Thailand: Kanchanaburi: Death Railway @ Thamkasae Station

The best spot to view the world famous death railway is from station Thamkasae, where you can view the railway that built on the cliff. 

You can either take the train from Kanchanaburi station to Thamkasae station (so you can enjoy the view from the train), but you have only limited time to explore because you will have to catch the next train back. 

Otherwise, you can rent a taxi for one day tour like us. 

Our itinerary:
Death railway museum and trail
Lunch at Nam Tok
Thamkasae station for deathrailway and buddha cave (both at same place)
Back to hotel

We have really really relax plan because John loves photography and we always spent more times than other in some attractions that we are really interested.

Besides the above mentioned destination, you can also visit a few waterfalls nearby, such as Sai Yok and Erawan falls, both look stunning from the photos, but we didnt have enough time so we chose the death railway, which was the main purpose to visit Kanchanaburi.

If you are asking bout the taxi rent, I really hope that i remember how much it cost but my notebook is missing =( Anyway if my memories serve me right, i think that cost us around RM200 for 8 hours rent.

We got the taxi rent from hotel in Kanchanaburi. If you have been Thailand, you will know how convenience and cheap is the transport arrangement in the local. If you never been there, now you know it, so don't worry about that, the locals are helpful if you have any queries. 

So less see some photos that we snapped in the death raiw 

The station

a few steps up hill to see this view but nothing difficult. 

Only two trains per day so dog could sleep without too much disturbs. 

Amazing aint? The most amaze part is had been done by bare hands and sacrificed so countless lives. 

some detail shoots.

the man behind the camera.

you can take a short walk on the railway, but always check on the next arrival train schedule. 

steels and woods, holding the railway for more than 60 years.

You will never know how long are these materials could hold up to. If our photos have inspired you, please travel and see it with your eyes before its too late.

The Cave Temple that sit on the side of the railway. 

lives.

The gold Buddha in the cave

The Buddha is watching over the railway for ages  

One of my favorite by him. 

walk a little back to the station.

you will see the boom from the war at the side. 

last but not least, us. 

I have been traveled to Thailand for more than 10 times but i would rank Kanchanaburi and Sangkhalaburi to be my top. Both of the destinations had inspired me more than my imagination, they are still beautiful, still unexplored, pure and calm.

The journey to Sangkhalaburi was the most hassle one but hey, if you like my travel destination taste, you will definitely agree that the place is worth the hassle.

So last post of the trip will be a food review in Kanchanaburi. If you are aware.. yea i'll skip the hotel review because it has nothing special although we enjoyed the stay, it was clean and spacious.

Lastly, i know i'm writing it slow but i will never stop writing! So do come back and visit!






Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20150916, 1051pm
Rach in today is Malaysia Day mood!

Thailand: Kanchanaburi - Hellfire Pass Trail

We spent 3 nights in Sangkhalaburi and left the little peaceful lake village in the fourth day.

As in December 2013 (yea i know my blog has been delayed for more than one year), there are only one bus to and from Kanchanaburi.

Long ride (4 hours) to Kanchanaburi and we decided just chill and relax on that day, rent a bike and get around the river side, had great Thai BBQ buffet dinner by the river side and enjoy the chill wind were what we had done in the first night. 

The hightlight of the stay in Kanchanaburi was the second day, the day tour to Hellfire Pass, Kra Sae Cave and Death Railway. All of the destinations were far apart yet related to each other. 

In mid-1942, Japanese forces were fighting the British in Burma, their ultimate aim being an offensive against India. To maintain their armies in Burma, the Japanese needed a more secure supply route than the vulnerable sea-lanes between Singapore and Rangoon. They decided to construct a railway, 415km long, through jungle and mountain from Ban Pong in Thailand to Thanbyuzayat in Burma. 

And Hellfire Pass, Death Railway and Kra Sae Cave were part of the history.

You might think this is just an old railway built by Japanese anyway, what if this railway were built by 300,000 human life within one year.

Yes, 415km long railway, through jungle and mountain, in the 1940s, by 300,000 of life.

Imagine how limited the modern equipment that could been used during 1940s, most of them cutting through the mountain and jungle by hand, metal taps and sledgehammers only. 

I can never forget my feeling on that day, the quite afternoon that we walked through this 3km railway trail which built by 300,000 of prisoners of war from Asia, Australia and Europe. 

Audio set and map were given. There are 4 trails ranging 1 hour to 3 hours return. 

here we go, click for larger image. 

quite jungle path, i cant believe here used to be hell for so many PoW. 

railway

memorial 

PoW worked punishing hours well into the night, the flickering bonfire light on the emaciated workers gave the place its name - Hellfire Pass. 

Hunger for the history and walk a journey while you can. 

used to be a mountain

Mourn for the death.

Number of Australians found death here.  

the 3-hour trail is not difficult but not recommending to elderly  

Metal taps that PoW used to constructed the railway

all there holes  where cut by hand, rock and limited metal equipment. 

This is not natural, this is all crafted by human hands 

My heart was heavy as i touched the flatten wall. Rocky mountain being cut to half with bare hands...

and its freaking 415km... 

all being done within a year..

One of the look out point. I cant imagine how was the constructing life back then here in the deep jungle of Thailand.

walked down the hill to the exit

if you wonder what is the condition of the trail, expect rocky staircase. 

there, we see the exit..

But i haven't overcome this yet.

To be frank i'm not passionate in history, i'm passionate in story, especially real story.

We donated a small amount to the museum, hoping this could be well-kept and continue to tell this sad but true story to our next generation.

Owh well, if you want more detail on how to get there and stuff...

Where is the museum?
There are two related museums, one is Death Railway Museum and Hellfire Pass (we have been both but the former is no photography allowed so i skipped that post).
Death Railway Museum is in the center town of Kancanaburi. I am not sure the operation hour but it is with an admission fee of 120bath.
Hellfire Pass is one and half hour driving distant away from Kanchanaburi and its admission free, but you can support with the donation. It is in middle of no way. I had never asked around but i guess it is not accessible by no public transport.

How to go there?
My way is rent a taxi for 8 hours (Hellfire Pass + Cave + Death railway), it cost me 1,900 bath but i think worth its given the comfort of the journey and time saving.
Alternatively, you can rent a bike (well yea, probably 2 hours to reach there?) or rent a Swang-Teow or tuk-tuk (motor-taxi)

Do note that...
Taxi driver in Kanchanaburi are familiar with the day tour thing, but note that are two trains running on the Death railway (part of the Hellfire Pass, but this one is on the cliff), if you wanna snap photo of the train on the railway like this...

Taken inside the train before enter to the cliff railway part. 

better check the time table from your hotel.

More detail will be given in the next post, so stay tuned!





Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
201508009, 0915pm
Rach in ready for monday mood

Thailand: Sangkhalaburi - Wat Wang Wiwekaram & Mon Bridge

Rent a motorbike is easy and cheap in Thai, you dont have to had a license nor international driving license, all you need to do is deposit your passport and pay 350 to 400 bath rental per day. 

You might think deposit your passport is dangerous but i have been travelling to Thai more than 10 times and safe every time. However, you take your own risk k? 

Sangkhalaburi is somewhere near Burma, it is ride-able to the border, i guess that is around 20 to 30km away. We had long ride a day before so we decided just wonder around with our bike the next day. 

So we paid a visit to Wat Mon, or Wat Wang Wiwekaram.

I had been to countless Wat (temples in Thai) and i had never seen something like Wat Wang Wiwekaram, a huge golden temple.  

Shinning goldish under the clear blue sky

and small statues all over the facade. 

overall look. 

interesting

Inside the temple, old but peach

as a corridor fans like me, how can i miss this?

brick with hole, this is how the building sustains.

and us, trying to walk real far and take the overall shoot of the temple. 

the other side of the temple, 5 minutes ride away from the above one. 

modernness blend well with traditional 

and you still got to feel the peach

a peaceful corner

Thai like dragon like Chinese does. 

On our way back from temple, we decided to explore the other side of the village to take a short walk from the other side of the bridge.

More commercial and happening in the other side of the village, but do not expect something like Bangkok, you can never find friendly Mon smiles in the city.

thankful for the great weather. 

Business under the bridge. 

and there, the end where our hotel were. 

Bamboo bridge on the side 

how sad, broken bridge. 

photo of the day. 

Alright there has come to the end of Sangkhalaburi, next one will back to dead railway, more exciting photos coming up.

I hope to finish this up as soon as possible and then i can start my Japan, Samui and Medan before i head to Taiwan AGAIN next month!



Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
190615, 1117am
Rach in going to work soon mood.