you gained from eating and climb up to the tower to see Mallika Retro City from above. Expect to spend around an hour or more exploring and eating food at Mallika. The place is open from 9 AM to 5:30 PM and the entrance fee is 200 THB for both Thais and foreigners.

    Mallika124.com
    Mallika124.com
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    BucketListly Blog
  6. After having lunch at Mallika, if you want to see a train crossing a mountainside wooden bridge which is a popular section of the Death Railway, you will have to get to Tham Krasae Train Station before 1:30 PM. It isn't far from Mallika so you should be able to get here on time if you leave Mallika at around 12:30 PM. Once you arrive, you can spend your time walking along the wooden railway bridge or you can wait for the train to go first.


    Next to the Tham Krasae Train Station, you will find the Wat Krasae Cave where the train station got its name from. It isn't big but still, a great spot to step away from the railway for the train to go. After the train leaves, you can then walk along the railways to the next station and back. It's a nice little walk with metallic plates installed on the railways for people to walk on. Just be careful not to step off the path and you will be fine.

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    BucketListly Blog
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    BucketListly Blog
  7. After visiting Thum Krasae, you can then continue on with your scooter for another hour and visit Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre, a much-acclaimed museum dedicated to the event where the Japanese forced the Allied prisoners of war and Asian laborers to cut through this treacherous section of the Pass resulting in heavy loss of life. The museum is beautifully designed with excellent displays of information, presentations, and videos that help guide you through the gruesome history of what went down at the Hellfire Pass.


    After a 30-minute stroll around the museum, you will have the option to choose between 2 nature walks at the end. The shorter one goes to the monument through sections of the pass which takes about 15 minutes to walk and another 2.5 km trail which takes 3 hours to complete. Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre is open from 9 AM to 4 PM and the entrance is free for both Thais and foreigners.

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    CNN
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    BucketListly Blog



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