River Kwai: excursion route. Excursions and trips along the River Kwai (Khwayai) Large rivers and lakes of Thailand

The exotic River Kwai, where you can fully immerse yourself in the exotic nature of Thailand. Undoubtedly, Thailand is one of the most mysterious and mysterious countries where you can travel endlessly. Thus, the most popular and sought-after excursion among tourists is an excursion to Kwai.

Rafting on the River Kwai allows you to discover the borders of the real Thailand. This will be especially true for those who have just arrived in Thailand for the first time in their lives and have only seen the beach near the hotel or place of residence, as well as the capital of Thailand. If this sounds like you, then now is the right time to take an unforgettable excursion along the waters of the River Kwai.

River Kwai on the map

How is the excursion going?

First of all, you need to know that an excursion is usually a two-day trip. A tour along the River Kwai consists of a sufficient number of points that surround the entire Thai nature, as well as the culture of Thailand, the history of its population, religion and traditional life, and most importantly, the opportunity to visit healing springs and, of course, taste local delicacies.

What is the River Kwai like?

The River Kwai is a tropical and unusual river, the length of which reaches 380 kilometers and is located in the northwestern part of Thailand. During the Second World War, the Kwai was a river of strategic importance. It was here that the Japanese built a railway throughout the war.

What is the excursion?

The two-day trip is actually very rich in unexplored points for stops and all kinds of visits. These places are scattered along the entire river bank. Such stops involve cognitive or relaxing activities. The excursion can be structured in different ways, but the most common travel pattern is as follows:

The first day:

• • Thai farmer's house and visit to a coconut farm;
  • Boating through the canals of the floating market and visiting the Floating Market itself;
  • Stop at the Folk Crafts Center;
  • Lunch break at one of the tropical restaurants;
  • Visit to a factory producing sculptures and furniture made from teak wood;
  • Elephant ride in the jungle through the elephant village;
  • Visiting the same one railway World War II (Road of Death);
  • Stop at Sai Yok Noi - the famous Thai waterfall;
  • Dinner, as well as a classic massage from Thai specialists, as well as accommodation in a floating or coastal hotel.

On the second day of the trip:

• • Morning walk and breakfast;
  • Rafting in life jackets on the Kwai River;
  • Visit to the so-called pharmacy of the national medicine of Thailand;
  • Trying all kinds of tea in the tea house and several alcoholic drinks Thailand;
  • Taking baths in healing springs.

Prices for excursions?

The cost of the excursion varies, as it depends on several indicators - from the number of visitors and places visited to the number of stars in the hotel that hosts you. However, as a rule, the price is set between 2000-4000 baht per person, a child ticket costs less - 1100 baht.

In addition, some entertainment that may be offered during the excursion will be paid, and you should take a separate budget with you for the purchase of souvenirs, gifts and tea.

The excursion is the most expensive when compared with other travel options in Thailand. However, almost all tourists unanimously claim that the River Kwai should be on the list mandatory places must-visit places in Thailand. It is this excursion that will fully introduce you to the culture of the Kingdom of Thailand, as well as introduce you to its unusual and tropical surrounding world, leaving unforgettable emotions and a sea of ​​impressions.

What are the restrictions for visiting this excursion?

Fortunately, the excursion is suitable for absolutely everyone, that is, there are no restrictions. Due to the fact that the composition of the excursion can change, it is suitable for people of any age. age category and level of physical fitness. In addition, when many people want to go on a trip along the river, they are divided into three groups depending on the degree of physical fitness of those wishing to: comfort, exotic (or extreme) and standard - so that everyone can choose the most suitable group for themselves. Worth to visit - .

What should you take with you to Kwai?

Often, departure to the river takes place early in the morning, so if you are staying at a hotel, order a Breakfast Box (breakfast to go) in advance and do not forget to take it with you in the morning.

Be sure to stock up on warm clothes (jacket, pants, socks), since it can be quite cold on the river in the early morning and late evening. In addition, take towels, swimsuits, hats and sunscreen for your trip, and, if necessary, medications, as well as personal hygiene products. Water or drinks, food, and a change of clothes will also not be superfluous.

Take your camera with you, because you will probably want to capture the beauty of the Thai tropics. By the way, you are also allowed to take small equipment with you - for example, a laptop, an e-book, etc.

Are any documents needed?

Yes, we do. You will need to take the following documents with you:

1. Copy of passport (can be taken along with the original);
2. Insurance;
3. A voucher for accommodation at the host hotel or residential address.

Have a good rest and don’t forget the most important thing – safety rules. Take care of yourself!

There are many excursions in Thailand, but the first on the list of the most popular is the excursion called “River Kwai”. There are two travel options: one day excursion and two-day. The latter is preferable. The fact is that this river is far from resort areas, and it takes a lot of time to travel there.

Usually Russian tourists choose this excursion already on the days of their first trip to Thailand. Check out this interesting trip starts at night. At dawn, the bus with tourists is already far from the cities.

The developers of this route should be given credit. The program is full of stops in interesting places oh so all this long trip to the legendary river passes unnoticed. Among the stops on the first excursion day are a floating market, a teak factory, and an elephant village.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

This is not a decorative market for tourists, not at all like the one in Pattaya. This is a real and functioning floating market where the Thais themselves trade and buy food and clothing. Traders not only work here, but also live permanently. They built houses for themselves right there on the water.

The main assortment of goods offered here directly from small boats are various exotic fruits, Thai dishes, incense, spices, as well as numerous souvenirs for tourists.

It is worth noting that all goods in the floating market are much more expensive than in supermarkets at your resorts, but the memory of this amazing place completely compensates for this shortcoming.

At the floating market, tourists are accompanied by a guide on a large boat, riding along the canals that are the streets big village, whose houses are on stilts.

Arriving at the market, you find yourself among interesting pavilions selling the same goods as in the market next to your hotel, with the exception of clothes and souvenirs depicting this wonderful place.

As you move deeper you will see food vendors offering you various goodies. Presented here a large number of delicious food, from freshly prepared coconut pancakes to noodle soup with rich meat broth.

How to get to the floating market yourself

If you decide to visit Damnoen Sudak on your own next time without a tour, then getting here will not be difficult. There are two options.

• Having rented a car in Bangkok, move out of the city along Highway No. 4 (Phetchakasen Rd.), after driving about 80 km you need to turn left and continue driving another 25 km along Bangpae Damnoen Saduak Rd.
• By bus. In Bangkok you need to find the South Bus Terminal, they go from there Shuttle Buses to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market regularly every 40 minutes starting at 6 am. The ticket price is symbolic and is 50 baht. It's better to go early on the first bus. The most best time to arrive at the market by 8 - 10 am, while it is not too hot.

Entrance to the market costs 50 baht, a ride on a floating taxi will cost 200-350 baht per hour per person.

teak factory

The teak factory is also called royal because it was created on behalf of King Rama IX to develop national crafts and combat unemployment. Everything is organized in such a way that anyone can come here to acquire a profession and further work as a carver.

At the teak factory, travelers get acquainted with the work of craftsmen and wood carvers. Craftsmen work here who carve a variety of dishes, home furniture and extraordinary paintings from teak wood.

Teak wood is one of the strongest woods in the world and, if properly processed, the product will “petrify” over time. This work is complex and painstaking; some products even take craftsmen several years to complete.

And all this can be purchased by visiting an excursion to a teak factory, although these souvenirs cost fabulous amounts of money and are a treat for wealthy tourists.

When viewing souvenirs, you should be extremely careful, and if you are vacationing with children, then hold their hand.

On the territory of the teak factory in the hall of finished products there is a strict rule: if it’s broken, buy it. That’s why you should be extremely careful, since many works cost more than $10,000

Elephant Village

There are a great many elephant villages along the way to the River Kwai. It doesn’t really matter where they take you. Different tour operators take their tourists to different villages. What you need to check before purchasing an excursion is whether elephant riding is included in the price of the trip.

While riding, give your camera to the elephant driver. He will be happy to take pictures of you from different angles throughout your walk. The Thais are very good at taking beautiful pictures.

This is not included in the price of your excursion, so at the end of the excursion, the driver will ask you for a tip. It will be quite enough to thank him with 10-30 baht; you shouldn’t give more.

Here you can also buy a bunch of bananas for your elephant, thus thanking him for a pleasant trip. In addition to the driver, you will be photographed by a professional Thai photographer. Upon completion of the program, you will be able to purchase a saucer with your image if you wish.

It's tempting to buy an elephant dung frame with your photo on it. The Thais have learned to make a lot of money by producing paper from this environmentally friendly material. By the way, in Thailand they make a lot of money by producing environmentally friendly paper from the same material.

Rafting on the River Kwai

River rafting is the apogee of this excursion program, most tourists go to Kwai precisely because of rafting.

Upon arrival at the river, tourists are given a safety briefing and then everyone sits on large wooden rafts, after putting on life jackets, and goes downstream.

During the rafting process, amazing views of the exotic nature of Tay open up. The area is so beautiful that comparisons are involuntarily created with the impenetrable forests of the Amazon, which come to mind from previously watched videos.

While floating on a raft, at some point in time, the accompanying person gives the command to jump into the water. And the most interesting thing begins, you jump from the raft in a life jacket and the strong current of the river itself picks you up and carries you into the unknown.

Here you feel incredible pleasure and fear at the same time.

Naturally, no one will force you to jump; you can slowly float to the finish line on a raft. Upon arrival at the final point, the rafts are driven under the waterfall from the rocky shore, where you can take a few pictures as a souvenir, and then head to the hotel.

Not quite here ordinary hotel, it consists of several floating houses on the river and several bungalows on the shore. The floating houses are very comfortable, there is hot water, bed linen, electricity, towels, etc.

After accommodation, a luxurious dinner will be offered, after which beautiful Burmese girls will come to your house for a relaxing massage before bedtime. You should not refuse, as it is believed that Burmese masseuses have a special gift in this matter.

Excursion to Kwai - day two

The next morning the tour continues and the group heads to Buddhist monastery. Next we will visit beautiful waterfall Erawan, in a themed museum under open air about "Road of Death". This name was acquired by the railway connecting the Kingdom of Thailand and neighboring Burma.

Erawan Falls is located 65 kilometers from Kanchanaburi. It is believed that the waterfall got its name from the mythical three-headed white elephant Erawana. Locals claim that the cascade of the waterfall resembles this elephant. The water has an amazing color with an emerald-turquoise hue.

Erawan Falls officially consists of seven levels and has a grandiose height of about 830 meters. The width is about 1700 meters. You need to move from one level to another along a path, rising higher and higher. Some levels of the waterfall are so small that they resemble rapids on rivers. The most grandiose and beautiful is the sixth level. Here you can stop, swim and take pictures. In principle, if you don’t want to climb the mountain to the seventh level, then you won’t lose anything.

Somewhere in the area of ​​the third or fourth level you can stop at a shallow pond to exfoliate your feet. Peeling will be done by small fish, a subspecies of carp. They like the taste of our dead skin on our heels, and they happily pinch it off.

Do you think this is a painful procedure? No, on the contrary, it's very ticklish. In Thai these fish are called "Pla Pluang".

Death Road in Thailand

The road was built by Japanese prisoners of war during the Second World War. The labor of captured British, Americans, Australians, etc. was also used in the work. The railway itself and the equipment from the time of its construction are memorable here.

The meaning of the excursion itself is connected with these places precisely because here prisoners of war, at the cost of their many lives, built railroad bridge across the River Kwai.

Working and living conditions were terrible. More than 180 thousand Asian prisoners and at least 60 thousand English-speaking prisoners of war built the Death Road. During the construction period, about 90 thousand Asian and about 16 thousand European prisoners of war died from exhaustion. After the war, the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway was declared a war crime.

Healing radon springs “Hin Dad”

While the construction of the Death Road was underway, the Japanese paid attention to the warm springs in the province of Kanchanaburi. Temperature in these thermal springs It stays at 45°C and contains a little radon.

Back in those distant times, they built one pool with hot water, another with lukewarm water, and one with cool water. river water. Now these thermal springs are very popular among local residents and tourists. Alternating dives first into warm, then into hot and then into cold water gives the body a powerful charge of vigor and good mood.

There is an opinion that bathing in these radon thermal springs helps get rid of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It also helps cleanse the skin and rejuvenate the entire body. In fact, as official Thai medicine says, this healing method is based on the specific effect of radon micro-radiation on the human body.

What to take with you on an excursion to the River Kwai

Many tourists ask the question: what to take with them to the River Kwai? So, here is an example of what is optimally needed:

• copy of passport and insurance policy
• comfortable shoes (beach sandals are ideal, sneakers are hot)
• bathing suit
• towel
• money for personal expenses
• cream, mosquito spray
• It's better to take a backpack instead of a bag
• Those on holiday to the fullest need to take alcohol with them (there is nowhere to buy it on the way)
• charger and additional batteries for phone and photo equipment
• extra blouse and clothes for visiting temples

Do not forget that departure from the hotel will be early in the morning, so do not forget to order breakfast in the evening at the reception of your hotel (if you have meals included in your stay program). Otherwise, buy groceries to take with you on the road.

Below you can see the approximate program of most tour operators:

DAY 1
4:00	CHECK OUT FROM THE HOTELS
07:00	STOP FOR BREAKFAST
08:00	FLOATING MARKET
10:00	WAT TAM SYA (FLOATING MARKET)
12:00	DINNER
13:30	ERAVAN
16:30	RAFTING
18:30	CHECK IN AT A 4* HOTEL (YOKO RESORT) AND DINNER
DAY 2
07:00	CHECK OUT FROM THE HOTEL. BREAKFAST
07:30	ELEPHANT WALKING, BATHING WITH ELEPHANTS
10:30	TRADITIONAL MEDICINE PHARMACY
11:00	TEA STORE
11:30	RADON SOURCES
13:00	MONKEY TEMPLE
14:00	DINNER
15:00 – 20:00	RETURN TO PATTAYA

Tourists get to their hotels only in the evening. Of course, they feel some fatigue, but along with it they also feel a lot of positive emotions. According to many, this excursion is not just one of the most popular, but also one of the best in Thailand. And anyone who has not been to the River Kwai has not seen the real Thailand.

An excursion to the River Kwai and Erawan Falls is already a kind of Pattaya brand. We have not yet met a single tourist in Pattaya who would come here and not buy a two-day trip to Kanchanaburi province, which promises to be so amazing that you will never forget it.

1. Floating market and water village
2. Buddhist temple with a cave and a mummified monk
3. Swimming in Erawan Falls
4. Overnight in houses on the water
5. Rafting on the River Kwai
6. Hot Springs
7. Elephant ride

Here's a summary of what's included in the program. We took an excursion to the River Kwai and today we will share with you our reviews, impressions, juicy photographs, videos and important information on the most popular excursion in Pattaya. Also at the end of the article there will be coordinates where you can book an excursion to the River Kwai along the inexpensive price in Pattaya.

Excursion to the River Kwai from Pattaya

We joined the ranks of tourists to experience something unknown and immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of a carefree adventure. Where you don’t have to think for yourself how to get there, choose and book hotels and negotiate with tuk-tuks, while not letting go of your tablet with a map, so that the driver doesn’t inadvertently take you where you don’t need to go. Let's be ordinary vacationers, where the guide decides everything for you.

Excursion to the River Kwai from Pattaya

Excursion to the River Kwai from Pattaya runs every day. We booked a tour in the evening and were picked up from our home at 4:30 the next morning. We were put in a minibus, in which we rode for about 2.5 hours to the first stop for breakfast.

Be sure to grab breakfast at your hotel. Order a “lunch box” at the reception in the evening. They will put it in boxes for you, and you can calmly eat at tables in the cool of the morning.

If you rent an apartment in Pattaya, like us, take something to snack from home, sandwiches, fruits, nuts, sweets. Since the first breakfast is not included in the price, all tourists eat packed lunches from hotels for breakfast. The cafe offers hot drinks - tea and coffee for 35 and 40 baht. After 30 minutes, our group went to the first point, from which we can begin the report of our two-day excursion.

Before departure, a guide, Evgenia, joined our group of 13 people. It turned out that Zhenya was leading 2 groups and rode all the way in the second mini-bass. She had to run from one car to another throughout the two days. She spent most of it in another group, because there was a full-fledged place for her there. And since all the seats in our car were occupied, she had to ride with us standing, talking along the way interesting information about the places where we stop, about the province of Kanchanaburi and about Thailand in general.

The excursion program to Kwai covers many interesting places. And so we approached one of them.

Damnon Saduak floating market and water village

This is not a pseudo-floating market for tourists, which they take in Pattaya. This is a functioning market where goods are sold local residents. Sellers not only work here, but also live here. Their houses are built on the water. Some are richer, others have very modest shacks. Life is in full swing from the very morning. Someone is washing their clothes right in front of your eyes, someone is washing the dishes and preparing breakfast. Here the dogs are lying in the shade and geese are walking around.

The market tour takes place on a boat, in which 4-6 people are placed. Powerboat takes you all over the market, and you stare at it all and are amazed at how many things in the world you haven’t seen yet.

Tourists can buy a lot of things here. Starting from banal elephants, magnets and pictures, to original hats worn in this region and food that not everyone would dare try. You can also buy some fruit or drink a coconut. I don’t know about the prices, we didn’t ask, but the guide recommends haggling.

It’s nice that no one forces you to buy anything or imposes their product on you. Cute aunties in funny straw hats smile quite sincerely and sometimes wave their products, attracting attention. This half hour is spent more contemplative than shopping.

We liked the floating market. We've been living in Thailand for 2 years now, but we still haven't been to such a market. This impression will definitely be remembered for a long time. By the way, there is no foul smell at all from the muddy river, in which a lot of garbage floats.

Teak furniture center

Don’t worry, no one here will force you to buy furniture, as you might initially think. The teak center turned out to be a working craft shop. Craftsmen carve such masterpieces of art from wood that you can’t believe what miracles human hands can create.

The paintings are incredibly expensive. For example, this painting, as we were told, costs 14 million baht. This is an entire apartment in New York! In addition to paintings, simpler works are presented here. Armchairs, bedside tables, tables, carved statues from small to large and small souvenir goods based on Thai symbols.

Wat Tham Suea, mummified monk and tiger cave

Mostly Thais themselves come to this temple. Even from neighboring cities they come specially. You have to climb up to everything beautiful in Thailand. Just like, you have to climb stairs to get to this temple in Kanchanaburi. There are only 200 steps in total. It is not difficult for young people to rise. For the lazy and older people, they even built a lift, which only the bravest would dare to ride.

Now admire the beauty that awaits you at the top. At first, when people go to this lookout, everyone forgets about the temples and the sacred water that flows from the spring here. Everyone is fascinated by the landscape. Awesome valley with plantations.

There is also a mummified monk in this temple. The story is as old as time. One monk asked not to cremate his body after death, assuring that it would not decompose. And so it happened. For almost 40 years now, his body has been lying in a glass coffin under a camera, from where there is an online broadcast for everyone who wants to see it with their own eyes.

The wax figure is the work of skilled Thai craftsmen. Looks alive.

By the way, our guide said that this is the only mummified monk in Thailand. Apparently, she was not in Samui, where there is also a temple with the body of another mummified monk (see article -). We shouldn’t completely trust everything the guides tell us, they can’t know everything. There is also a small cave in the temple in which this monk lived for several years.

The excursion is an excursion, and lunch is on schedule

Everyone was already hungry and lunch was very welcome. A small cafe where Thais vie with each other to cook so that everything is hot and tasty. System Buffet: soup, rice, chicken, battered fish, som tam salad, cabbage, tea, coffee, fruit juice. Everything was delicious, and most importantly filling. You could eat as much as you wanted. And while most of our group were doing just that, others were already heading to one of the main attractions of this excursion.

It’s the beginning of September and we didn’t expect seething streams from the waterfall that crash down with a roar, showering everyone with a cloud of small splashes. Waterfalls in Thailand are somehow tense, to put it mildly. In Phuket, in Koh Samui, in Kanchanaburi. To catch a truly full-flowing waterfall, ideally come at the end of October, at the beginning of November. When the rainy season, which occurs in September and October, has just ended, the waterfalls are well filled.

Everyone, in anticipation and on adrenaline, climbs from one waterfall to another, sparing no effort. We also did not want to stop there and it seemed to us that reaching the third waterfall was not enough.

Where can I order a transfer from the airport?

We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article

Erawan Falls, first cascade


Swimming in Erawan Falls


If you are too lazy, fish peeling begins

Erawan Falls consists of 7 levels. On wet tropical forest It’s easy to walk at first glance, since it’s shady, but going up and down 10 times is a bit difficult. After the 4th level there are almost no concrete paths and steps. A couple of short bridges and several stairs. The rest of the road passes over rocks and huge roots. Climbing up slippery rocks is not so carefree. You need to look carefully at your feet. Go where you know for sure that you won’t slip or fall.

This handsome guy was seen in the bushes. I wasn't even afraid of people

We reached the fifth waterfall and realized that we had enough for today. They all turned out to be very predictable. Only two couples from our group reached the very last, seventh waterfall. According to them, it was the deepest.

On this excursion, 3 hours are given for the entire path to the waterfalls, swimming and the return descent to the cars. If you don’t climb to the very top, then there’s plenty of time. People who reached the top almost did not have time to swim properly, because they had to run back down. Therefore, we did not regret one bit that we did not chase the number of waterfalls, but after calmly resting, gaining strength and even swimming at the 5th level, we calmly went down.

It seems to me that for an in-depth examination of the vast territory national park Erawan with all the steps of the waterfalls needs to be laid for at least 6-8 hours. But this is only if you come on your own for the whole day. As an excursion, just to get acquainted, 3 hours can be done with interest. We heard that on other excursions the time allotted is even less. So, we're still lucky. By the way, for independent tourists, entrance to the park costs 300 baht, but with us it is included in the price of the excursion.

Check-in to houses on the water. River Kwai Paradise Hotel

In the morning at the floating market, we expressed our wishes to the guide about where we would like to stay that night. We had a choice of houses on the water and houses on land opposite the pool.

All tourists, except one woman with a child, unanimously chose a bungalow on the water. And we, with the exception of the River Kwai itself, went even more for these very houses in order to feel all the romance of life on the river.

The River Kwai Paradise Hotel or Paradise on the River Kwai is an ideal option for this type of excursion. The hotel is so cozy and peaceful that you want to stay in it not just for one day, but for at least 2-3, or better yet, for a week. In any case, these were the thoughts that came to us in the first minutes.

The price of the excursion includes overnight stay at the hotel, dinner and breakfast. Food buffet. If you come without an organized excursion, then this hotel costs 1,200 baht per night with breakfast.

Houses on the water, of course, are still exotic! Everything inside is wooden. The room has a large wide bed, air conditioning and a toilet with shower. This is where the convenience ends. Forget about the TV and refrigerator, although you won’t need it here anyway.

Since it’s all nature here, there are insects in the houses. Medium-sized black ants lived in our bathroom, and occasionally the bravest ones made their way into the room. Before taking a shower, you had to first walk the shower over the floor. At night we were worried that no one would fall on us from the ceiling. After all, before going to bed, a large tropical cockroach came to visit us in the toilet for a peek.

This is the kind of romance you are guaranteed

And the gurgling of water under the wooden floorboards reminded us of a faulty toilet cistern

The air conditioner remote control was immured in a tree

We didn't use the air conditioning at night. They were frozen in the morning. It turned out to be cool to spend the night on the water. In November in Kanchanaburi the temperature sometimes drops to 11-15 degrees. Then tourists are given warm clothes, which they will find at the hotel.

Laundry cannot be dried outside. We, naive, hung our wet swimsuits on the bench after Erawan, and in the morning we found them even more damp. And the sheet with which they covered themselves also became damp during the night.

But it's such a unique experience. If I were in a similar place again, I would experience these sensations a second time. Only bring the main insect repellent from home

In the morning, nature was in fog, silence, perspiration from the water, freshness that you had not felt since the days of Russia and some kind of calm.

We fell in love with these houses on the water. And no matter what phobias associated with insects you suffer from, we still recommend that you only stay here, and not in houses on land. This is an experience everyone should try!

Rise at 6 am, breakfast and rafting and rafting along the river

Waking up to the cool morning is amazing! Vigor is guaranteed, even despite the previous day being so loaded with impressions. We got up at 6, and by 6:30 we were already at breakfast. The food is not particularly varied, but you won’t go hungry. Rice, fried eggs, sausages, ham, buttered toast, tea and coffee. We ate with a view of the river. Beauty!

After breakfast, we drove only 15 minutes to the drop-off point and rafting. Everyone was given vests and given instructions. The motor boat pulled our raft with two groups of tourists for about 30 minutes, or even more, against the current.

The views are incredibly colorful. At times it seemed to me that we were not even in Thailand, but somewhere in Indonesia. We sat on the edge, dangling our legs into the water, and admired nature.

Then the raft stopped and everyone jumped into the water. We swam downstream to the place where the rafting began. And we were so frozen at night that now we didn’t want to get into the water at all. We stayed on the raft.

Besides us, out of 30 people, there were only two more tourists left. Everyone else happily splashed in the river.

All tourists arrived safely. Only one couple needed the help of Thai rescuers, as they could not cope with the current and were carried past the station. Rescuers quickly caught them and towed them to the shore. Everyone was very pleased.

Hot radon springs

And now it’s time for wellness treatments. It was so nice to take a dip in the hot springs. The pools have water at different temperatures. Somewhere too hot, somewhere just warm.

The source with the water temperature as in a bathtub attracted the most people. But there were also many who liked to splash in the icy stream.

Bathing in hot springs is good for your health. It is recommended to stay in radon baths for no more than 30 minutes. Although, the concentration of radon in these sources is minimal.

Tea tasting

Next short stop for shopping. If someone wants to buy tea from Thailand, then here will be a chance to try it and buy the one they like. The tea tasting lasts 20 minutes, and then everyone piles into the mini-bass and moves on.

Thai Traditional Medicine Pharmacy

Here the guide says that the healing properties of medicines in this place are one hundred percent, and that many of the products were tried by her personally. Someone buys something, and someone takes a smoke break near the pharmacy and sits down comfortably for a trip to the next attraction. The pharmacy takes about 15 minutes.

Sai Yok waterfall and old steam locomotive

Then we drove up to the dry Sai Yok waterfall. It is beautiful during the rainy season, but even now it looks majestic.

Near the waterfall, another attraction is an old steam locomotive. We were a little disappointed because we expected that on the tour to Kanchanaburi we would see the bridge over the River Kwai and the Hellfire Passage memorial. But, unfortunately, this iconic landmark is not included in the program of such excursions.

So, we just looked for 2 minutes at the steam locomotive, which in the excursion program is proudly designated “the railway of death” and went back to the bus. Perhaps it’s for the best that tourists are not taken to the memorial; after all, the excursion to the River Kwai is entertaining, not historical. Why should people on vacation in a positive mood go to the memorial and listen to terrible stories about the Japanese railway? Hellfire Pass is a difficult place, almost like the genocide museum in Phnom Penh. So, perhaps, it’s for the best that they weren’t brought there. Although we would be more interested in this than pharmacies and tea shops.

Elephant show and ride

This is what I was going for most of tourists. After all, in Pattaya there is nowhere else to ride elephants. To do this you need to travel 5 hours to another province! Just kidding, of course

The elephant ride lasts 20 minutes. A souvenir photo and a shit frame, as the guide calls it, are purchased upon request. Better give your driver a 100 baht tip and your camera, he will be happy to take a photo of you.

Swimming with elephants is paid separately: 800 baht per person. I don't know why it's so expensive. Usually swimming with an elephant costs no more than 300-400 baht.

The show with the elephant was exciting. Everyone laughed, took pictures and were charged with positive energy. The elephants are in excellent condition, vigorous and playful, and are treated well. In the video at the end of the article you will see everything for yourself.

Feeding the monkeys

Last stop at the monkey temple. Monkeys at a feeding site gather in flocks and beg for bananas. And there are also dogs who, much to our surprise, also eat bananas and even drive away monkeys so that they can get more bananas. Choose who you feed yourself.

Be sure to watch our video from the tour! Very interesting!

Video “Excursion to the River Kwai”

Thailand– continental country South-East Asia, located in the southwestern part Indochina Peninsula.

Its southern part is occupied by the Kra Isthmus and the northern tip Malay Peninsula.

The Kingdom of Thailand is usually divided into:

1. There are 8 regions and 77 provinces when we talk about the economy and administrative division.
2. At 5 geographical areas, when we talk about the features of the relief, from the point of view natural resources and even the ethnic composition of the Thai population:

North, Center, Northeast, East and peninsular South region.

PHOTO. Relief of Thailand.

The northern and western highlands are composed of high mountain ranges.Basic mountain range Tanentaunji. It is especially inaccessible in the north-west, where the most high point country - Mount Doi Inthanon (2565 meters above sea level). Towards the south, the mountains decrease and give way to plains.

Landscape of Doi Inthanon national park, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Northeast Plateau, or the Khorat Plateau, extends from west to east for 400 km to the Mekong River, along which the border of Thailand and Laos passes. Plateau Korat (up to 150m high), composed of red sandstones (in the south it is bordered by the low Cardamom Mountains), is independent geographically.

Eastern region in the north it reaches hills and mountains, in the west and south it reaches the Gulf of Thailand and in the east it reaches the border with Cambodia. The heavily indented coast of the bay is fringed by rocky islands covered with forest, and numerous rivers flowing south form mangrove swamps. White sand beaches stretch along the coast, turned into resort areas.

Southern region stretches from the Kra Isthmus to the border with Malaysia. Central Mountain chain Tenasserim divides the region into two coastal plains: a narrow, discontinuous one in the west and a wider one in the east. The coastal strip is famous for its most picturesque and idyllic beaches.

Central Plain (Menama Lowland) occupies a vast part of the country, stretching from north to south for 400 km, and from west to east for 200 km. The rivers Chao Phraya (or Menam), Maek Long, Bangpakong and others flow through it. This is the most extensive alluvial plain located in the basin of the Chao Phraya (or Menam) River, the main river of the country.

Rivers.

Thailand is a country rich in rivers. They play a huge role in life local population, since they serve as routes of communication and sources of irrigation, and during flood periods they enrich the soil with fertile silt.

The names of large rivers in the Thai language begin with the words “me” or “menam” (pronunciation: menam, Thai แม่น้ำ), where “me” means mother, mother; “to us” – water, water.

All rivers in Thailand belong to three major basins: the Andaman Sea basin, the Gulf of Thailand basin and the rest of the South China Sea basin.

1. The only river in Thailand that flows directly intoSouth China Sea, is one of the largest rivers in Southeast Asia - Mekong. total area Its basin is 810,000 km², but only a small part of it is in Thailand. The Mekong flows from the Tibetan Plateau (China), flows through Yunnan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and finally, in the south of Vietnam it flows into the sea. Although the Mekong itself in Thailand flows only along the border with Laos, the entire northeast and extreme north of Thailand is washed by tributaries of the Mekong.

Mekong– length is about 4500 km, annually discharges about 457 cubic kilometers of water. On the Mekong River, where the borders of Laos and Cambodia pass, there is the world's widest waterfall (12-13 km).

Kon (Khon) Falls is a cascading structure that includes many waterfalls flowing from different levels of the Mekong Plateau. The width of its drainage area is more than 12.5 kilometers.

1. The largest river system of the Gulf of Thailand and all of Thailand is a river system Chao Phraya (Maenam), which starts from the confluence of two tributaries - the Ping and Nan rivers near the city of Nakhon Sawan:

• Ping River (590 km) with its tributary Wang (335 km)
• The Nan River (627 km) with its tributary Yom (555 km).
• length of Chao Phrayi (Menam) with tributaries of the Ping and Nan rivers = 1200 km.

After this, the Chao Phraya flows 372 km along central Thailand and flows into the Gulf of Thailand. The cities on the river are: Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chainat, Sing Buri, Angthong, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Bangkok and Samut Prakan.

The total area of ​​this river basin is about 158 ​​thousand km² (about 35% of the entire territory of the country). The width of the delta at the Gulf of Thailand is 135 km. The basin of this river is also interesting because entirely within Thailand.

Reservoirs have been created in the upper reaches of the Chao Phraya river system. The lower Chao Phraya (Maenam) River valley is flooded with floods during the summer monsoon season (mainly in October), turning into a huge swamp. Created here to drain it extensive network channels. The waters of the river, relying on numerous tributaries and artificially created channels - the so-called Klongs* (klongi), served in rice fields, contributes to the development of agriculture. Water plays an important role in Thai life because crops depend on it.

Canals and rivers not only pass through huge rice fields, but are also the centers of the most picturesque cities (Bangkok, Ayuthaya, etc.).

*Klong(also: Khlong, Thai. คลอง) is the general name for the canals of the central plain of Thailand. Connected by the rivers: Chao Phraya, Tha Chin, Maek Long and their tributaries. Use of Thai word khlong is not limited to canals, but is also part of the name of many small rivers.

Previously, different sections of the river had different names. Modern name occurred due to the fact that, near the mouth of the river, during the Ayutthaya period of Thai history, there was the residence of an official (title Chao Phraya), who was responsible for the security of the capital of Ayutthaya located up the river. Foreign sailors began to call the lower part of the river “Menam Chao Phraya”, and later shortened it to “Menam”. In 1850, King Rama IV of Thailand was forced to issue a special decree giving the entire river the name Menam Chao Phraya. Therefore, speaking about Chao River Phrayay can be heard by 3 names: Menam, Chao Phraya and Menam-Chao Phraya.

“River of Life”, “Mother of Water” - these are the epithets Thais use when talking about the Chao Phraya River. Chao Phraya is a source of fertility, a major trade route and an unusual tourist attraction. The river plays an important role in transport system Bangkok, along the river and canals, you can quickly get to almost anywhere in the city without traffic jams. The working river carries dry cargo barges, delivering cargo to/from the central region of the country to/from the northern provinces.

• River Maeklong(Thai. แม่กลอง, English. Mae Klong), is also river system of the Gulf of Thailand basin. The river is formed at the confluence of the Khwe Yai* and Khwe Noi** rivers and flows into the Gulf of Thailand. Important historical and tourist significance have rivers flowing through the province of Kanchanaburi.

Geographical fact with the fictitious name "River Kwai":

To see famous bridge through the Kwai River (there is no such river on the map of Thailand), you need to go to the Khoe Yai River. The abbreviated name "Bridge on the River Kwai" was borrowed from English-language maps after it was released. legendary film with the same name.

*Khoe Yai(Thai: แม่น้ำแควใหญ่, read: "manamkhwayay", lit. "big influx", English. Khwae Yai, Kwai) is a river in northwestern Thailand, 380 km long, originating in the Tenasserim Mountains and flowing into Maeklong.

**Que(Thai: แคว; English khwae) – tributary, Noah(English: noi; Thai: น้อย) – small

1. Rivers of Thailand flowing intoAndaman Sea, can be divided into two parts:

• riverSalween with tributaries flowing in the north-west of the country. Salween - river in China, Myanmar and Thailand. Length 2400 km (according to another estimate - about 3200 km), basin area 325 thousand km². The Salween originates in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, at an altitude of about 4547 m, from Lake Tslatso. It flows to the southeast, then through Yunnan province - almost due south, maintaining this direction almost to the very mouth. In its lower reaches, the river bed runs along the eastern borders of Myanmar; for a length of about 100 km, the Salween forms the border between Myanmar and Thailand. The river flows into the Moutama Bay of the Andaman Sea (part of the Indian Ocean).
• small rivers, flowing directly into the Andaman Sea at the Kra Isthmus.

In addition to the Salween River itself, which flows along small area border between Myanmar and Thailand, the territory of the latter includes the following tributaries:

• Mei - total length 327 km, most of it lies along the border between Myanmar and Thailand

Reservoirs. Waterworks.

Thailand is a country with an annual rainfall of 1000 to 2000 mm, falling mainly during the summer monsoon rains. There is a developed hydrographic network. The country's rivers are characterized by sharp fluctuations in flows and levels. A significant part of agricultural land suffers from lack of moisture. Fishing is important, with fish caught in inland waters equal in volume to marine fishing.

The needs for the development of hydropower and irrigation have led to the rapid development of hydraulic engineering and the creation of a large number of reservoirs over the past 20 years. IN There are currently 18 reservoirs with a capacity of over 100 million cubic meters. m, including 7 with a capacity of more than 1 cubic meter. km; the total volume of reservoirs reached 59 cubic meters. km; this is the highest figure in the countries of Indochina. The total water area of ​​the reservoirs is 2 thousand square meters. km. The total installed capacity of hydroelectric power stations exceeded 2.5 million kW; Hydropower is currently the basis of the country's energy sector. The potential fund of lands irrigated from reservoirs reaches 1 million hectares.

There are quite a lot of reservoirs in the Kingdom of Thailand:

In the north of the country in the upper reaches of the Ping River in the 1960s, a large reservoir was created by the Bhumiphon hydroelectric complex (a dam 154 m high and 486 m long).

On the Nan River (the second tributary of the Chao Phrayi) there is the Sirikit Reservoir (Dam 113.6 m high and 800 m long).

In the upper reaches of the main rivers of Kanchanaburi province, hydroelectric complexes were built that formed the Khaulam reservoir on the Kwe Noi River (also known as the Vajiralongkon dam, 92 m high and 1019 m long) and Sinakarin reservoir on the Kwe Yai River (Dam 140 m high and 610 m long).

The largest reservoir, Bangaonen, was created in 1979 on the Kwe Yai (Kwai) River, its total volume is 17.8 cubic meters. km, useful - 7.8 cubic meters. km, area - 420 sq. km, the installed capacity of the hydroelectric power station is 720 thousand kW, the area of ​​irrigated land is more than 100 thousand hectares.

When creating especially large reservoirs, complex problems arose related to population resettlement, the spread of tropical diseases, changes in the natural environment, and excessive development of water hyacinth.

Lakes. There are few lakes in Thailand. In the eastern part of the Malacca Peninsula, near the city of Songkhla, the largest of them is located - Lake Thaleluang. The lake stretches along the shore of the Gulf of Thailand for 75 km in the form of a lagoon. The lake drains through a channel in the north and a canal in the south.

1. Thaleluang or Songkhla(Thai: ทะเลสาบสงขลา) is a lagoon-type lake in Thailand, located on the Malacca Peninsula, between the provinces of Phatthalung and Songkhla. The lake is one of Thailand's few remaining intact freshwater wetland ecosystems. In the northern part there are mangrove swamps, protected by the Ramsar Convention since 1998. In addition, there is a small population of river Irrawaddy dolphin, which is endangered.
2. Cheow Lan Lake - This is one of the most interesting and beautiful places in the south of Thailand. There are only a few places on our planet like Lake Cheo Lan. The uniqueness of this place is in the karst mountains surrounding the lake and rising from the bottom to heights of more than 1000 meters.

Climate. The country is located in a tropical and subtropical climate zone, which is very susceptible to monsoon winds.

Most of Thailand(In central and lowland areas, as well as in mountainous areas) there are conventionally three seasons (“seasons”):

– rain season (June-October),

– cool season (November-February)

– hot season (March-May).

Thailand moves from season to season after the ceremony of dressing up the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Royal Palace(Bangkok). See Royal Ceremonies.

In the south of Thaland(Koh Samui, Phuket): two seasons – wet and dry.

Locals focus on the holidays of Songkran (after which the season changes to wet) and Loy Krathong (after which the season changes to dry). See Thailand Holidays.

Tropical hurricanes (typhoons) are frequent in summer and autumn.

Rainiest period in the Kingdom of Thailand - from June to October;

Precipitation. The least amount of rain falls on the Korat plateau (900 mm) and in the Menama lowland (1000 mm). In the mountainous regions in the north and northwest of the country, as well as along west coast the Malacca Peninsula reach 3000 mm and higher (up to 4200mm).

The temperature regime is uniform: average monthly temperature in lowland and foothill areas it ranges from +22°C in winter to +29°C in summer with a maximum of +39°C in the northeast.

The hottest month is April

There are two rivers, Kwai (Khwayai). The first is called Noi (Kwai Noi - “small tributary”), the second is Yai (Kwai Yai - “big tributary”). Connecting, they give rise to the large Mekong River.

Kwai Yai is of tourist importance, which until the middle of the 20th century. did not have a separate name and was designated on the map of Thailand as a continuation of the Mekong.

Khwayai River on the map

Historical landmarks

People have lived in the river valley since ancient times. However, its main attractions date back to the history of the twentieth century. and are associated with Japanese aggression in Thailand during World War II.

Having occupied the Malay Peninsula, the Japanese were faced with the need for food and material support for the army. It was necessary to build a railway in the jungle and connect the two banks with a bridge. The construction was carried out by prisoners, among whom were not only Thais (mostly not military), but also the British, Germans and even Americans. More than 100 thousand people died while performing work. Sights that have survived since then or were created to preserve the memory are reminders of this:

• Bridge over the Kwai;
• Railway;
• Several well-kept cemeteries with victims of that time;
• War Museum;
• Museum Center of the Thai-Burmese Railway.

Everyone knows how tragic the consequences of 1939-1945 were. were for Europe. Here, on the other side of the world, an understanding comes that the confrontation of that time was indeed global and affected even such secluded corners of the planet as the Kanchanaburi province in Thailand.

Every year in November, the bridge becomes the center for the Kanchanaburi Light & Sound Show. Using lasers, elements of a fire show, sound and other special effects, a conceptual light and sound performance is staged, symbolizing the destruction of the bridge. This is how Thais pay tribute to those who passed away in those years. Thousands of people gather on this day on the River Kwai. Floating restaurants, hotels, boats are good vantage points for what is happening.

The JEATH War Museum is located on the river bank inside the Wat Chai Chumphon temple. Open: 8:30-16:30. The entrance ticket costs 30 baht ($0.9).

The railway museum center is located next to the military cemetery. Open to the public: 9:00-17:00. The entrance ticket costs 60 baht ($1.8).

Excursions

A visit to Kwai is not only a walk along the bridge and places associated with the war, but also rafting along the river and leisurely spending time in floating hotels, visiting interesting sites located in the surrounding areas.

Having settled in a floating hotel, you can slowly float along the river, watching the tropical landscape on the shore. They will float by nature reserves, orchards, waterfalls, elephant villages. Without going ashore, you can refresh yourself at local cuisine, order a massage session.

An alternative is the accelerated mode of passage of the river on a large raft. The conditions are less comfortable, but it is just as educational as rafting in a hotel.

If you travel along the river by boat, you can stop at a unique place even for Thailand local market on the water. They sell fruits and vegetables, clothes, and souvenirs here.

Sayok Yai Nature Park

Sayok Yai Nature Reserve is home to many species of birds, animals and butterflies in Thailand. It is considered the most beautiful park in terms of landscape. There are waterfalls here, where you can take water treatments.

Muang Sing Historical Park

Not far from the Sayok Noi waterfall there is a park with two Khmer temples from the 13th century. Later, during the time of King Rama I of Thailand, this area served as a fortification, protecting the Thais from the Burmese invasion. The defensive structures have remained in a dilapidated state to this day.

Tiger Temple

A visit to Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua, or “Tiger Temple” for short, is perhaps the most unusual excursion all over Thailand. The story began with the fact that the monks of a Buddhist monastery took under their patronage tiger cubs left without parents. The tigers grew up and gave birth to their offspring.

As a result, today more than a dozen cats live at the Temple. The monks feed them and take them out for a walk once a day: the animals roam freely, and visitors have the opportunity to observe them from a distance of 10 m without any barriers or obstacles. It is important that these tigers are not from the zoo. They are real wild animals that have grown up in contact with and under the supervision of people. Typically, the monk brings one of the tigers to visitors so they can pet the big cat.

The excursion is considered safe. The animals come out to visitors well-fed. Since 1999, 1 case of a tiger attack has been recorded: the tourist was not injured and survived. Children are not allowed near the animal walking area.

The temple is located in Kanchanaburi on Sai Yok Road. Open to the public from 9:00 to 16:30. You can see domesticated cats for 400 baht. Donations for the care of animals and improvement of their living conditions are welcomed.