2008-10-17
2009-03-28
This full-day excursion outside of Bangkok is a wonderful way to maximize your time to experience the amazing floating markets of Thailand as well as Kanchanaburi, home to the bridge made even more famous by the Hollywood movie starring Alec Guiness, The Bridge on the River Kwai.Your journey commences with a leisurely drive from Bangkok, passing through salt fields and rice paddies before embarking aboard your long tail speed-boat on your journey to the floating markets. The floating markets are a fascinating experience, a complete contrast to how we shop for food in the west, and are made up of Thai style canoes laden with colorful and succulent fruits, vegetables, sweets and meats - gently plying their way through the canal, selling as they go. It is one of most popular Thai sightseeing experiences and not to be missed. If you want to take a closer look your local Thai guide will help you organize a local boat ride through the markets (optional extra).
You will then board your coach for the journey west to Kanchanaburi, home to the River Kwai and it's infamous bridge. The building of the bridge in 1943 was part of a wartime project to link existing Thai and Burmese railway lines to create a direct route from Bangkok, Thailand to Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar) in an effort to support the Japanese occupation of Burma. Over 100,000 conscripted laborers and 12,000 prisoners of war died during the whole project.
Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant before visiting the bridge after which a visit is made to the new Thailand - Burma War Museum which is adjacent to the War Grave Cemetery. Combining the two attractions unfortunately means there is not enough time to take a train ride, before your journey back to Bangkok and your hotel.
