Kanchanaburi
Three hours west of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is best known for the Bridge over the River Kwai — the surviving span of the Death Railway built by Allied prisoners of war and conscripted Asian labourers during the Japanese occupation. The two excellent museums (the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre and the JEATH War Museum) and the immaculate Allied war cemetery should be paired with the bridge itself for context. North of town, Erawan National Park is the country’s prettiest waterfall — seven tiers of turquoise pools you can swim in — and the trip pairs naturally with a slow afternoon on the river in a raft-house homestay.
