Thailand

Thailand! What a week, just a short trip it should of been a month! So a quick blog about our Thai adventures. We arrived refreshed and on time after sleeping through almost the entire 13 hour flight. We worked out the trains and arrived at our station, getting off we decide to take a tuk tuk to our hotel, squashed in with all our luggage we bartered over the price, 'note to self' in future when bartering the price should go down, he he he. The driver did take us on a tourist drive to the hotel, pointing out all the sights on the way, so that kind of made up for it. Ha ha. We got to our hotel on Khao San Road, what a lively place, so much going on at all times of the day and night.

.


We left, far to early, the next morning for our trip up the River Kwai, after a bus ride and longboat trip (just like James Bond) our first stop was the famous Bridge over the Kwai, the black iron bridge was brought from Java by the Japanese and built by Allied prisoners-of-war, in 1943 as part of the Death Railway linking Thailand with Burma.
Still in use today, the bridge was the target of frequent Allied bombing raids during World War II and was rebuilt after war ended. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections and the square sections were destroyed during the bombings and replaced after the war.

We stayed at the amazing Hintok River Camp, we had three nights 'Glamping', it was very relaxing and scenic. We had the place to ourselves most of the trip, as everyone had booked in for the next tour which Anzac Day fell on. There is so much history in the area and the camp itself is on the site of a Japanese WW2 Military Camp. We had some great day trips from the camp, travelling up and down the river in long boats to visit caves, a traditional village, waterfalls and elephants.

There are several great waterfalls worth paying a visits to coming straight off the river banks in Kanchanaburi, to name a few Erawan, Sai Yok and Yok Noi waterfalls.      
We have seen some lovely waterfalls all over the world but there was something different about these falls.

We stopped off at a traditional Mon village with all the houses on Bamboo stilts. The Mon were one of the first races to settle in Thailand. Originally from Southern China they migrated south to Burma, then were pushed into Thailand after being repressed by the Burmese. We saw traditional crafts, the school house and elephants.

Hell Fire Pass was an amazing and emotional place to visit, we were there the day before Anzac day and the memorial was set up ready for the dawn service.
The Australian, British, Dutch, other allied prisoners of war, along with Chinese, Malays and Tamil labourers, were required by the Japanese to complete the cutting. 69 men were beaten to death by Japanese guards in the six weeks it took to build, and many more died from cholera, dysentery, starvation and exhaustion.
The men worked steadily with eighteen hour days, little food and illness all around, when they built the 415km long railway from Thailand to Burma

We had an early morning bike ride (it had to be early, cos it got far to hot later in the day to do anything, let alone ride a bike) through farm land to this suspension bridge and beautiful Buddhist Temple. We loved the bright colours of the temples, golds, reds and blues.
We found it interesting to learn that all Buddhist men have to spend time as monks at some times in their lives, it can be for just a week, a month or years.

 On our way travelling back to Bangkok we travelled on a train along the death railway. It was named this because over 100,000 POWs and asian labourers died as a direct result of working on the project. 

                        

It has such an awful history, but was a beautiful trip through farm land hills and tropical jungle.
The train was an old wooden bench seat train with big open windows which you could stick your heads out of to get some fresh air (just like you see the puppy dogs do) ha ha. We don't know if it was cooler on the  inside or out but we definitely enjoyed the view.

Back in Bangkok we spent time relaxing with a fishy foot spa and a couple of beers (of course) getting ready for the next step of our travels. Once again starting far too early in the morning. We spent the night back on Khao San Road, the road that never sleeps, eating drinking and being merry.

Our trip to the island of Ko Sumat started at 7AM on a bus which we spent the next four hours hoping was the right bus.
It was all good, we got to the boat and waited while the loaded fish, chickens and bricks for the new pier aboard. It was an entertaining forty five minute trip to the island.
In 1981, the Royal Forest Department declared the archipelago of Samet, along with nine other small islands to be National Park, which means Ko Samet is under the protection of the National Parks Division of the Thai Government.
 
We stayed in a cute little hut right on the beach, with a bar and restaurant. Everything we could possible need.

A fire show during dinner kept us entertained.

It is believed, once upon a time that Ko Sumet was home to pirates and that there is still buried treasure hidden somewhere on the island.
We walked up and down the beach looking for it, but unfortunately came back none the richer.

The island is popular for scuba diving and snorkeling, because of the clear water, colourful coral and abundance of marine life such as turtles, tiger sharks and manta rays.
The water was warm and we spent hours swimming and snorkeling and relaxing on the beach.

Thailand was an amazing way to relax and unwind on our way back to Australia.
Can't wait to visit again!