Second day. "Paradise on the River Kwai" Excursion from Pattaya to Erawan Falls and the River Kwai. Day two Return to Pattaya

In the previous part of the photo story, I dwelt in detail on the Erawan waterfall, which is so steep that it deserved a separate article. All parts of the report and trip plan. Now it's time to finish the report on the excursion to the River Kwai.

The most interesting thing is that you can book this excursion online for any date. I advise you to use this service, because you no longer have to look for a good agency, everything can be done without leaving your computer.

First we will go rafting down the river. The next point in my story will be riding an elephant, then the road of death and the Sayok waterfall. We will also swim in hot springs and visit a cave temple.

Rafting on the River Kwai

So, we checked into the hotel and had a delicious dinner. Let me remind you that we chose to spend the night in a room on the water. It was already dark, and when we went out onto the terrace, we did not see the river itself, but we heard a stormy stream running, murmuring merrily.

Having gotten up early in the morning so that we had time to walk around the surrounding area, we again went out onto the terrace of our room to finally see the River Kwai. The correct name of the river is Khvenoi. But since tourists call it Kwai and this is the name that is common, Kwai will appear in my photo story.

Kwai appeared to us in all its glory: the banks are buried in tropical greenery, and the river itself is wide and... brown. The color surprised me, because soon we will be rafting along it! And it is not possible to see which living creatures are swimming there. Although the guide assures that it is safe here, some creeks actually have dangerous inhabitants. And the rafting takes place along the safest section of the river.

I decided to capture it as a keepsake:

After exploring the surroundings from our modest terrace, we went for breakfast and then walked around the grounds. We discovered something interesting: a bridge to the other side of the river and a staircase to the top of the mountain. We started climbing:

From here you can see the houses where we spent the night.

And on the rock there is a huge inscription - a local landmark.

While waiting to check out, we walked around the hotel grounds a little more and found a swing. The local cat accompanies us here too:

The time has come, and we are escorted onto a large raft. View from the raft on one of the banks of the River Kwai:

Those who decide to raft the river are given life jackets. Me in a vest on a raft:

This small boat is dragging a huge raft on which all the tourists are:

We took a photo as a souvenir while we were driven to the place where we will begin our swim:

After a short ride on the raft, we go down into the water. Now we are alone with the water element. Let's go with the flow. At first it was unusual, visibility was poor, the water was dark, but at the same time clear. You don’t even have to swim, but just hang out in the water, the vest perfectly performs its function of keeping you afloat, and the current will still bring you to the right place.

It was fun and wonderful:

We were very carried away by all sorts of water fun, and at the end of the path we did not notice the obstacle. We did not have time to row away from the bending branches of thorny plants. The current is strong. Anton photographed the moment when I hit the branches, and the current had already managed to carry me a little away from them. Zhenya crashed into them after me.

I escaped with scratches on my hand, but rather deep ones: the sharp thorns of this plant pierced me, and I had to pull them out myself right in the water. 🙁 In Thailand, wounds take a long time to heal, even such small ones. But everything ended well, and after a while I forgot about this trouble.

We swam to the finish line: they threw ropes for us to make it easier to get to land, and also so that we wouldn’t be carried further by the current.

Elephant ride at Elephant Village

After the rafting we were given a little time to clean up and get dressed. Meanwhile, the elephants are already in full combat readiness, and everyone is waiting only for us.

This is my first time sitting on the back of such a huge animal! At this moment you experience many emotions. Fear, joy, trepidation and anticipation of how it will be. We sit down in pairs. I am, of course, with Anton:

Our driver took our camera and made a bunch of different shots.

We take a souvenir selfie riding an elephant:

After riding through the jungle we descend into the river. Some elephants took water into their trunks and splashed.

After the ride, the mahouts put the elephants out in such a way that they could touch them, take pictures and, of course, thank them.

My review of elephant riding is of course positive! The incredible thing is that you sit on the back of such a powerful animal, and he obediently goes where he is told. Swimming in the river on an elephant is also very fun. I recommend. You can also ride elephants on the River Kwai on your own. The village where we rode is called Elephant Village. Unfortunately, I don't know the cost.

After the ride we were gathered to watch a show with elephants.

Mostly young elephants entertain tourists:

We have already seen elephant shows at the zoo, but they are different. Interesting.

Zhenya and Anton take part in the performance. The little elephant puts on Anton's hat. What a great guy he is :)

For a nominal fee you can take a photo with an elephant! Of course, I agreed, and now I have this photo:

They found a pomelo nearby, but the fruits were not yet ripe, so they didn’t pick them or try them.

Death Road and Tam Crase Cave

This beauty is visible from the narrow gauge railway:

We went to the Tam Crase cave, which is a temple for hermit monks. The cave fulfills wishes, be sure to make a wish that particularly excites you. Who knows, maybe the truth will come true. 🙂

It's nice and cool here.

This cave is also called "Buddha's Cave". Here you will see a large golden Buddha. There is silence and some kind of special atmosphere here.

Many bring donations, while others are simply looking around.

Cave beauties:

Leaving the cave, we walk along the narrow-gauge railway. This is the Thai-Burma Railway. It was built during the Second World War to supply troops. The construction was carried out by prisoners and convicts. The number of deaths during the construction process was in the tens of thousands. Therefore, the road has the unofficial name “Death Railway”. The railway was completely destroyed during the war, and now you can only see a restored small part of the narrow gauge railway.

Antonio, as always, is in his repertoire - looking for unusual poses for a photo shoot. In fact, the place is sad, and there is not much to have fun here.

Hot springs and tea tasting

Then we went to the hot springs. Along the way we see how durian grows:

Hot springs in Kanchanaburi are three springs of different heat, from 38 to 45 degrees approximately. There are people there, of course... It feels like all the tourists in Thailand are brought here. But we found a free corner and took a dip in all three sources.

In the latter the water is really hot. It's better not to sit for a long time.

One of the sources took a photo for memory:

Then we proceeded to a Thai tea tasting. We tried a lot, but the most delicious was milk oolong.

Sai Yok Noi Waterfall

The last interesting point of our trip was the Sayok Noi waterfall. It's not as impressive after Erawan, but it's still very entertaining.

It is located just 2 km from Nam Tok Railway Station.

In fact, there are at least 2 more waterfalls in Sai Yok National Park: Sai Yok Yai and Sai Yok Lek. Tourists are taken to the most easily accessible and closest.

The nature of Thailand is incredibly amazing. It is incredibly beautiful and tropically exotic here.

Here is the waterfall itself. The height of the water fall is 10 meters. But after Erawan, I wasn't so impressed with him. It was necessary to change their places in the tour program and watch Sai Yok Noi first. Therefore, I immediately suggest booking this excursion option, where everything is smart, and first they take you to Sayok, and only on the second day - to the beautiful Erawan!

The stones are very slippery, you need to be extremely careful!

The last attraction we saw that day was the train. Previously, the same Thai-Burma railway, the “road of death,” passed through the Sayok Noi waterfall. Currently, we can see a memorial in the form of a train on the railway tracks at this place. You can climb on it, look at it, touch it and take pictures.

The end of the trip was a visit to a small market and watching monkeys in the backyard:

Results of an overnight excursion to the River Kwai:

Without exaggeration, I will say that this is the most interesting and emotional excursion. If you are faced with a choice of where to go, don’t hesitate to take an excursion to the River Kwai plus Erawan. In two days there are so many different impressions: elephants, rafting, a night on the river, a teak factory, two waterfalls, a tropical jungle and interesting stories from a guide. What you need to charge yourself with emotions for the year ahead!

The next day, after relaxing during the day at the seaside, in the evening we went to Mini Siam. We were very pleased, so I recommend checking it out.

Perhaps the most popular excursion in Thailand, according to tourist reviews, is the River Kwai. In fact, there is no such river in Thailand. And this name appeared thanks to the French writer Pierre Boulle, who in 1954 wrote the novel “The Bridge on the River Kwai”, based on it in 1957 Hollywood made a film of the same name. By the way, the film received 7 Oscars. Because of this popularity, a pilgrimage of tourists to the province of Kanchanaburi began. But finding the famous bridge was problematic, since two rivers with a similar name flow in Thailand - the Kwai Noi River (Noi in Thai - small) and the Kwai Yai River (Yay in Thai - big), these rivers merge in the area of the city of Kanchanaburi and form a river Maeklong, which in turn flows into the Gulf of Thailand. In fact, the famous bridge is located on the Kwai Yai River. For the convenience of tourists, first on English-language maps, and then on others, the River Kwai Yai began to be called simply the River Kwai.

The bridge over the River Kwai itself was built in 1943. It was part of the railway that connected the city of Kanchanaburi and the Japanese military base in Burma, Thanbyuzayat. The construction of this railway involved the labor of more than 60 thousand English, Australian, Dutch and American prisoners of war and about two hundred thousand local residents from Thailand, Burma, Singapore and Malaysia. Already in 1944, the bridge was destroyed by British aircraft. After the war, it was restored as a memorial in memory of those killed (the number of deaths during the construction of the entire railway, according to various sources, is from 90,000 to 100,000 people, which is why it was called the “road of death”). There is a short path left from the railway - about 5 km, along which you can take a guided tour on an old steam locomotive. The Thai government plans to completely restore the railway in the near future.

Every year, excursions to the River Kwai become more and more popular. In this regard, the number of hotels along the river bank is growing at an alarming rate and soon there will probably not be a single piece of truly wild and untouched nature left along the river.

So what is the excursion itself? Let's start with the fact that this program is two-day and very intense. More precisely, it is not one program, but several. Plus, each has its own distinctive features. Depending on all this, the price can vary from 2300 to 5000 baht. What you should pay attention to when purchasing an excursion:

1. You will be taken on a large tour bus or minibus. The advantage of the latter option is mobility, small groups, you don’t have to wait for everyone for a long time, the disadvantage is that it is not as convenient as in a large bus, and often there is no lectures from the guide while driving, since the guide can travel in another minibus.

2. A professional and interesting guide. Well, it depends on your luck, although the impressions of the entire excursion largely depend on this indicator.

3. And, directly, the excursion program itself. It may include the following excursions:

Coconut farm. You will learn how coconut oil and palm sugar are made. Get acquainted with the arrangement of a Thai house from the inside.

Next, they are delivered to the Floating Market. You will have to ride along the canals on Thai boats. This is a whole village with residential buildings on the water. A kind of Venice, only with a Thai twist. There is also a souvenir market there. It is not recommended to buy anything; in Pattaya all this can be bought much cheaper.

Sayok Noy waterfall. The water in it is not cold at all. Everyone is swimming. During the period from January to March, the water pressure in the waterfall is very small due to the lack of rain. Not far from the waterfall itself there is a market where you can stock up on local chips made from Thai fruits. Prices are lower than in Pattaya. The choice is richer. Across the road is a continuation of the market. Prices are even lower. There you can also find a traditional medicine pharmacy, also with very good prices. All drugs have a Russian translation.

Erawan Waterfall. Many consider this waterfall to be the most beautiful in Thailand. It is located on the territory of a national reserve. I would not recommend taking a special excursion to it. Still a bit far from Pattaya. But as an additional excursion when traveling to Kwai, I highly recommend it. This waterfall is multi-tiered (seven levels). The height of the seventh level is 997 meters above sea level. From the first level to the seventh – 1.5 km. Anyone who wants and is able to overcome all seven levels must walk along a narrow mountain path from level to level through the jungle. At almost every level, small lakes are formed by the falling flow of water in which you can swim. It is here that you can get a free session, since this waterfall is home to Garra Rufa fish. True, they are a little larger here than in Pattaya fish massage parlors, so not everyone will be able to withstand their biting, it’s more likely not to hurt, but to tickle. But don't be afraid to swim in the waterfall. It is enough to move in the water, and the fish run away in different directions. Information for those who decide to visit the waterfall on their own - ticket price is 200 baht, opening hours from 08.00 to 16.30.

Elephant village. There are several such villages on the way to Kwai. It doesn’t matter at all which one you visit. Just make sure when purchasing an excursion that elephant riding is included in the total price. You can give the camera to the driver and he will take pictures of you along the way. Don't indulge in tips, 20 baht is enough. You can also buy bananas and feed the elephant as a thank you for your trip. After the ride, you will be offered to buy a frame with your photo made from elephant dung (a frame, of course, not a photograph). The Thais are doing a good business producing environmentally friendly paper from elephant dung. It happens that they will show a small show.

Buddha Cave (Tham Crasea). Included in approximately half of the programs. Inside the cave there is a statue of Buddha. You can also see a rail with a sign there. The level of the River Kwai rose to this level in 1974.

Feeding the monkeys. It is better to stop by in the first half of the day; around lunchtime they are already fed by other tourists and are sleeping. If you didn’t manage to see the monkeys, don’t worry – there is a beach on Koh Lan where monkeys live. You can combine business with pleasure - go swimming and feed the monkeys. When interacting with monkeys, watch your things carefully, as they love and are good at stealing.

Radon sources. There are several of them on the way to Kwai. They can use any name. Usually they are brought to springs near a mountain river. Like in a Russian fairy tale, you need to plunge first into one pool, then into a second and, finally, into a third. The water in the pools is of different temperatures - from warm to hot. Swimming in pools should be alternated with plunging into the cold waters of a mountain river. Of course, you won’t get a healing effect in one session, but it’s still interesting to attend this event. Not recommended for people with blood pressure and heart disease.

Teak Factory. This factory employs craftsmen who carve tableware and furniture from teak. Teak is one of the most durable trees. If you choose the right wood and process it correctly, over time the product will turn to stone. Some work takes craftsmen months and years to complete. Everything can be bought. Naturally, this is a pleasure for the rich.

They almost always bring it to a tea shop and Thai pharmacy, since the guides have a percentage of this. Prices are expensive, you can find all this cheaper in Pattaya. Even if you don’t buy anything, you can listen to useful information and taste tea and infusions.

Alloy. This is perhaps the most important thing in the whole excursion. Many people go to Kwai precisely because of rafting. You are floating on a raft and, at some point, you are given the command to jump into the water (wearing life jackets, of course). You jump and the river itself carries you. Personally, we arrived at Kwai already when it got dark and rafted in pitch darkness. It’s also a kind of exotic adventure – sailing along the river and looking at the stars. Although there is a minus here - the photographs did not turn out well. No one is forced to jump; you can swim the whole way on a raft. By the way, crocodiles are not found in this river.

Hotel. The choice here is very rich - from houses on the water without electricity (a kerosene lamp is used for lighting) to five-star hotels with swimming pools located in the jungle. Who likes what – exoticism to the fullest or comfort. Depending on this point, the price of the excursion varies. When purchasing, check what kind of hotel the hotel will be in order to avoid unnecessary disappointments.

Be sure to take warm clothes with you, it is quite cool on the river in the mornings.

More positive and an excursion to the River Kwai will remain one of the most vivid impressions of your stay in Thailand.

Let's start with the fact that it is better to prepare for such an excursion. After all, it’s only two days old. Here is a list of things you should definitely take with you if you go to Kwai.

1. Bottle of water

2. Be sure to have something to eat. They will feed you, but a few sandwiches won't go amiss

3. Photocopy of your international passport (useful when checking into a hotel)

4. Swimsuit/swimming trunks and towel. There will be three places where you can and should swim. And if you find Sayok Noi in working condition, then four

5. Well, at least 1000 baht per person. There will be many temptations to buy something.

The River Kwai excursion is incredibly popular. It includes several interesting (and not so interesting) sites to visit, an overnight stay in a hotel on the water and a lot of impressions from a two-day trip. You can buy a tour at any Pattaya tourist office. There are a lot of Russian tourists, so Russian-speaking groups gather without problems. We were offered 2 options to choose from - with lunch (2400 baht) and without (2200 baht). The whole group took with lunches. As it turned out later, our guide was very surprised that such excursions were even sold without lunch.

Early in the morning (4-5 o'clock) a large bus for 50 people or a minivan for 12 people picks you up from the hotel. Fortunately, we were lucky to have 2 minivans. It is clear that traveling in a small group is much more comfortable. The only minor drawback is that the guide had to spend half the journey with us, and the other half in another minivan, in order to tell the group approximately the same information.

The road leads through the outskirts of Bangkok. At the same time, it is curious that in Bangkok itself there are no such excursions to the River Kwai in Russian. Only English-speaking groups gather. Well, maybe Chinese ones too.

A couple of hours after departure, stop for breakfast at a gas station. There is no food sold there, only tea/coffee machines

We go further and the first stop is at coconut farm. They showed us how a coconut grows, what and how it is made from it, and they also showed us the life of a rich owner. In Thailand, people's wealth is often determined by their yew floor. There, on the farm’s territory, there is a small retail store where you can buy goods, mainly related to the use of coconut in one way or another. The price tag is too high, naturally. In principle, this is far from the most interesting part of the two-day excursion. There's not much to photograph here

In 20 minutes the next stop is floating market(Damnoen Saduak) in Thonburi province. This is where it gets more interesting. The group is seated in motor boats (8 people each) and we sail along narrow dirty canals. Periodically along the way we stop near the shores, where goods that are in one way or another connected with Thailand are sold at several times inflated prices. Basically, all sorts of souvenirs such as elephants, silk and teak products, fruits... well, and a lot of other things. These rides last for half an hour.

This market became very popular among tourists in the 70s of the last century. It was then that the film about James Bond (then played by Roger Moore) “The Man with the Golden Gun” was released. James Bond sailed through these canals.

Perhaps our short video will convey the atmosphere more correctly

We move on and the next stop is tiger cave temple(Wat Tham Sua) and hill cave temple(Wat Tham Khao Noi). We can say that these are two temples that make up a single temple complex. Accordingly, both are on the same hill. The first is built in Thai style, the second in Chinese. Everything looks very beautiful, expensive, pompous or something.

Once the name of one of the temples mentions a tiger. That means there simply has to be a tiger figure, it’s logical. There are many of them here. Why the tiger? The legend says that a tiger lived near the foot of the hill and scared everyone. But one day a monk came here in search of shelter from hostilities. The tiger did not touch the monk. That's where it all went from there. Then more monks appeared one after another and they founded both temples thanks to alms.

You can climb the hill via a colorful staircase consisting of 157 steps. The staircase looks like a fun escalator. By climbing the stairs, you can cleanse your soul, if, of course, you believe in all this. Alternatively, you can take the path to the right or take the cable car to the left.

At the foot of the mountain there is a cave in which a monk lived. And next to the cave is the throne room. In addition to the visual beauty, the hall also contains mannequins of monks.

Everything is very beautiful at the top of the hill. Those who are particularly picky will say that the horizon is blocked, but this is such a small thing in comparison with this beauty

Nearby is an 18-meter statue of Buddha in the lotus position.

If that temple was clearly Chinese, then these are already Thai motifs.

View of rice fields from the temple complex

The next stop is one of the most interesting and colorful - Erawan National Park, famous for its waterfalls

In front of the entrance to the park there is a parking lot for buses/minivans. There are several souvenir shops nearby and a buffet under a small tent, which is included in the price of the excursion. All excursion groups have lunch here. The choice of food is small, but it is quite possible to fill up - rice, potato soup, vegetable salad, fish, chicken, pineapples, watermelons. Drinks include fruit juice and tea.

I would like to note that 3 - 3.5 hours are given for the buffet and visiting the waterfalls, so plan your time. And of course, take your swimwear with you.

Erawan National Park consists of seven levels of waterfalls. The total distance from the entrance to the last level is about two kilometers. It seems that you can easily and quickly see everything, but as it turns out, some people don’t have enough time. The fact is that the trail is mountainous, there are many steps. The climb is very difficult in places. And the temptation to swim and take photos at each level takes a lot of time.

The first level is called Lai Khung Rang.

The second is Wang Macha. Smoothly transitions from the first level. They write on the Internet that you can only go above the second level with a bottle of water. You cannot take any food with you. We didn’t have any food with us, but we didn’t encounter any checkpoints either.

Well, the seventh level. Phu Pha Erawan. It is especially difficult physically to climb here. In some places you have to jump over raging streams of water, in others you have to climb a vertical ladder. The challenge is worth coming up here. The seventh level is really very beautiful. Naturally, everyone who gets here swims here. Warm water. Depth... well, maybe 2-3 meters. There are slippery rocks that you can climb like a mountain. You can simply get high by standing under a waterfall. And curious monkeys are looking at you from above. In this regard, at the seventh level, be more careful with your things. They can simply be stolen by local macaques. Also, right on the seventh level you can see the “End of trail” sign - the end of the trail.

Time to visit the waterfalls and swim is limited. At 4 p.m. everyone starts being driven downstairs. This is a safety precaution, it’s just starting to get dark. That is why if you set out to rise to the seventh level, then do not rely on others. Just take a few photos and move on. On your way down, you can take some more photos, if time permits.

The waterfalls in general are very impressive. The main drawback is that you don’t have much time if you’re going on a tour.

Our next goal is Sayok Noi waterfall And railroad of death. It takes 40 minutes to get here from Erawan. This is a stop for literally 10-15 minutes if you arrive during a drought.

We see a steam locomotive. It is installed in memory of the Thai-Burmese Railway. The Japanese needed the road to connect the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea by land to supply their troops during the Second World War. The railroad was built by prisoners of war. Both local and prisoners from other countries. The road was built in literally a year. Working conditions were hellish, more than one hundred thousand people of various nationalities died. Hence the name. The road was soon destroyed and has now only been partially restored. About a third of the total length. The locomotive is just a memory, a symbol, but if you understand the history of the place, you can look at this place in a completely different way. If you are traveling with a guide, he will be simply irreplaceable in such a place.

In general, I highly recommend watching the film “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” This entire excursion became popular precisely because of this magnificent film. 7 Oscars speak for themselves

Literally a few meters from the steam locomotive is the Sayok Noi waterfall. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived it had simply... dried up. As the guide told us, there hasn’t been such a drought here for a long time. Therefore, on the Internet you can find many spectacular photographs of the waterfall, but to us it simply appeared in the form of a large stone mountain

Across the road you can see a mini market. Here you can buy something to eat and at the same time see the process of making chips. Very exciting.

Next we go to check into the hotel. This happens quite early. I don’t remember exactly anymore. Probably somewhere by 7, maximum by 8 pm you will definitely be there. There are two options to choose from - hotel on the water and a hotel on the ground. Of our group, only two friends chose a hotel on the ground. Everyone else unanimously wanted to live in a floating hotel, which is not surprising. The floating hotel is called "Paradise on river Kwai", which gives the title to this story. Around the hotel, firstly, there is a jungle, and secondly, it will be dark before arrival, so leaving the hotel territory is strictly prohibited. When registering, they ask for a passport, but in reality a photocopy is enough. Under no circumstances take your original passport on this trip. Only a copy. At the entrance there is something like a hall, here dinner is provided for tourists (and also breakfast in the morning) on a buffet basis. There is more than enough time for dinner - about 2.5 hours from the moment of arrival.

The rooms are small rooms. It’s like you’re in a mini-hotel, but on the water. Huge rafts are connected and stand close to each other. In order not to float away (the current is very strong), the rafts are tied to the shore with ropes. The houses themselves are made of coconut wood under a thatched roof. When we drove, we were prepared for the fact that there would be no amenities. But there was a toilet, a shower (they are combined), and light. It is possible to recharge your cameras and phones overnight, there is even Wi-Fi with an excellent signal, although we thought that none of this would happen, so we tried to save on shots on the first day so that there would be enough for the second. That is, if you think that there will be a complete immersion in the atmosphere of the jungle with the absence of electricity, then it will not turn out quite so. But nevertheless, this whole environment is very colorful and makes a lasting impression. As I found out later, there are also rooms without electricity, but they cost more.

Filmed a short video on the hotel grounds

Since the hotel is located on the water, the houses sway a little and the sound of water can be heard. This produces a calming, somewhat lulling effect. You fall asleep instantly. By the way, the hotel offers a massage service (it is discussed when you come here on the bus). The cost of the session is 300 baht per hour, 600 for 2 hours. I highly recommend visiting for at least an hour and leaving immediately after checking in. You enter a large room that looks like a barn, take off everything unnecessary (optional), lie down on the mattress and for the paid time you are massaged by masseuses who come specially for this purpose from neighboring Myanmar. We were told that massage is the only thing they know in this life. But even if so, they do it amazingly. All the bones are crushed, I personally really liked it. You leave this “barn” as if born again.

The darker, the more colorful the whole atmosphere

The next morning we get up early - at 6 am. It's sooo cold, I'm shivering. The thought of having to jump into the water soon doesn’t warm me up at all. At 6.30 breakfast is a buffet. You need to eat quickly, because around 7 am everyone takes all their things with them and gets into the minivan. We drive about 10 minutes along the River Kwai upstream. There we disembark, change into a swimsuit and life jackets (those who will swim, and not everyone wants this), approach a small pier and sit down (you can stand) in a huge raft. They serve hot tea on the raft, but it’s still cold. As it turns out, the water is much warmer

There is a place on the raft where you can put things. The raft itself is tied to the boat. The boat pulls him up the river and after a while everyone jumps out. The boat and raft float back to the pier, and everyone who jumped into the water swims 3 kilometers towards the pier at a speed convenient for them. On the left is the jungle, on the right is the jungle, somewhere around the corner is Myanmar

This swim looks pretty funny

People swim at different speeds, some can’t wait to swim quickly, although I don’t understand what the thrill is in this. You swam and wait... At the same time, everyone swims, since the current is quite strong. But periodically it drifts to the side, closer to the shore. This is especially felt when turning, where you still have to be careful. Sometimes during the swim your legs touch some bushes. In principle, nothing terrible, but not very pleasant. Very desirable. so that in such swims, men swim at the end, capable of insuring girls swimming away to the side. We also had to back up.

And even closer to the pier there is a small whirlpool. It does not pose any danger, but it is not always possible to overcome it on the first try. Therefore, jokes about Anton Shipulin passing another penalty loop seem quite harmless.

And on the shore we meet smart plants.

Next stop - tea ceremony. They give us several types of tea to try and tell us about them. All the tea offered is grown here. Which teas you like can be purchased. For example, I liked the taste of milk tea, but didn’t like blue tea at all. Each of the teas has some kind of medicinal role. at least that's what they tell us and write about it in the description

Next we go to thermal (radon) springs- one more place. where you should definitely take a swim. The springs consist of three small pools of different temperatures (30, 35 and 45 degrees) and a separate, very cold lake next to them. The sources are believed to have a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal system. Well, they give me strength. Moreover, it is not recommended to stay in each of the sources for more than 3 minutes. We were advised to first plunge into the “coldest” of them (the one with 30 degrees), then into cold water, then into medium water, then back into cold water. and finish in the hot spring itself. All this is done for contrast, to achieve greater effect. While you are swimming, a local photographer takes your picture and when you leave the area of the springs, he can buy you in a simple frame for 100 baht. If you succeed, I advise you to take it.

We continue our journey through the province of Kanchanaburi. In this post, read about the Nam Tok Sai Yok “death road” railway station and the picturesque Sai Yok Noi waterfall.
Fans of steam locomotives, the history of the Second World War, and connoisseurs of beautiful nature, sung by the poet in verse, are invited to take a short excursion to the town of Nam Tok Sai Yok in the province of Kanchanaburi, located 40 kilometers west of Kanchanaburi, The main highway from Kanchanaburi along the Kwai River passes through it. Nearby is the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, which was discussed.

The small town of Nam Tok Sai Yok is famous for its Sai Yok Noi waterfall, which all passing tourists must see. The ten-meter waterfall is very beautiful. The trees seem to hang from its top, thanks to which the waterfall seems to seep through them. There are many worthy works about this waterfall in Thai culture. Maybe he will inspire you to do great things!

In addition to the waterfall, which is seen by all passing tourists, here you will come into contact with the Iron Death Railway. During World War II, the Japanese began building a railway from Thailand to Burma, which later became known as the Death Road. You can read more about this in, which describes the bridge over the River Kwai, as well as in, a memorial museum that preserves the memory of the construction of the railway by forced laborers in inhuman conditions. The railway was never completed, and subsequently the Allied forces bombed part of the railway track and the road was dismantled. Today this railway line has been preserved from Nam Tok station, located near the city of Kanchanaburi. Regular trains run here from the capital.

Nam Tok Railway Station

Not far from the existing station, next to the Sai Yok Noi waterfall, the Nam Tok Sai Yok railway station has been preserved, from which the railway track, restored in 2004, goes to the city of Kanchanaburi along the “Road of Death” section, and along the famous bridge over River Kwai.

Nam Tok Sai Yok railway station

This small section is a tourist attraction that allows you to get from Kanchanaburi to the waterfall along the preserved section of the railway “Road of Death” on a small excursion train.

Steam locomotive in Thailand

Near Nam Tok Sai Yok station the railway tracks end, symbolizing the end of the railway track. Guides here talk about the unfinished railway “Road of Death”, and excursion participants take photographs of a steam locomotive from the Second World War, installed here

The end of the road and a steam locomotive from World War II

You can climb onto the locomotive, turn different handles and pull levers, which will be especially interesting for schoolchildren

The locomotive is of particular interest to technology lovers

Sai Yok Noi waterfall in Kanchanaburi

View of the waterfall at that rare moment when all the tourists had left

This low, but extremely picturesque waterfall literally captivates the eye. And you can sit in the shade for a long time and look at the streams of falling water, thinking about something beautiful.

Play of water and light

Streams of water from under the tree crowns

Locals like to relax here, and children play in the cool shade

The waterfall gives refreshing coolness on a hot day

). The park, with an area of 958 km2, stretches along both banks of the large Kwae Noi River (Mat Nam Khwae Noi); was founded in 1969. A significant area of the protected area is occupied by hills 300-400 m high, covered with mixed deciduous and dry evergreen forests mixed with bamboo groves. A mountain range with a height of up to 1000 m passes through the park. The highest mountain of Sai Yok is Roh Rae, it reaches 1125 m in height. There are many caves and waterfalls in the park. Tigers live in the wilds of the jungle, elephants roam, tapirs lurk. However, only a small area of the “fenced” and safe, but very beautiful forest is open to visitors. Tourists can explore the surrounding caves and waterfalls. For this purpose, trails have been laid in the park, and on the banks of the river and right on the water there are expensive and not so expensive hotels, bungalows, and restaurants. There are no roads leading to the rest of the reserve and no one disturbs the life of the forest inhabitants.

Weather

The park is open to visitors all year round. However, the best time to travel is from November to March, when the weather is pleasant, dry and not too hot. In rivers the water warms up to 22-24°C. The rainy season begins in May and lasts until October. The hottest period lasts from February to April.

The most popular attractions in the park

There are hiking trails throughout the park, along which you can get acquainted with the tropical forest, meet some of the local inhabitants, listen to the singing of birds and the chirping of cicadas. There are many bizarre caves in Sayoc, the walls, vaults and floors of which are covered with monstrous formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Rivers and streams cascade down from the low rocky outcrops of the hills. The park has thermal radon springs.

Sai Yok Yai Waterfall(Sai Yok Yai waterfall) falls from a thirty-meter height, forming a bowl at the foot in which you can swim. There are steps leading to its top. If you follow the path, about 700 m, you can find the source of the river that gives birth to Sai Yok Yai. It looks like a huge spring, but with fairly warm water. An old steam locomotive is installed next to the waterfall - a memorial monument marking the place where construction of the Death Road stopped. During World War II, the Japanese tried to build a railway line, the famous Death Road, through the wild jungle, now the lands of Sayok Park. Many captured soldiers and civilians of Burma and Thailand died during hard labor, and the forest area was also damaged. Thanks to the efforts of the country's government, the forest is gradually being restored. Sai Yok Yai Falls itself is located near Nam Tok Station, a busy tourist spot with many shops and cafes. While walking near the waterfall, you can meet beggar monkeys who happily take bananas and corn from tourists. True, you need to be careful; animals can snatch any object they like right out of your hands, for example, a camera aimed at them, and sometimes they even bite particularly unceremonious guests.

Sai Yok Noi(Sai Yok Noi waterfall) - small, the height of the water fall is only 10 m, but a very spectacular waterfall. Its main feature is that it discharges the stream not into a bowl, but directly into the Kwae Noi River. A thick forest canopy hangs over the waterfall, making it seem as if the cascading water is seeping right through the trees. The beauty of this place is glorified in Thai culture. Sai Yok Noi is also famous for the fact that Rama V (1853 - 1910) himself, the king of Thailand, known by the epithet “The Great Beloved King,” once swam here. He is considered one of the most worthy rulers of Siam (1238 - 1932) - the largest Thai state in Indochina, which included the vassal states of Cambodia, Lanna, Laos, Pegu, as well as parts of Malaysia. During the years of his reign, Rama V modernized the government of Siam, carried out a number of important social reforms, but most importantly, he defended the country's territories before the British Empire and did not give them to French Indochina. Rama V saved Siam from colonization, although not without the help of the last emperor of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II.

Kwae Noi River(Kwae Noi) - flows along the western borders of Thailand, but only part of it is part of the Sayok national park. Kwae Noi is a very popular holiday destination among local and foreign tourists, thanks to the beauty of the surrounding nature and well-established infrastructure. There are many cozy resort villages along the banks of the river; in some parts of Kwae Noi, floating restaurants and hotels are located right on the water. Here you can ride a boat, swim in fairly warm and clear water, and go fishing. By the way, there are about one and a half dozen fish in the river.

Lava Cave(Lawa Cave) is one of the largest caves in the area, formed by five halls, and the total depth of the galleries is 485 m. Next to Lava, just 50 m away, the Kwai Noi River flows. The cave was discovered relatively recently, in 1995. Local residents tried to make it safe for visiting, but to preserve the charm of the place - they cleverly illuminated some of the vaults, leaving the opportunity to admire the natural light penetrating inside, corrected paths here and there, etc. The entrance to the grotto is hidden by a bamboo forest, and concrete steps lead to it. Guests are greeted by a 3-meter tall Buddha statue wrapped in yellow robes. The cave is interesting with its ornate passages, bizarre stalactites and stalagmites. Each of the rooms is special, with its own mood; it’s not for nothing that they all have personal names. As usual, the cave is home to horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus).

Paid entrance.

Plants and animals of the park

The park is home to mixed deciduous, dry evergreen forests mixed with bamboo groves. Along rare streams, pandalus (Pandanus) with a shock of long, hard leaves stand on branched stilt roots, and bagunia (Bauhinia picne) grow - beautiful flowering plants with large hoof-shaped leaves. By the way, the coat of arms and flag of Hong Kong depict a stylized white Bauhinia flower with five petals on a red background, and on each petal there is a red star. Among the large flowering trees you can find here: fancy legumes, for example, Albizia, whose long stamens form a fluffy ball and therefore resemble dandelions, beautifully flowering Lagerstremia and much more. Plant lovers will find it interesting in the park, but most importantly, no one will have difficulty identifying a representative of the flora, since the trees and shrubs have signs, like in a giant botanical garden. True, alas, some of the names are mixed up.

It is better to walk in the forest on your own either in the morning, before ten o’clock, or in the evening, when the sun is approaching the horizon. It can be hot during the day, and the bright lighting dulls the colors and makes the world look like a faded umbrella, which is a shame, especially if you were planning to take photos. In addition, the fewer people there are, the more forest inhabitants you can meet. Right on the path of the park it is easy to encounter tupaya - small animals that look like squirrels and the squirrels themselves, called palm squirrels (Funambulus palmarum), which in turn resemble chipmunks. There are many birds in the park, especially wild chickens. Sometimes snakes appear on the road, including highways, and toads hide from the heat in ravines.