Death Railway
Dear guests, on this day tour you will see the following:
- The Bridge on the River Kwai;
- JEATH Museum;
- train ride to the historic viaduct at Tham Kra Sae;
- military cemetery;
- Cave Tham Kra Sae;
- elephant camp with elephant bathing and washing.
Our licensed tour guide will either meet you, he will pick you up at your hotel or depending on your booking. Our concept is to take into account the private atmosphere of friends, partners and families on our tours.
Note:
We also offer tours for cruise guests, backpackers and those interested in group travel.
Embark on a journey to the River Kwai ! The sights are Thailand’s heritage, we invite you to enjoy the vibrant culture and tradition. Enjoy a selection of delicious local dishes, from traditional thai street food .
The Bridge on the River Kwai
After our guide has picked you up, we can start the tour reliably and safely. We drive from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, after the 1957 film of the same name by David Lean with actor Alec Guinness, in which prisoners were asked to build a wooden bridge. The music for this film is the well-known River Kwai march, Le Pont de la Riviere Kwai, which you have probably heard before. The river called Mae Nam Khwae Yai with the bridge was a central target of attack by the Americans during the war years, who eventually partially destroyed the bridge. Not only did many civilians die, but also American prisoners of war. The Japanese prisoner of war camp was only a few kilometres away from the bridge.
JEATH Museum
This has been reconstructed and you can still see old exhibits from that time. Therefore, we first go to the JEATH Museum to give them a first impression of what happened there at that time. The name JEATH stands for Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand and Holland, which provided most of the labour. The museum was opened in 1977. Many pictures bear witness to the construction period of the “Death Railway” and the suffering of the people involved. The next destination is the bridge on the River Kwai, which you can see up close and also walk on. Here you can see the historic site that was death for many soldiers and civilians at the time. Afterwards, you will go on an impressive drive through a beautiful landscape.
Wam Pho-Viadukt
The old steam-driven train takes you on the “Death Railway” for about an hour to Tham Kra Sae and we cross the famous wooden Wam Pho Viaduct, built by prisoners of war, at walking pace. It is a very special experience that you will never forget when you cross the viaduct at a crawling pace with a view of the river. In earlier times, when the railway line was built by prisoners and civilians, the stretch up to the viaduct was pure jungle and dangerous for every prisoner and ended in death for many prisoners and civilians. At Tham Krasae you can buy the book in which the survivors’ stories of the war days and the endless suffering were recorded. At the Tham Krasae station we have lunch with a very nice view of the Wam Pho viaduct and the River Kwai.
Elephants bath in the River
We also visit a cave near Tham Kra Sae. Such caves can be found again and again in Kanchanaburi, as the inhabitants can also celebrate their faith here. After lunch with a beautiful view of the River Kwai, we visit an elephant camp where you have the unique opportunity to bathe and wash with the elephants. This is something very special and you should not miss it, so take towels and swimwear with you. After this experience, we go directly to the military cemetery near the bridge on the River Kwai. Many Allied soldiers were buried here during the war years and you can always see relatives visiting the place. After this interesting journey through time, we return to Bangkok to our starting point.
135 € p.p. tour start from hotel lobby
Implementation
Daily tour
07:00 a.m. pick up hotel lobby
small group 2 – 8 persons
Inclusive
English speaking tour guide, other languages also possible
air-conditioned van,
lunch,
Railway ticket
Own expense
Drinks Elephants bathe Elephant washing Other personal expenses Tip for our tour guide Tip for our driver