Kanchanaburi by mountain bike.
( approx 17 Kms, sightseeing , mainly all road riding, easy/ medium road riding level.)
Trail Visits:
* Kao Poon cave
* Chung Kai cutting
* River Kwae Bridge
* Death railway museum
* Wang Pho viaduct
The Best place to start this trail is probably in Bangkok at Bangkok Noi/Thonburi train station at 7.30am here the trains go directly to Kanchanaburi and you bikes can be loaded on to the train. To get Bangkok Noi train station we would suggest a Tuk Tuk with the bikes straped to the back or some taxis will alow you to put a bike with the front and back wheels removed in the boot/trunk.
The train journey should take around 3 hours.
When you get to Kanchanaburi train station follow to map which wil take you to Khao Poom cave cycling along the roads. There is a steep final climb before you get to the cave.
Kao Poon Cave.
Kao Poon cave takes about 15 minutes to walk through. Inside you will find Buddha statues, bats, stalagmites, stalactites and interesting rock formations.
After Kao Poon cave take a short cycle ride stopping at a view point and then down through a local souvenir market and down to the railway track.
The next part will involve push your bikes along the train tracks follow the tracks and cross an old railway bridge and and pass through the Chung-Kai cutting. If a train comes just keep to one side, the trains are quite slow so there will be time to move out of the way but take care when crossing the small bridge.
Chung Kai Cutting.
The chung Kai cutting was made by PoWs during WW2 and is part of the Thai-Burma railway system. The cutting was cut into the mountain and is about 100 meters
long and 40 meters deep.
Next cycle along the scenic country roads heading for the river Kwae bridge. When you get near the river kwai bridge you will see a sign pointing across a field with a small dirt track. DON'T follow this track as there are a lot of thorns which will puncture your tyres it is better to follow the roads.
When you arrive at the bridge you will be able to see some elephants. Next cycle upto the bridge and walk across pushing you bicycle. There are plenty of opertunities to take photos along the bridge.
River Kwae Bridge
The River Kwae bridge is still in service today was part of the Thai-Burma railway system. The bridge was frequently bombed during WW2 and was rebuilt after the war. The arches on the bridge are the original sections.
There is a floating resturant under the bridge which sells thai and foreign food and drinks coke, beer etc. Or if you prefer to keep riding the are lots of different style restaurants (Indian,Thai,Western, Italian etc) along Mae Nam Kwae road.
When you cycle to the Death railway museum you will be able to park and lock your bikes outside where the sign says parking.
Death railway museum
The museum is located next to Kanchanaburi war cemetery. It has lots of interesting historical artifacts explaining the building of the Thai-Burma railway. The enrance fee is 100 Baht and is well worth it the is also a cafe and a souvenir shop. When you have finished here you can take a look in the cemetary which is opposite the museum.
After the museum take a short ride back to the train station.
Here you have two choices
1. get the train back to Bangkok
2. Stay in Kanchanaburi.
If you choose to stay in Khanchanaburi there are plenty of guest houses / hotels along the main road (Mae Nam Kwae Rd) to stay at.
If you do stay we would reccommend taking to train to Wang Pho station to see Wang Pho viaduct. At Wang Pho you will be able to walk along the Railway track next to the cliff face, there is also a small cave next to the viaduct in the cliff face to see.
Wang Pho
The famous Wang Pho is a large wooden viaduct built into the cliff face by Britsh PoWs. The railway track is still in service today.
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