Kanchanaburi

morning view from the Jolly Frog

Don't worry everyone: I made it to Kanchanaburi in once piece!

After being dropped off in front of a 7 Eleven on the side of an unknown road, we were able to find someone who spoke enough English to give us directions to walk to our hostel, which was 2 km away (since there were no taxis or tuk tuks in sight). Upon arriving to the simple Jolly Frog Backpacker's hostel, which is situated on a street with limitless amounts of backpacker bars and restaurants, we were escorted to our 200 baht a night room (that's $7 a night for 2 people). The room was less than luxurious (to say the least) and we were next to a loud bunch of people who part of a Thai wedding party...groom included. But for the cheap price and convenient location, we couldn't really complain, especially when we walked outside the next morning and found ourselves right on the River Kwae with a gorgeous views of the mountains in the Western part of Central Thailand.

farangs at the falls!

After a breakfast that included BREAD, we headed up to Erawan National Park, known for its beautiful 7-tiered waterfall. It was, in fact, absolutely breathtaking and a fairly easy hike. But this waterfall, known for being one of the most beautiful in all of Asia, is no secret: the path was crowded with tourists running around in their bikinis and speedos, though there are signs at the entrance to "respect the culture" and wear shorts and a t-shirt while swimming. Even though the falls were swarming with tourists, the falls are also popular among Thais, who often flock there to swim in the cool waters. My friends and I made it to all 7 tiers at a leisurely pace, and were continuously impressed by the gorgeous cascade each fall presented. It was also refreshing to get out in nice, cool(er), and clean air and frolic in the jungle for the afternoon. We even got to feel like the farang celebrities that we are when we asked a woman to take a picture of us in front of the sign to the national park, and all 15 other (Asian) people waiting also took our picture. Celebrity status, I'm telling you.

Sunset over the River Kwae

The next day we made our way to the famous bridge over the River Kwae, which was made famous because of the Oscar-winning movie Bridge on the River Kwai. Though it is not the original bridge that was built by the POWs and Thai slaves in the Japanese war camp during WWII, it has become a symbol and monument to the thousands of people that died during the construction of the "Death Railway." Though the museum was horrible (worst I have ever been to due to the randomness, questionable legitimacy of artifacts, and insufficient information in any language) and the bridge crowded, I DID learn a little bit and thoroughly enjoyed walking across the bridge, learning about something I knew nothing about, and being in beautiful Kanchanaburi.

The Bridge and a Chinese Temple

I loved my trip to Kanchanaburi and would recommendmaking a trip to anyone in central Thailand. I would also highly recommend the Jolly Frog for the backpackers out there--just don't get your food with large groups because they are NOT happy to accommodate separate checks. I would also recommend checking out Erawan Falls, but be prepared for a leisurely hike and swarms of tourists. If you get the opportunity or have the funds to go to a less-crowded area, you should definitely take advantage.