River Kwai
River Kwai
4
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4.0
1,575 reviews
Excellent
701
Very good
590
Average
229
Poor
39
Terrible
16
Jason Hogerzeil
Sydney, Australia34 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Picked up from Bangkok - 3 hr air conditioned car transport to Kanchanaburi. Stopped at the War Memorial, visited the cemetary and found family gravestone who sadly lost their life whilst building the Death Railway. Walked the Bridge over the river Kwai then Caught the train to Wang Pho station - finished with lunch at Praweenut Restuarant and then air conditioned trip home. Highly Recommend.
Written 27 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie
United Kingdom195 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
The day trip was £35 pp which included lunch. It is an early start but quite a relaxed day. The time at the museum/cemetery was slightly short but we do like to read everything ! The bridge was interesting even though obviously not the original (which can be seen in the distance down river). The train ride was good, the lunch was nice.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon W
65 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Kantenburi north of Bangkok. Great place to see the famous bridge over the Kwai and museums. The town is Small but the main street has good restaurants low cost and some friendly bars to visit in the evening.
You can take the train ride but watch the times they can change and you need one train out and one back not many in a day. We hired a car and went to death pass.
We Stayed in the bridge residency hotel very nice probably the best in the street and a stroll to the area of food and bars.
A 40min drive to Erewan falls, other transport available. It’s a couple of km up hill hike to the top falls as there are seven levels worth doing. Water is cold and refreshing for dip so take your swimwear.
Eating places and small shops at the car park so if you forget the swimwear you can get some or dry clothes.
You can take the train ride but watch the times they can change and you need one train out and one back not many in a day. We hired a car and went to death pass.
We Stayed in the bridge residency hotel very nice probably the best in the street and a stroll to the area of food and bars.
A 40min drive to Erewan falls, other transport available. It’s a couple of km up hill hike to the top falls as there are seven levels worth doing. Water is cold and refreshing for dip so take your swimwear.
Eating places and small shops at the car park so if you forget the swimwear you can get some or dry clothes.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
frasercameron
London, UK223 contributions
Jan 2023
An alternative to an organised tour is simply to hire a car which can take 3 people for about 4,000 TB. This means you can leave when you want and not bother collecting people from hotels in Bangkok. The direct drive is just over two hours and if you do the cemetery, death museum and a walk on the bridge that is another two hours - so the whole trip can be done in 6-7 hours instead of 10 or more by tour groups.
Written 23 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AngieTay
Singapore, Singapore577 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
Full of history and is a nice experience to walk the bridge. Did a day trip to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok. Took the train to arrive at River Kwai, thumbs up. If we have more time, will be good to stay over for a few nights to explore this province
Written 1 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bradley P
Sydney, Australia332 contributions
Mar 2020
I have seen some crappy sites in my days travelling the world. The area around the Bridge on the River Kwai is a disgrace. So much junk and garbage littered about. Nobody seems to care how bad it looks. I was such a disappointment. I would not dare eat anything in the area. They really need to clean it up and fix all of the broken footpaths, walls and general appearance.
Written 26 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK185,662 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
Other than the areas for the tourist crowds desperate to see the eponymous bridge, the River is a beautiful place with a chilled out backpacker atmosphere. I stayed in a hotel right on the river just to be able to wake up and retire at night by the river.
If you stayed in the less developed and touristy areas, the river is a much more enjoyable place
If you stayed in the less developed and touristy areas, the river is a much more enjoyable place
Written 12 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
killay2015
Chicago, IL72 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
Took a one day trip from Bangkok
(A long drive, but so worth it)
Kittisak Toy, (Asia Touch Express)
Picked us up on a very comfortable van at 7 am).
First visited the Jeath War Museum
Was able to see how the POW’s were forced to live
Had some time after that to walk on the bridge over the River Kwai before boarding the what they call the Death Train.
Just a side note, we loved the hand carved soap decorations that were in wooden containers sold at the train station We enjoyed the train ride through the countryside of Thailand towards the Myanmar
Border
Once off the train we hike the Hellfire Pass. A somber feeling seeing how the POW’s and locals built this railroad and digging out the pass Hard to think of the 120,000 souls lost during the construction
Thank you Kit for a very educational
and enjoyable day. We have a lot to be grateful to the men and woman who fought for our freedom
(A long drive, but so worth it)
Kittisak Toy, (Asia Touch Express)
Picked us up on a very comfortable van at 7 am).
First visited the Jeath War Museum
Was able to see how the POW’s were forced to live
Had some time after that to walk on the bridge over the River Kwai before boarding the what they call the Death Train.
Just a side note, we loved the hand carved soap decorations that were in wooden containers sold at the train station We enjoyed the train ride through the countryside of Thailand towards the Myanmar
Border
Once off the train we hike the Hellfire Pass. A somber feeling seeing how the POW’s and locals built this railroad and digging out the pass Hard to think of the 120,000 souls lost during the construction
Thank you Kit for a very educational
and enjoyable day. We have a lot to be grateful to the men and woman who fought for our freedom
Written 3 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bma-11
Dublin, Ireland13 contributions
Mar 2014 • Couples
Canary travel, Bangkok
;Trip to floating market and Bridge over RIver Kwai
Chan Holland of Canary Travel organisied a trip for two to the floating market and the River Kwai on Friday 22nd March
She was very professional and worked beyond the call of duty. Although we did not contact her until after office hours on the evening before our planned trip she made all of the arrangements for us and finalised payment
We had a most memorable trip and it was one of the highlights of our tour of south east asia
Trip was excellent value for money
Thanks again for making it possible for us
Would highly recommend Canary Travel
"mature Irish couple"
;Trip to floating market and Bridge over RIver Kwai
Chan Holland of Canary Travel organisied a trip for two to the floating market and the River Kwai on Friday 22nd March
She was very professional and worked beyond the call of duty. Although we did not contact her until after office hours on the evening before our planned trip she made all of the arrangements for us and finalised payment
We had a most memorable trip and it was one of the highlights of our tour of south east asia
Trip was excellent value for money
Thanks again for making it possible for us
Would highly recommend Canary Travel
"mature Irish couple"
Written 9 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lyn B
Tweed Heads, Australia40 contributions
Nov 2012 • Couples
This one day tour sets out from Bangkok very early morning to try and avoid the gridlock traffic. We travelled by a large bus up to Kanchanburi with a rest stop on the way. There was a choice of paying a little extra to board a long boat to arrive at the River Kwai or stay on the bus. We opted for the long boat and was a great way to see the bridge from the river as we arrived. A suitable amount of time was allocated to exploring the bridge and surrounds, then back on the bus and off to visit the Kanchanburi war museum and cemetery. My grandfather was a POW on the Thai/Burma railway so this was an emotional trip for me. At the war museum I could get a print out of my grandfathers history, which was certainly unexpected, they only needed his name, but as he had quite a common name, I worked out which one was him by my grandmothers name. We were then taken to Pakseng Pier, (at this point of the trip we went up stream to the River Kwai Jungle Rafts - see separate report, for 2 nights, and if you can possibly do this it is certainly a highlight and breaks up what would have been a very long day, day 3 we resumed the one day trip) where a very nice lunch was served. After lunch we were taken to catch a train (known as the Death Railway because of the enormous cost of human life during the construction of the railway line in WW11) that took us for a trip along the line for a considerable distance, passing through quite a few stations and over some large timber structures built to carry the railway. The train trip was also quite scenic. We then climbed aboard the bus for a long and slow trip (traffic) back into Bangkok arriving back at our hotel about 7pm.
As I previously said this would have been a very long day trip had we not taken the 2 night option, but would have still been a magnificent day. It is very much a history lesson and if you had a connection as I did, it was a day of discovery.
As I previously said this would have been a very long day trip had we not taken the 2 night option, but would have still been a magnificent day. It is very much a history lesson and if you had a connection as I did, it was a day of discovery.
Written 24 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sophie H
Southampton, United Kingdom
Hi,
I am staying in Bangkok for a few days in November and although I am tight for time would like to factor in a full day tour to the bridge over the river kwai, war cemetery etc. Can anyone recommend a tour company that offers private tours of this nature please? Many Thanks
Written 30 August 2022
Hi Tintin. Where did you rent your kayak from, for how long and how much did it cost?
Thanks
Written 22 July 2018
Hello Kevin
Our kayak came free with our room at the x2 hotel each room has their own, if you’ve not booked yet have a look at hotel as I thought it was great
Hope that helps
Written 22 July 2018
hola porfavor alguien me puede decir como se cogen esas lanchas y desde donde para poder llegar al hotel que tengo reservado en el mismo rio.
gracias
Written 13 August 2017
I have red a lot reviews about the death railway tour which included visiting the river Kwai but can I go there by myself without any tour agent? is there any entrance fee for visiting the bridge? thanks before.
Written 5 May 2017
The short answer is yes you can go without a guide.
The railway bridge itself is free to go to and there are a lot of stalls in the area for you to see and get some tourist items.
The train ride itself can cost $3 baht for economy as you are not guaranteed a seat. We took the better version and paid $300baht to get a guaranteed seat in the front carriages and got served tea, coffee, Pepsi, water and also a sweet.
The ride takes 1.5 hours and train departs at 10:45
Written 7 May 2017
how far is it from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and can I get a train?
Written 13 March 2017
It's a great train journey from Bangkok, you catch the train from Thonburi train station which from central Bangkok can take about 45 minutes by taxi. The train journey takes roughly 2 1/2 hours.
Written 23 March 2017
I will be arriving at Nam Tok Station at 630pm. will there any taxi or tuktuk at that time. My hotel is boutique resort, will there any taxi or tuktuk from the hotel. cheers
Written 19 February 2017
Not likely! Call your hotel and give them your arrival mode and ETA and ask they send a taxi!
Written 4 April 2017
The weather in Bangkok and surrounding districts is hot. The temperature normally sits in the 30's but it is the humidity that kills!!
We suggest light clothing and plenty of water for any travel. Please remember to be respectful and wear T shirts and at least shorts to the knees for guys. Ladies need to cover elbows and knees before entering temples or any place official.
Written 7 May 2017
There are small Thai eateries near the Thonburi Train Station!
There are western and Thai eateries at Sai Tai Mai / Bangkok Bus Station.
There are restaurants all over Kanchanaburi - everywhere.
And, there are many market eateries at the Nom Tok train stop (end of the line) near Sai Yok!
Written 4 April 2017
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