Burma-Thailand Railway - 3 Days Best of the River Kwai & Railway

Day 1
Depart hotel: 7:00am
Finish: 3:00pm approx.

Depart Bangkok for Kanchanaburi on the River Kwai and the Kanchanaburi Railway Station. Join the train on a still operating section of the Burma-Thailand Railway leaving at Tham Krasae, the site of the spectacular Wang Pho Viaduct. Here the POW’s built a series of bridges where the railway hugs the cliffs on one side and a steep drop to the River Kwai on the other. Enjoy lunch and take time to explore the viaduct and Krasae Cave.

After lunch, stop at the Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls, the very end of the current railway line.

Arrive at tonight’s accommodation, a ‘raft’* resort, where your room is located out over the River Kwai. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the resort’s water activities or just relax and take in the tranquillity of the river flowing by, from your room.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Boutique Raft Resort (or similar)

Day 2
Depart hotel: 9:00am
Finish: 4:30pm approx.

A short drive away is the Australian Government supported Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre. Displays, photos and dioramas depict the construction of the railway through this mountainous section and the hardships that the POWs had to endure. Walk down the stairway from the Centre to the disused railway bed below and proceed to Hellfire Pass. Be amazed at how this huge railway cutting was built with little more than basic hand tools while the POWs worked 16 to 17 hours a day. Take time for some quiet reflection on the sacrifices of the POWs at the Weary Dunlop and the Hellfire Pass Memorials.

After lunch, travel to the Erawan National Park and the Erawan Waterfalls. Seven waterfalls in all, there is time for the energetic to do all seven. But for those wishing a more relaxed visit, the first three waterfalls are within easy walking distance and provide good opportunities to have a swim and escape the heat of the day.

Return to Kanchanaburi and your overnight accommodation.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: U Inchantree Resort, Kanchanaburi (or similar)

Day 3
Depart hotel: 9:00am
Finish: 5:00pm approx.

The first stop of the day is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Walk around these beautifully landscaped grounds where nearly 7,000 POWs are buried or commemorated and begin to understand why the railway became known as the “Death Railway”.

Next, visit the nearby Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, a museum of world renown overlooking the war cemetery. Dioramas, artefacts (retrieved from various camps and work sites along the railway) and personal stories of POWs, all combine to give you a better appreciation of the railway story.

Visit the JEATH Museum before enjoying a long tail boat ride on the River Kwai to the Bridge on the River Kwai. Join others making the return pilgrimage across the bridge before having lunch at the Floating Restaurant beside the bridge. A great way to end your at the River Kwai, dining on excellent Thai cuisine with views of the Bridge.

After lunch, begin your journey back to Bangkok. On the way, visit the Phra Pathom Chedi at Nakhom Pathom, the largest Buddhist Pagoda in Thailand. Nearby, was a large POW hospital camp where the well-known Australian railway doctor, Weary Dunlop, was based from mid-1944 until the end of the war. The chedi is a substantial landmark and was clearly visible to the men at the camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: Own arrangement

• Pick-up/Drop-off at your Bangkok hotel

• Accommodation (2 Nights)

• Meals as indicated (Note: Drinks not included)

• Experienced, English-speaking guide

• Comfortable, air-conditioned car/minivan with driver

• All touring as indicated

• Train ride

• Entrance fee - Thailand-Burma Railway Centre

• Airfares, passports and visa expenses

• Bangkok accommodation

• Meals and services not mentioned

• Comprehensive travel insurance

• Personal expenses (e.g. telephone, internet, laundry, drinks, souvenirs etc.)

• Tips to Guide and Driver

If you find that you are unable to join a tour that has been booked, confirmed and paid in part or in full, the paid amount of that tour less any unrecoverable costs, may be converted to a voucher. The value of that voucher may be used towards the same tour with a later departure date or any other HWT tour.

If a refund is requested, the following cancellation fees may be deducted from the paid amount:

• Greater than 10 days prior to tour start date - 10% of total tour amount + any unrecoverable costs

• 10 Days or less (including 'no show') prior to tour start date - No refund

Day 1:

• Train trip – Low

• Wang Pho Viaduct – Moderate

• Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls – Low-Moderate

Day 2:

• Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre - Low

• Hellfire Pass – Moderate-High

• Erawan Waterfalls – Moderate-High

Day 3:

• Kanchanaburi War Cemetery – Low

• Thailand-Burma Railway Centre (museum) – Low-Moderate

• Long tail boat ride - Low

• Bridge over the River Kwai – Moderate-High

• Phra Pathom Chedi - Moderate