Coconut processing; Floating market in Damnoen Saduak; The Bridge on the River Kwai; Tham Kra Se Viaduct; Bathing elephants

After our guide has picked you up, we can start the tour reliably and safely. Our interesting drive takes us to Damnoen Saduak, the famous bridge on the River Kwai and the elephants with whom you can also bathe in the river. On the way we pass the salt pans where sea water is let in and after drying up the salt is extracted to be sold at the roadside and at the markets. On the way we visit a coconut plantation where you can see how the coconuts are processed and marketed, this is an additional income for The thai. You can also visit the orchid farm which is beautifully landscaped there. The drive then continues to the Damnoen Saduak floating market, which is close by.

Damnoen Saduak is one of the oldest floating markets in Thailand, dating back to the reign of King Rama IV. At that time, the khlongs were elaborately dug by hand to ensure the supply of goods to the residents. Today, the market is touristy, but the interesting thing is the old wooden boats, some of which are still used as they were 100 years ago. Some of the boats are equipped with an open cooking area, which is fired with charcoal or even small pieces of wood. Soup is heated and meat is grilled in this simple and, of course, inexpensive way. Then we go directly to the floating marrow, where the market women sit in their boats and sell fruits, vegetables and fried or cooked food. We will try one or the other typical local fruit or dish with you.

Afterwards, the journey continues to the Bridge on the River Kwai, where you can see the monument in honour of the fallen soldiers and civilians. Passing impressive landscapes with plantations and simple town houses gives us an idea of the poor conditions under which some of the people here live. In Kanchanaburi, on the Khwae Yai River, prisoners of war were forced to build two bridges. First a wooden bridge was built and later a steel bridge. Both bridges were destroyed by the Allies through several air raids. After it is about time to have something to eat, we go to a nice restaurant directly at the river, where our tour guide takes care of lunch. After lunch we then visit the River Kwai Bridge before continuing our drive through a scenic area.

The journey takes us to a small station, one stop before the Tham Kra Sae Viaduct, where we board the train and experience the highlight, the slow ride over the wooden Wam Pho Viaduct. The viaduct was built by prisoners of war, for which large parts of the mountain had to be shaped so that the rails could be laid. In the process, many prisoners died during the physically hard work under inhumane conditions. Observe the construction of the bridge and enjoy the landscape, which is particularly charming here and a natural experience of a special kind. Here at the station you have the opportunity to buy some souvenirs or the exciting book, which is not so well translated into German, but tells very interestingly under what conditions the prisoners of war had to work and lived here.

We still have the opportunity to have a look around and also to see the viaduct construction up close before we head for our next destination. For this we drive to a nearby elephant camp, and here you have the opportunity to bathe with the elephants and wash them. A natural event you will not forget, as there are only a few camps on the River Kwai that offer this. There are always divided opinions, as there are many critics regarding elephant keeping and animal welfare, but one should not forget one thing, you cannot simply send the elephants back to the jungle because they need a lot of food to survive. Therefore, soft tourism with bathing elephants is a good idea and ensures their supply. After this excursion we drive back to the starting point in Bangkok.