Kwai Bridge, Hellfire Pass, Weary Dunlop Museum tour

[briofoz]

My mate and I are arranging a one day tour to Hellfire Pass, River Kwai Bridge, Weary Dunlop Museum and Death Railway. If time permits, Tiger Temple and any other places (open to suggestions). It will be with a guide/driver, in an A/C vehicle. We are doing it on 4th May 2007. We plan to leave Nana Hotel about 6-30am. We are both ex military, and about 50yo's. Any BMs in BKK at that time, and wish to join us are welcome. Total cost we are hoping to be about 3000bt. It won't be a pub crawl as we want to experience what others have found there. Please leave a message after the beep.............


....beep

[Goong]

Hi briofoz,
Hope you get some response to this post as i'm keen get out there myself and would like to hear more about the area. A lot of Oz history to soak up!

jimholio posted some great pictures of the surrounding areas which included some floating bungalows that took my interest and may be worth a look for you and your mate. I don't know how to attach a link but his post is in the "General" section and is dated 18/2/07.

I'll be in BKK in a fortnight and will have left by the time you get there otherwise i would have taken you up on the offer. Have a good trip.

[aussie dollar]

You will enjoy this trip and own driver guide is the go,I did it from cha-am last october.
tiger temple is ok seems strange to touch and cuddle tigers,myself I gave it a miss but girl with me got photo taken with tiger.
Make sure you go to war graves near River Kwai is a sobering experience.

[Chickenlips]

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

You will enjoy this trip and own driver guide is the go

Hey AUD - a couple of mates and I would be keen to go do the same trek with our own driver as well.....any ideas on how i can find someone to take us who knows where they are going / what they are doing? Would REALLY prefer not to do the arranged tour if I could get away with it! We will arrive on April 5th before heading down to Phuket on the morning of the 10th and I want to take these lads there (even though I went in 1999 or so).

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

Make sure you go to war graves near River Kwai is a sobering experience.

Never a truer word spoken in my mind......the whole Hellfire Pass, Jeath Museum thing gave me an appreciation of the ANZACs and what they SHOULD mean to EVERY Australian / Kiwi.....before that trip, and Im not proud to say it, my appreciation was, er shall I say, lacking!

[Chickenlips]

Originally Posted by briofoz

It will be with a guide/driver, in an A/C vehicle.

Hey Briofoz
Any tips on where I could find a guide / driver to take us on this tour as well please? Would appreciate your help!

Cheers

[aussie dollar]

Cant Help With Driver Guide,i Travelled From Cha - Am Which Is 2.5 Hours South Of Bangkok.
Im Sure Some Other Bm's Should Be Able To Give You Some Ideas From Bangkok,if You Book With Travel Agent And Make It Clear You Want Only Your Party And A Modern Vechicle They Should Be Able To Help.

JUST FROM MY MEMORY THINK FROM CHA AM AROUND 3400 BAHT FOR 2 PAX

[Raval]

I made the river kwai bridge/hellfire pass tour back in 1996. But I did it from kanchanaburi, not from BKK. I was lucky to get a expat from australia as a tour guide. He could tell us a lot background history about the days of WW 2 and especialy about this area. He new a lot of local stories too. It is 11 years ago now, but I still remember everything he told me... he was a real story teller. Even the rain that day matched perfectly with the things he told us, while we where walking through the hellfire pass. Very impressive. It was unbelievable what people had to go through in the captivity of the japanese. I visited the YEATH-museum and the war cemetery by myself... it is in Kanchanaburi town. But Hellfire made the most impression(I think because of the stories our guide told us). I don't know if there was a tiger temple in 1997, but I was not aware of it. So I recon it will be a perfect day trip for you... but you have to have a little bit luck with the guide.
Have fun.

Cheers,

Raval

[cybernator_uk]

Originally Posted by briofoz

My mate and I are arranging a one day tour to Hellfire Pass, River Kwai Bridge, Weary Dunlop Museum and Death Railway. If time permits, Tiger Temple and any other places (open to suggestions). It will be with a guide/driver, in an A/C vehicle. We are doing it on 4th May 2007. We plan to leave Nana Hotel about 6-30am. We are both ex military, and about 50yo's. Any BMs in BKK at that time, and wish to join us are welcome. Total cost we are hoping to be about 3000bt. It won't be a pub crawl as we want to experience what others have found there. Please leave a message after the beep.............


....beep

You will have a great time. I went to the River Kwai bridge and one of the museums in 2003. I just booked it through my hotel and i had a pick up on the Saturday morning at around 6.45. A fantastic place. Would be worth going again and spending more time there. I just don't think one day was enough for me. I saw what I wanted to see but I just didn't feel that I had soaked it all up. None-the-less was a great day. I have some pictures but i think they are all back in the UK. Standing on the bridge itself, you get a fantastic view. The scenery is beautiful. Have a great time and tell us what you thought of it.

[jimholio]

Graves and bridges in all its glory :P

Ok i admit that im not much of a history fan, but ofcourse Swedish people dont have the same ties to River Kwan as the English people do if i get it right.

Anyways, what i would like to suggest is once you are in that region, go to Erawan National Park, beautiful place about 30 min drive from downtown if i remember it right. (There are tourist buses etc that goes that way too if you dont wanna bring your own driver)

As for getting to Kanchanaburi, there are buses, why would you need a driver? You take the comfortable busride there, like 3 hours or whatever it was and then you can take a cab wherever you wanna go up there, anything else would be a waste of money imo, would you pay for the drivers hotel too?

Here's a pic of Erawan.

[briofoz]

[quote=jimholio;307770]

As for getting to Kanchanaburi, there are buses, why would you need a driver? You take the comfortable busride there, like 3 hours or whatever it was and then you can take a cab wherever you wanna go up there, anything else would be a waste of money imo, would you pay for the drivers hotel too?

QUOTE]

Unfortunatley, we only have one day in BKK, before heading to Phuket. It is not an overnight trip. Cost will probably be 4000bt, including fuel. Between 2 of us isnt so bad, between 3 or 4, even better. That was the reason for the original post, was an invite to other board members to join us. As we are ex military, we will find the places very interesting. We arrive in BKK, late the night before, so too late to arrange on arrival.

As for driver/guides, I know of threeall this info has been gleaned from other forums, mostly AWD Forum. Thanks to the contributors over there..)

We have booked Ratt.... email... rat_bkk@hotmail.com

A guide is Nok, 500bt for day plus transport, email nan_ke80@yahoo.co.uk

Guide/Driver... Tong, pornpitcha@yahoo.com ( Her quote was high, although she says she is a licensed guide).

Part of Ratts email reply to me...

The schedules below only show you an idea; you can tell us what you want to
do.

At 8:00 AM to Wat Phra Kaew in side The Grand Palace see the emerald Buddha
( ß250/P), take long tail boat ( ß700 no anyone else only your team) a long
the river see the Royal Barge ( ß30/P), see canal life and feed fishes, pass
by Wat Arun, get off at Wat Po sees the Reclining Buddha (ß50/P), Lunch at
Methavalai near by the Democracy Monument (a-la-carte), to Teak Wood Mansion
(Vimanmek Mansion) see some building there (the ticket of the Grand Palace
can see here), then Jim Thomson's House (ß100/P), Will be finish around
18:00PM then you can shopping at night market and have dinner over there or
somewhere near by.

At 6:30AM to floating market, pass by salt farm, see Benjarong handicraft
factory, Take Paddle boat see the market along the canal (400Baht no anyone
else only your team) see cobras show (ß200/P), see dimension craving wood,
crocodiles show and elephant show (Adult 500Baht/P, Children 250Baht/P),
finish here around 16:30PM
Or have lunch at Rose Garden then see the cultural show (450Baht/P) then
ahead back to Bangkok, be there around 18:00 PM gasoline cost around 600
Baht.

At 6:30 AM to floating market, pass by salt farm, see Benjarong handicraft
factory, take a paddle boat to shop the market (400Baht no anyone else only
your team), see the whole piece of wood craving in dimension, then to
Kanchanaburi, the Bridge Over River Qwai, have lunch at floating restaurant
(a-la-carte or set menu ß150-ß300/P), the museum of war(8Bath/p), Sing
City(40Baht/P), Dead real way, riding elephant(300 Baht/P), feed wild
monkeys, and take photo with tiger at tiger temple(300Baht/P). Back home
around 20:00-21:00PM. Gasoline cost around 900-1000 Baht.

At 7:30 to Bang-Pa-in Palace, lunch at Krung Sri Hotel in Ayutthaya, Wat Yai
Chai Mong Kol, Wat Chai Wanaram, The elephant Kraal, Wat Pha Mahathat and
Wat Rach Burana, riding elephant around the old city. Finish here around
18:00PM ahead back to Bangkok around 19:00 PM Gasoline cost around 600 Baht.
If you come the early flight pick you up at the airport straight further to
Ayutthaya, Wat Yai Chai Mong Kol, Wat Chai Wanaram, The elephant Kraal, Wat
Pha Mahathat and Wat Rach Burana. Then check in after that.

At 6:30AM start early in the morning go ahead to floating market, pass by
salt farm, see Benjarong handicraft factory, take a paddle boat to shop the
market (400Baht no anyone else only your team), the whole piece of wood
craving in dimension, see cobras show (ß200/P), stay one night here for fun,
take long tail boat to see fire fly and floating night market. Bed and
Breakfast Thai House only 450 Baht include dinner, breakfast and food for
monk in morning or stay at Thai House Resort and Spy like hotel 2000-7,000
Baht only breakfast. You can get in website to take a look
Welcome to Baan Amphawa Resort and Spa Samut Songkarm Thailand

Or another Thai house this one is home stay. She charges only 450
Baht/person include two meals with food to give to the monk in the morning
and free for the driver too. It is not private room and not nice like the
first one but will be O.K for the people wants to know how they live.

The next day drive to Kanchanaburi, you can stay one night at
Elawon-waterfall, the whole cottage with two rooms 2000-3000 Baht, you can
swimming here, see around here, the Bridge Over River Qwai, Sing City, Dead
real way, riding elephant, feed monkeys, Some temples and take photo with
tiger.

On this time there is The Acme of Thai Dramatic Arts. It is on the
auspicious occasion of the 60th anniversary of H.M.King Bhumibol
Adulyadej's. This act is "Khon" They show about Ramayana story. On last 150
years ago. Show only in the palace. May be you have seen some before but
only 10% of this. Here is light and sound very very beautiful. Don't miss
it. If you want us reservation for you, please let me know. The cost is only
1000, 1200 Baht only. The shows start 20:30 PM only, Friday and Saturday.

[Chickenlips]

Hey briofoz......
Check your personal messages mate....

Cheers

[allyoops]

hi biofroz,
is your trip still on and on 4 may.may be interested .please see your messages.

[briofoz]

We have now been there, done that, and reckon its one of the most memorable days of my life. allyoops came with us, and Ratt our driver, turned up on time. Her english was reasonable, and chatted away all day with info. Total cost for car was 4200Bt, and was money well spent. We were gone 14 hours, so was a long day, but glad we didn't overnight out there. Anyone interested in knowing more info, just ask. A pic shows a broken suspension/strut/swaybar/thingy that sheared, and I guess we were lucky train didnt derail. After it broke, train went very slow, until carriage was removed at a siding about an hour later.

[SirDougless]

Here is a travel article about the River Kwai bridge from last weekend's Australian. Interesting and worth a read IMO ...

Truths too far | Travel & Indulgence | The Australian

If it gets archived, PM me as I have a copy.