Kanchanaburi: Waterfalls and Railways

Hardcore members of the backpacking community laugh at the mere mention of package tours, deeming them too expensive and restrictive. I don’t disagree. That said, package tours are convenient for those under heavy time constraints, especially when many of the sights are well out of town. My visa expires on the 27th and there is plenty to do in Thailand before I cross into Laos.

We started off with a visit to the 7 tiered Erawan waterfall, where I strayed from the group and hiked to the top at my own leisure.

A tree shrine along the path:

To paraphrase the old adage, if a dumbass plunges to his death while swinging on a vine, and there’s nobody around to witness it, will they find his body? I pondered it for a moment and put the vine down.

So close yet so far:

A quick swim in the second tier. The resident catfish nibbling at my toes made the experience rather uncomfortable but memorable nonetheless:

Stop number two was a half hour stop at the Death Railway, a site where many allied soldiers succumbed to harsh conditions during its construction. A small shrine was set up in a nearby cave.

Train Ride:

The last stop was a quick 20 minute photo session on the bridge over the river Kwai.