Kanchanaburi: A riverside town and our gateway to Erawan National Park

We got the 100 baht (£2.65?! No, I’ll never stop raving about Asia prices), 3 hour train from Thonburi in Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. We stayed in a little home stay/hostel run by a lovely and very helpful family. The language barrier didn’t stop them helping us in anyway they could as they spoke into Google Translate and we did the same in return. Also it was only £8 for 2 nights for the both of us. Eight. Pounds.

We decided to go for a stroll to see the river and find some food and accidentally stumbled upon Dejtosapak restaurant- and what a find it was! The low glass tables were set on a wooden jetty floating upon the river, allowing you to see the fish below, and the floor had a gap cut into it to allow you to dangle your legs down to the river. My feet dangled safely above, but my 6’6 boyfriend’s feet occasionally got wet thanks to splashing fish. Tree covered mountains overlooked the river and it was a really dreamy spot to chill after a day of travelling. The food was average, but the view certainly wasn’t.

The following day we rented a moped to take us the 1 hour 20 minute journey to Erawan National Park with the aim of exploring Erawan Falls. I’d never been on a moped before so Ryan drove (after a ‘Don’t drive too fast!’ Lecture from me) and I sat on the back- and yes mum we were both wearing helmets. Initially I didn’t like it, I felt out of control of not only the movement of the bike but the speed too. But half an hour in, and some very careful driving from Ryan, it felt ok. It was a good way to avoid traffic, avoid the high cost of taxis and be able to travel with flexibility and a good view of the countryside.

We stopped for some breakfast in a roadside cafe and it was an experience that taught us never to order ‘Yum Fruit Salad’ ever again. We thought we were getting a lovely plate of fresh fruit, but actually ended up with a plate of melon covered in shrimp, chilli, and fish sauce. Oh Thailand.

Back on the moped, the landscape changed from town views to land before time tree clad mountains and rivers, and an hour later we arrived at Erawan National Park. Erawan waterfall is so called because it’s 7th level (yes there are 7 levels to this waterfall!) is said to look like the head of Erawan, the three headed god of Hindu mythology. We began the walk to the first level and were instantly glad we’d made the trip. There were pretty few tourists which was a bonus. The water is a stunning cloudy blue thanks to the chalk and it’s clear enough to see the swimming fish. Where the water gushes over the smooth boulders it’s bright white, and set against the deep green of the trees, it’s really quite beautiful. The first five levels are pretty easy to reach via a muddy pathway and a few makeshift steps. The paths wind through hanging thick vines and huge tangled tree roots leaving you feeling like a sweaty Dora the Explorer. The 6th and 7th levels take a bit more rock scrambling, water wading and tree trunk climbing, but are worth it. The 5th and 7th levels were our favourite but they were all beautiful and worth the hike. We saw cute dogs (what we really came for) and also a couple of swimming monitor lizards too! You can swim in the various levels, which is great if you don’t mind being nibbled by fish (Ryan clearly did mind as he hilariously thrashed about in the water trying to flee the fish but slipping on the rocks instead-excellent to watch) After the thrashing around we pottered back down, stopping at our favourite spots on the way.

We hopped back on the bike (my knees, bum and back complaining the whole way home) and once we’d showered the day off of us we walked to Maenamkwai road as we’d heard it was good for budgeting backpackers like ourselves. The rumours weren’t wrong and we found cheap food, cheap beer and somewhere to play cards- what more do you need? There was actually a lot more to do in Kanchanaburi that we didn’t have time to do- it’s brimming with history- so perhaps if you’re planning to go plan in a couple of days!

The following day we got the train back to Thonburi in Bangkok and then a sleeper bus to the ferry for Koh Tao. We’re now off to a)Live the island life for 2 weeks and b)Become qualified divers!