Travel destinations in Thailand – Part 2

Kanchanaburi should be on everyone’s must-see list when in Thailand.

Close enough to Bangkok to be an easy day trip, Kanchanaburi is a quaint little town packed with history. It was here that, in WWII, the Japanese army forced its Allied prisoners to build the Bridge on the River Kwai, part of the Death Railway that joined Thailand and Burma and was used to transport supplies to Japanese soldiers in Burma. More than 100,000 Allied soldiers died building the railway.

Visitors can walk across the bridge, but be careful – it’s usually crowded and the gaping holes on the sides are best avoided. A tourist train still uses the bridge but travels really slowly so walkers will get plenty of warning. If you’re lucky there may be elephants (closely watched by their Thai masters) you can feed on the other side. If you want to ride one, elephant trekking tours are available at various places around town.

A WWII cemetery not far from the bridge contains the graves of the Allied soldiers who died on the railway. Some were still teenagers; it’s a heartbreaking place that will move even the hardest heart.

Also near Kanchanaburi is Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua, known to visitors as Tiger Temple. Buddhist monks raise tigers here, protecting them from poachers in the wild. Visitors are permitted to pat the tigers under close supervision and the temple is a popular tourist attraction. No bright colours are allowed though, as they can inflame the tigers. The monks are firm on this point – I turned up wearing a red and orange t-shirt and was denied entry.

The Jeath War museum is also worth a visit. This features a comprehensive history of the town and the war.

The scenery in and around Kanchanaburi is stunning and there are plenty of outdoor activities on offer. Kayaking, golf, you name it.

Kanchanaburi is about 150km from Bangkok. Buses leave Bangkok at regular intervals every day, and take two hours to get to Kanchanaburi. Local trains run between the two places, but these are third-class trains that don’t make for the most comfortable journey.

You could also get a taxi from Bangkok, but this is by far the most expensive option. If you’ve got money to burn, though, it is the fastest way.

However you choose to get here, Kanchanaburi is a charming little town that’s definitely worth a visit. I did it as a day trip from Bangkok but for those who want to stay, there’s accommodation galore at reasonable prices.

Traveling on the cheap

I had just finished planning a trip to Thailand in June for me and two of my friends. I planned early to determine just how much funds I still need to raise. To my surprise, our eight-day trip won’t cost much after all. Here’s why:

First of all, my dad earned a lot of frequent flyer miles this year and they will expire in September. Since he’ll be too busy to use them himself, he’s passing them on to me. The points were enough to for a roundtrip ticket to Thailand. Of course, I still had to pay the taxes myself but getting the tickets for free was a huge help.

If you don’t have anyone who can pass on their soon-to-expire points to you, do what my mom does: get a travel agent to book your flight and even hotel. Travel agents get very good prices from airlines and hotels and can save you the hassle of doing things yourself.

Compare prices of airlines and check online for cheap deals. Be on the lookout for special promotions by budget airlines. Check the newspapers and the airlines’ websites for these. Promotions usually offer super cheap airfares if you book now for travel dates one to five months in advance.

As for accommodations, try looking at guesthouses and hostels instead of hotels. If you’re a budget traveler, you’ll most likely only be staying in your hotel to sleep, go to the bathroom and change your clothes anyway. As long as the room is clean and the bed is comfortable enough, you’re better off staying at a guesthouse.

Finding a strategic area to stay in will cut down your cost. Ask yourself about what you want from the trip. If your answer is partying, try staying near the bars and clubs. If history is your thing, stay where most of the temples and museums are. If shopping is your main objective, stay near the malls. It may cost more to stay in more upscale areas, but if most of the places you want to hang out in are located there, maybe the money you save on transportation will make up for it.

If you’re interested in doing a little bit of everything, look for accommodations with easy access to the subway or skytrain stations or are located along the bus route. Your trip will be so much better if you schedule the places you want to visit that are near each other on the same day. Or you can schedule your day based on a logical route for a more efficient itinerary.

Some cities and towns are cheaper to stay in than others. Bangkok offers a lot of inexpensive guesthouses but some places will require you to put up with shared bathrooms,