[pulsar56]

I must confess. All the Thailand travelogues by SS-Traveller here on Team BHP were making me jealous. And, I too wanted to visit these amazing places in Thailand for a prolonged holiday since BKK is just 2.5 hours from Singapore.

The fact that doc had done these trips with family was another motivating factor, considering the <winks> you get from friends when you announce that you are flying to Bangkok!

The following threads were of immense help for planning my trip

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ys-2011-a.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...hird-time.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-thailand.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...nning-etc.html

Contacted SS-Traveller via PM and then after a few emails, I decided on an itinerary to cover Kanchanaburi & Phuket, with Khao Sok added in based on the reviews on Tripadvisor.
My sincere thanks to you doc, for your time helping me to tweak the itinerary and providing suggestions.

Final Route Map:
5th October 2013 to 13th October 2013.


Travel Details from Singapore:
SIN to BKK - JetStar Airways. Departure on 5th October 2013
HKT to SIN - Tiger Airways. Return on 13th October 2013.

This was the first time for me and my wife on budget airlines and the experience was pretty good. Both onward and return journeys were comfortable and on-time.

Car Rental:
What is a holiday if you are not driving yourself, exploring and enjoying the destinations and the journey at your own pace? Moreover, after considering the cost of Taxis, etc I decided it would be better to hire a car from one of the reputed rental agencies like Avis, Hertz, Budget, etc.

I usually book my rental car from Avis while traveling in Malaysia but the quote given by Avis Thailand was not at all competitive. Finally decided to book a Honda City from Hertz Thailand.
Pickup the car at BKK (Suvarnabhumi Airport) and return at HKT (Phuket Airport)

The total cost of rental for 8 days for Honda City was 12,064.00 THB. Avis Thailand had quoted 16,687.40 THB for the same.
The cost would have been cheaper if the car was returned at same location. The online booking system does not allow booking for returning the vehicle to a different location and one needs to call or email to get a quote.

Travel Insurance:
Being a long holiday, and first time traveling with wife in an unknown country, I also had taken Travel Insurance from NTUC Income, Singapore for 9 days @76.00 SGD, which also covered Rental Vehicle Excess cover up to 1,500 SGD. (Just in case! )


Planning:
I used Tripit extensively for planning this trip. I used the web version for recording the itinerary, travel details, booking details, addresses etc. The best part about this was, everything got synced to the app on mobile and most of the information (except directions) was accessible even without a data connection.

And thus begins our first road trip in Thailand:


Beautiful cloud cover while departing from Singapore. (Low quality pic taken using mobile camera)


Landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport:

[pulsar56]

Visa on Arrival:

Thailand issues Visa on Arrival for a fee of 1,000 THB to be paid in cash at the VOA counters at the airport.

There is also another option of paying additional 200.00 THB per visa and avoid long queues. The final receipt still has the Visa fees as 1,000 THB only and the 200 THB is a service charge for faster processing (Express!). As usual, things always go haywire when I am on a holiday. The normal queue for VOA was too crowded and we decided to go for the express option.

Visa cost: 2,400 THB for 2.

After collecting our bags, we located the Hertz Counter just outside the arrival hall and provide our reservation confirmation email, make payments: a refundable deposit of 30,00 THB charged to the credit card plus the rental amount of 12,064.00 THB. (rental amount includes GPS at 217.00 THB per day)

Tip: Make sure your credit card has enough limit to cover the deposit, etc.


Prepaid Mobile:
The DTAC counter was just next to the Hertz counter. (All the rental counters are located next to each other anyway!) and we picked up the 299.00 THB Tourist Prepaid SIM with 7 days of unlimited data.



We were directed by the friendly person manning the Hertz counter, outside to the rental cars parking lot where our Honda City with just 21,301 KMs on the ODO was waiting for us:





Bangkok was only our entry point into Thailand and we did not enter the city of Bangkok. We typed in the co-ordinates in the GPS and started our journey towards Kanchanaburi.

Some pictures from the road towards Kanchanaburi:


Railway Crossing!



I did not realize that it was a railway crossing until the train came along!




If you read my signature on T-BHP, you will soon understand the intimate relationship I share with a GPS device, irrespective of make and model!

I committed a mistake while keying in the co-ordinates and we were driving to a different location, which I realized when the GPS showed that the destination was less than 10 minutes away, and I did not spot any signs of a river anywhere near the destination! (Our resort was located on the banks of the River Kwai!)
Wasted couple of hours due to this goof up and reached our resort very late around 3:00 PM instead of the planned 12:30 PM.


Our First Destination: Kanchanaburi

Xanadu 2008 Resort.
19/5, Moo 1, Tambon Nong Bua Amphur Muang, Kanchanaburi, 71190
+66 (0)80 0213346

For GPS & Sat Nav: Nong Bua Lat Ya Road Long/Lat: 14.060118, 99.458508 14° 03' 36.42" N - 99° 27' 30.63" E

A small, pristine property, run by a lovely couple, Dennis & Nee.

I had booked the 'Premier Room' via email for 1,100 THB per night. The rooms have Aircon, a refrigerator, CRT TV with a DVD Player and other basic amenities, though nothing luxurious. It's like a home away from home while on a holiday.

Pictures of the resort:

Entrance:


Our Room:




View of the rest of the property from the room:




A nice place to spend some time with your better half!


The Reception/Restaurant


Our Lunch: Seafood Pad Thai


Vegetables in Oyster Sauce:


Dennis with his pet 'Jack'


Inside the room: (Please excuse the mess on the bed!)




Due to my goof up with the GPS, we were very late for visiting the local attractions. Dennis provided us with a local map and also suggested us to head over to the Bridge on the River Kwai. And also to take a boat ride along the river from the other side of the river.

Coming up next, The bridge on the River Kwai!

[pulsar56]

Khwae Yai River (River Kwai)

Please check this link for more information about the bridge.


We reached the bridge on the river kwai after 5:00 PM Local Time, closing time for all the museums, cemetery etc.

Some pictures of the Bridge:











As per the suggestion received, we quickly crossed over to the other side of the bridge and hired a long-tail boat @500 THB for a one hour trip along the river, for the two of us.

NOS powered engine on the boat!


Long Boat Racing:
Source: Link
Long Boat-Racing Festival is arranged every year during Thai Buddhist Lent Period (about September or October) on days that river tide is highest. The festival will be held by local people beside rivers from provinces which big rivers pass by such as Phisanulok province, Phichit province has Nan River and Ang-Thong province, Ayutthaya province, Pathum-Thani province has Chao-Phraya River. Boats, which they use on the festival, will be chosen and made from auspicious trees of each area's believing. They train and prepare rowing-crews to be most fit and ready for being their agent of the festival.

Long Boat-Racing Festival is one of Thai traditions which has been arranged continuously since Ayutthaya time (about 600 years ago) for preparing and making morale, courage and strength to rowing-crews, as every Thai men were power of the country, for a war which could began anytime from aggression.

There was a race about to start while we were cruising along the river in our Long-Tail Boat.




I recorded a video of the race:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxwRUyzdtZ0

Our boatman took us to the Jeath War Museum, The Chungkai War Cemetry and the Kao Pun Cave.


By the time we reached the Jeath War Museum, it was already closed.





Chungkai War Cemetry:
The second War Cemetery is about 2 km south of town on the bank of the Kwai Noi River and occupies the former Conk-Kai Prisoner of War Camp. This cemetery is more peaceful, attractively landscaped and contains 1,740 remains (by countries: 1,379 British, 313 Netherlands, 42 Malayan and 6 Indian). It was the site of a base camp, a hospital and a church built by the prisoners themselves. The great majority of 1,740 casualties buried in this war cemetery, which is the original burial ground started by the prisoners, are men who died in the hospital nearby.
Source: Link













The Wat Kao Pun & Kao Pun Cave close by 5:30 PM and we just went till the entrance of the cave and returned back.

One of the many floating restaurants/pubs/discos on the river.


The River Kwai Bridge Railway Station:


The bridge, lit up in the evening.


We went to the local market near the Kanchanaburi bus station for dinner and enjoyed the banana pancake.



End of Day 1.

[pulsar56]

We had our breakfast at Xanadu


We decided to skip the most popular tourist attraction in Kanchanaburi, "Tiger Temple" and decided to go to the Erawan Falls.

Best known for its stunning seven-tiered waterfall, this 550-sq-km park admission 200THB; 8am-4.30pm) is easily accessed by public bus from Kanchanaburi.

The cascading and pooling waterfall feeds into Mae Nam Khwae Yai, and it’s a 2km hike to the top pool. The uppermost fall is said to resemble Erawan, the three-headed elephant of Hindu mythology.

The trail can be steep, slippery and non-existent from place to place, so wear good walking shoes or sneakers. Also bring a bathing suit as several of the pools are great for swimming.

On weekends and holidays, the falls are very crowded, and are a favourite destination during Songkran (Thai New Year).

The rest of the park is not as popular, especially for people without their own transport. If you have your own transport, check out Tham Phra That (off Hwy 323, 12km northwest of the turn-off to the park) and Tham Wang Badan (off Hwy 32, 30km northwest of the turn-off to the park).

Source: Link

Road to Erawan Falls: Signboards warning about elephant crossings.






Entrance fee for foreigners is 200 THB per person and 30 THB for car.


The lower tiers of the falls.


The lower tiers of the falls.


"An unexpected journey".



Thais believe in ghosts. This photograph is of a "Spirit Tree" while trekking to the higher tiers of Erawan Falls.

Most popular thing connected to spirit world in Thai is Spirit House. Thai people put them in front of every house, building, plantation and so on. And what’s about trees with colorful strips made of fabric – that’s also Spirit Houses! In other words Thai people believe that spirits live in these Spirit Trees. It’s said that trees with spirits are usually old and big.

We trekked till the 5th level after which my wife gave up. The path leading to the higher tiers progressively becomes tougher.



Some pictures of the Tier 5 pool and falls.









The levels of Erawan.




Prathat Cave:

We decided to proceed to the Pra That caves, located approximately 10 KMs from the Erawan Falls. This again was a grueling climb of almost a KM on steep man-made steps.

Pra That Cave is about 75 km from Kanchanaburi town and 10 km further north of the Erawan Falls on a dirt road to the Huay Mae Khamin Falls. It is situated in the Erawan National Park.

Inside the cave are beautiful stalactites and stalagmites distributed among 4 big rooms. Bats also used to live inside but the rooms are high enough that they don't disturb you.
source: Link

Inside the huge cave:




Our guide showing us around the cave.




The guides use a Petromax Lanterns for guiding visitors inside the cave.





After the cave, we decided to go to the Hell-Fire pass which was not very far from the Erawan falls. We spotted the Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls on the way and stopped here for sometime, which turned out to be a wrong decision. We should have proceeded to the Hell Fire Pass first. By the time we reached Hell Fire Pass, it was closed!

Sai Yok Noi is a waterfall in the Tenasserim Hills, Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, near the small town Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi. It is the most popular attraction of the Sai Yok National Park.[1] It is popular among domestic and foreign tourists alike, in part because it lies next to the province's trunk road alongside which there is ample parking space.
The immediate vicinity features several sites of interest including the Krasae Cave, a small Buddhist shrine next to a section of rail tracks of the notorious Death Railway and, to the west, Dawadung Cave, a secluded collection of impressive stalactites. Hellfire Pass Memorial, a museum and tribute to those lost during the construction of the Death Railway's cuttings and trestle bridges, lies about 35 km to the west of Sai Yok Noi falls. A small market geared toward travellers is also nearby. Sai Yok Yai waterfall, some 40 km to the west lies offset from the valley's main road, adjacent to the Sai Yok National Park Headquarters. It comprises a 10 metre (32 ft) picturesque cascade which drops directly into the Kwae Noi river.

Sourec: Wiki

A steam locomotive used during the second world war is exhibited at the waterfalls.












This is all we could manage at the Hell Fire Pass. The gates were closed by the time we reached!


"India Road" at Kanchanaburi.


Both of us were very tired of all the trekking and walking throughout the day. We had our first ever Thai massage for just 200 THB per person in Kanchanaburi town.





Being a small town, the restaurants and shops close early here and we had a difficult time finding dinner for the day, since the local market was also closed early due to a heavy downpour.

We were the only Indians at the Erawan Falls and Pra That caves!

[pulsar56]

Day 3: the day we drive from Kanchanaburi to Khao Sok National Park, another destination which is not so popular among Indian tourists!
For some unknown reason, Khao Sok National Park is frequented by Russian tourists, (as per the reviews on Tripadvisor).

We have an early breakfast and start from Xanadu around 7:30 AM for a long drive. Estimated travel time is 10-12 hours and we take 14 hours to reach Khao Sok, including stops for lunch and dinner.

On our way along the highway, we were stopped once by the Thai Police.
They did not even ask for my driving license. Just checked the passports, asked where we are coming from and our destination and let us proceed. The policeman also asked politely whether the lady on the passenger seat is my wife or girlfriend. When I said that she is my wife, he got even more polite, and kept saying "Very lucky, beautiful wife" until we moved from there.

October being the last month of monsoon in Thailand, it kept raining all the way till Khao Sok.

One of the many Tesco Lotus stores along the highway.


Lunch at KFC:




We finally reach our Tree House room in Khao Sok Paradise resort (link) at 9:30 PM. It's been a long day again!
Khao Sok is a small village and all the restaurants and shops close very early.


Standard Tree House at 1,700 THB per night.

For details on Khao Sok National Park:
Link1
Link2

[pulsar56]

We were in for a pleasant surprise in the morning. The beauty of the place was mind-blowing. It was greenery all around, and it was raining continuously.

Parking:


The road continues to another resort:


Khao Sok Paradise Resort



The Standard Tree House:
The room had a small refrigerator, a wall mounted LCD TV, etc. My only grouse was, there was not much space inside the room, but still ok for a tree-house room.

The sitting area on the outside (with the ceiling fan) had too many lizards and insects, making the whole place unusable. There were no hangers, hooks or a cupboard inside the room, which was a bit inconvenient owing to the constant rain and lot of wet clothes.








Inside the room:


I remember about this game from my childhood days:



Restaurant/Reception:
The resort offers free wi-fi at this area and is a live 'exhibit' of the urban socializing on a smart phone



A light breakfast:


The path leading to the tree houses.




We had booked for a full-day lake trip through the resort and were picked up in a Toyota 'Commuter' van at 8:30 AM to go to Ratchaprabha Dam. (Cheow Lan Lake).




I had bought a rain sleeve for my D5100 and it was very useful. The rain never stopped.

(Picture from Google Search. I used the same brand.)

[moralfibre]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing!

[gajadonga]

Road trip in Thailand nice way to explore the places.
Good pictures and nice narration.
Thanks for sharing

[saket77]

Nice travelogue. Good to read about the less visited places of Thailand. The waterfall pictures are very well clicked. And the historical River Kwai (probably pronounced as 'Quay') & the bridge scene is amazing.

We too visited Thailand in Jan 2014, however, our places were rather mainstream.

Regards,
Saket

[pulsar56]

Originally Posted by saket77

Nice travelogue. Good to read about the less visited places of Thailand. The waterfall pictures are very well clicked. And the historical River Kwai (probably pronounced as 'Quay') & the bridge scene is amazing.

We too visited Thailand in Jan 2014, however, our places were rather mainstream.

Thank you Saket. I read your travelogue on Thailand but couldn't manage to find time to reply on the thread.
(I need to start being active again!)

[palitrana]

Oh Man! Its pouring Thailand on Team BHP this season. But never a downpur like this thread! Most Awsome & Respect!

I have always wanted to go back to Thailand after our last trip to Koh Samui. However, I thought my next trip would be another hop skip on plane to a beach destination to chill out. But thanks to this triplogue, I know know for sure what my next trip to Thailand would be like!
Expect me to bug you towards the end of this year for more details!

By the way, I know you are from Singapore, but where's your driving license issued out of - India or Singapore? Do we need an international driving license for Thailand? I know I can google it, but too lazy when there are precedents on this forum

[pulsar56]

Originally Posted by palitrana

Oh Man! Its pouring Thailand on Team BHP this season. But never a downpur like this thread! Most Awsome & Respect!

I have always wanted to go back to Thailand after our last trip to Koh Samui. However, I thought my next trip would be another hop skip on plane to a beach destination to chill out. But thanks to this triplogue, I know know for sure what my next trip to Thailand would be like!
Expect me to bug you towards the end of this year for more details!

By the way, I know you are from Singapore, but where's your driving license issued out of - India or Singapore? Do we need an international driving license for Thailand? I know I can google it, but too lazy when there are precedents on this forum

Thank you for the kind words of appreciation palitrana. You can PM me anytime you need more information.

I moved to Singapore just 3 years back and my driving license is issued in India.

The rental agencies ask for a IDP but are also ok with a driving license which is in English. I had an IDP which expired exactly one year back and I carried it just in case.
The internet reviews/guides are filled with hearsay accounts of problems in case of accidents, etc, but we never know.

SS-Traveller has also done 3 driving holidays in Thailand. There is one travelogue in which he has detailed the pleasant encounter with the Thai Police for a speeding ticket.

[vnabhi]

Fantastic TL, Nazim! I was spellbound till I completed it. I never knew Thailand had such exotic places. You seemed to have had a whale of a time there.

I am curious to know how Thai food was, other than the standard western breakfast that you've posted pics of.

This apart, I was always thinking that the Bridge on the River Kwai was in Burma, till I read your link. What I do know is that the movie was shot in Sri Lanka, as I've passed by that place last year.

Please keep posting. How are the roads in the remote places you've been to? Are fuel bunks abundant? Do you have to fill the fuel yourself, as in western countries? And finally, is the Honda City having any extra features compared to the one sold in India?

[predatorwheelz]

Fantastic travelogue. Thoroughly entertaining, and a nice easy narrative. Just 2 questions.

1. What's the yellow mashed thing you're eating for breakfast?
2. Where's the Phuket part?

[SS-Traveller]

Good going, pulsar56. Looking forward to the rest of the travelogue!

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

1. What's the yellow mashed thing you're eating for breakfast?

That's Dennis' special - scrambled eggs on toast. I can vouch for the taste!