Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Aug / Sept 2017: The Kids & Family Issue | Page 55

Train on the bridge
over the river Kwai
in Kanchanaburi;
Credit: Eo naya
/Shutterstock
2 KANCHANABURI
Get back to nature in
Kanchanaburi, a picturesque town far
removed from its dark past. Though
traces of the atrocities that hap-
pened here during WWII can still be
seen across the range of museums
and notable sites (including the River
Kwai bridge), there’s much more to
Kanchanaburi than its history.
Located a two-hour drive north-
west of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi of-
fers a 300-square-kilometer nation-
al park home to waterfalls, caves,
hiking trails and a wide variety of
wildlife. Beyond the national park,
you’ll find plenty of outdoor activ-
ities, such as river rafting, a tree-
top adventure course, and the West
Wonder Waterpark, so you can
strike an easy balance between edu-
cational excursions and just-for-fun
days out.
Getting there
Take a bus or minibus from Mo Chit’s
Northern Terminal, or add a little ex-
tra adventure to your trip and take
the train. Departing at 7:50 a.m. and
1:55 p.m. from Thonburi Station in
Bangkok, the journey takes just over
four hours and costs 100 THB per
person.
Khao Yai National
Park overflows
with sunflowers
from November
to January
3
KHAO YAI
There’s so much to see and do
in Khao Yai that you may struggle to
fit it all in over one short weekend. Of
course, a visit to this popular nation-
al park wouldn’t be complete with-
out a day spent exploring the forest,
scoping the scene for gibbons and
crocodiles on a guided tour, as well as
detours to the many waterfalls along
the way.
But beyond the woods, Khao Yai
also offers a plethora of activities
that kids are sure to love. Don’t miss
Primo Piazza, where you can feed the
sheep, alpaca and donkeys this rustic
Italian spot keeps on its farm, or the
leafy Pete Maze in Pak Chong. There’s
the much-loved Chokchai Farm with
its Western theme, and active kids
will love the action-packed giant
playground called Scenical World,
home to Life Park, Splash World and
Greenery Park Mall.
Getting there
A single taxi trip from Bangkok to
Khao Yai will cost around 2000 THB,
but there are plenty of public trans-
port options from Mo Chit bus sta-
tion leaving every half hour with pric-
es around 180 THB.
WWW.WANDERLUSTMAG.COMWANDERLUST 55