Two-days River Kwai Jungle Rafts Discovery Tour

Great

We absolutely loved this - the accommodation had no electricity or any mod cons but that added to the adventure. Hellfire pass was a somber visit but well worth it incredible what the POW’s and Asian workers achieved in 17 months with no nutrition, diseases and hand tools. Was a highlight

Fabulous!

We absolutely loved this trip. The jungle rafts were beautiful and exceeded our expectations based on the description of them being "basic". Food was lovely as was the hospitality of the Mon people. Thank you!

Meaningful experience .

Well organised trip from start to finish - but as expected you spend a fair amount of time in the mini van going to and from the museum - Bridge - Hellfirepass accommodation - our tour guide Sam was good but was hard to understand at times but informative the lunch provided was great - The tour gives you a small glimpse of the horrid inhuman conditions the POWs had to endure to survive - the barbaric way they were treated - yet somehow some survived. I'm Father was one of the many POWs captured by the Japanese who spend time in Changi prison and worked on the Bridge over the River Kwai . So for me it was a great learning experience on the traumas experienced by POWs ! Seeing parts of the old bridge that my Father along with many thousands more were forced to build still standing was very meaningful experience. I'd recommend this trip just as learning experience - and reason why any War is terrible thought - The Australian government needs to be congratulated for sponsoring some of war memorials and the Hellfirepass learning centre.

A journey worth taking

A journey that my mother and I will never forget, was just wonderful. Exactly what we had hoped it would be filled with remarkable people and places definitely going back.

Excellant Overnight tour

THis trip was great from the pick up to drop off. Our guide ( Lady ) was very knowledgable and shared info the whole time she was with us. Lunch was more than ample and great. Local guides were excellent as well and the Overnight stay at the Jungle Rafts was a fabulous experience. I would highly recommend this trip

Exciting and interesting 2 day tour

My wife and I enjoyed the 2 day tour to River Kwai and Jungle rafts overnight. The first day started for us at 6am pickup by mini bus and taken to a central point to board a coach that had 14 of us. The railway museum and War graves cemetery were very interesting and thought provoking. Then on to lunch, before we were met by our next guide who was to take us to the Hellfire pass and museum. As it was very hot and humid we decided to skip the pass until the following morning when it would be much cooler, which proved to be a good idea as we were almost the first to arrive at the Jungle rafts and had the swim in the river to ourselves. We arrived at the Jungle rafts early afternoon and after check in jumped in the cool but swift flowing river and drifted the length of the rafts a few times, before we chilled on the sun lounges and hammocks. We walked the gentle route to the Mon Village and cave Buddhas before returning for dinner next to the river before the Mon traditional Dance show, which last about 30 mins. The rooms are lit by LED battery mock kerosene lamps, but all dinner tables and walk ways are lit by kerosene lamps. Just before breakfast the Elephant is brought down to the river from the Mon Village to allow guest to feed her various pieces of fruit. We then did the Hellfire pass and museum, leaving the rafts at 08.30, which was quite cool and opens at 9 ideal, before moving onto the Death Valley railway and the 3 hour drive back to Bangkok, so take a book or just doze on the coach. A great 2 days trip. We would definitely recommend to all our friends. A word of note there is no electric or Internet at the jungle rafts to take a power pack if you want power for your phones.

Relaxing and informative. Great Tour.

Very relaxing and informative tour. Great time. Saw a lot. The guide was very attentive to every need. Really enjoyed seeing the Bridge over the River Kwai. Just be aware. --- there is NO electricity on the rafts. But still had a GREAT time. Staff was extremely helpful. Got to meet the Mon people and see the village.

Interesting, fun, too fast.

A great introduction to the area and the history. Good if you only have a couple days. However, the visits to the museums and the bridge are quick. If this is history you really want to explore, you will need more time. The Jungle Rafts hotel was peaceful and lovely. Kind, friendly staff. Fun riding the current from one end to the other. Good food. Interesting learning about Mon culture.

History and tranquillity in Kanchanaburi

The tour was so well organised, and all the logistics clearly communicated. The Death Railway museum in Kanchanaburi was fascinating, a piece of WWII history that I didn't know much about. Jungle rafts resort itself is stunning and the Mon dance performance was unexpectedly excellent!

Two-days River Kwai Jungle Rafts Discovery Tour

The trip was superb, from the guides to the venues. Highlights for me was the beautiful unique hotel, the visit to hellfire pass and the train ride

Wonderfully Emotional

We decided on this trip because of a personal connection to Kanchanburi with our grandfather being a POW working on the death railway. The floating rafts amazing, our guides informative and the Mon tribal people lovely! We had an amazing time with the best part being off grid for a couple of days. Highly recommend this tour. Don’t miss it!

So Glad We Did This

This tour was well organized and used newer, air conditioned vehicles. The guides were knowledgeable and good representatives of their homeland cultures. Given that English is their second language there were inevitably some moments when communication was limited, but overall understanding was sufficient. We felt rushed at the Death Railway Museum, as there is much to view and understand there. Jungle Rafts Hotel is a terrific experience and we highly recommend it, with the caveat that there is no electricity. This means no lights (The staff prepares kerosene lights for each cabin and the room key comes with a small flashlight.), no air conditioning, no WiFi and no place to charge devices. The upside is a beautiful location, tasty and plentiful food and a once in a lifetime chance to swim in the River Kwai. The included visit to Hellfire Pass Interpretive Center was a highlight for us, a beautiful but emotional review of a terrible wartime event. As others have noted, it is good to take plenty of small Thai Baht bills for tips and small purchases. We chose to travel light, having stored our larger suitcases at our Bangkok hotel, and we were glad we did, as it made transferring between vehicles and the small boats much easier. Finally, we would recommend planning your visit during cooler months, as the heat and humidity can be severe in the hot seasons.

Rafts review

Was a fantastic 2day trip. Would highly recommend, accom as per itinerary, food great and local guide fantastic. Guide on bus had very poor English and was difficult to understand when giving history on bus. Need small notes in cash as only cash once at rafts and they seemed to struggle with big notes for change.

Unique Environment

My partner and I took part in this two day trip at the end of a busy three week holiday around Thailand. It was very well organised. We started at the museum and military cemetery, and our only criticisim about this is that we did not have long enough here - just another 20 minutes would have done but we were rushed around and this was disappointing. The bridge over the River Kwai was impressive and we even got to see a train crawling across. Next was the longtail boat to the Jungle Rafts accommodation, which is amazing and unique. Great lunch, lovely staff and the surroundings are superb. We had some free time, so had a walk up to the Mon village and had a swim in the (very fast flowing) river. The room is small and rustic - there are no mod cons but who cares! You have a mosquito net over a comfy bed, what else do you need at night? Once dark, lighting is by paraffin lamps and small torches, the food is excellent and plenty of it. There are cold beers and cocktails and a dance show is put on by local villagers. It really was a unique place to stay and for one night we were more than happy here, after the bustle of Bangkok. Our second day involved a trip to Hellfire Pass which was very humbling and we were pleased to have much longer to visit the Pass and museum. We had a train journey over some of the original POW built railway line, followed by another good lunch and journey back to Bangkok. All in all a very enjoyable two day trip and one we would recommend.

Don’t worry - Do it!

No electricity. No wifi. Perfect! We stayed here 24 hrs. Floated with life vests from top of the rafts to bottom during day. Lay in hammocks and convenient tables outside our rooms reading during evening and night. Not too mosquito ridden at all considering it was on the river. Bit warm at night (no electricity - no fans) and constant river sounds didn’t bother me but the kids slept partially. Set menu food was good - they catered for my nut allergic child. Bar was cosy and allowed takeouts to rooms. Very safe and fun. Several rooms tied securely together on floats - not too much wave movement. Though 24 hrs probably enough for this experience. Other option would have been staying in the more modern rafts further up the river (they had windows) but was more expensive!

Excellent

A moving account of the horrific building of the Burma railway. Well organised & informative we went & visited the museum & war graves on day 1. A trip up the river to see the famous bridge, then a second river trip to the jungle rafts. With no electricity & internet it was a different experience. Loved the swim down the river. Day 2 involved a trip on the railway. All in all an excellent trip. On the downside, the time allocated to the museum & graves was too rushed. We could have done with another hour, which was a shame.

This tour was outstanding. The...

<p>This tour was outstanding. The coordination by the different entities to get us from our hotel to the different locations and venues and back was remarkably efficient and timely. Both guides that took us into Kanchanaburi from Bangkok were well versed in history and spoke very good English, which really helped us understand all the information they provided.<br/> I booked this tour because of the visit to the War Cemeterys allied graves, and the Thailand-Burma Railway Center and the bridge across the River Kwai. <br/> My father was a prisoner of war POW of the Japanese Imperial Army from 1942 to 1945 and he worked on the railroad that led to the bridge. While growing up, he never really talked much about his experience in the POW camps, but from the few stories he did tell, and from general World War II history, I knew that all those prisoners suffered major hardships.<br/> The cemetery was impressive and awoke strong emotions while walking among the thousands of gravestones. The Railway Center museum depicted numerous images and a stage model of the rail cars the prisoners were packed into to be transported to the POW camps, as well as numerous photographs and written texts which told the story of the hard labor the POWs were subjected to to build the railroad in less than 18 months, when the initial estimates to complete the 450 km rail line was 6 years.<br/> One fortunate event was the ability to do a record search of the POWs kept in captivity during the years 1942 -1945. I submitted my father's name to the records clerk at the museum, and after a short computerized search, they found my father's name and printed me a copy of his record. This alone made the trip so worthwhile.<br/> After the visit to the cemetery and Rail Way Center Museum we were transported to the actual bridge over the River Kwai. I went on a long tail boat on the actual river my wife stayed on the bus, and we met again at the bridge.<br/> From the bridge we were taken by long tail boat to our floating hotel where the rest of the two days activities took place. We loved the simplicity of the floating hotel, the food, and the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. We took an elephant ride, which is something that needs to be done when in Thailand. The Mon village was interesting, and the dance performance was different, but very pleasant. <br/> The visit to hellfire pass showed the ingenuity, perseverance, and suffering the POWs must have undergone to create this huge gorge out of granite with hand tools. It's indescribable what these allied POWs went through to create this pathway through the rock.<br/> We enjoyed the train ride on the death railway, realizing that the tracks my dad helped build are still in use today.<br/> All in all, please read some of the other reviews written here. I didn't want to repeat what others experienced. But this two day tour MADE our stay in Thailand. It was beyond excellent and a wonderful experience, and a great value for the price we paid. This is a must take tour, especially if you have or know of someone who worked on this railroad as a Prisoner of War.</p>

All in all this was an interesting...

<p>All in all this was an interesting trip with Asian Trails. Our trip was confirmed the night before at our hotel. The included meals were good and lots of food. The Jungle Raft hotel was a good experience. The trip would have been 5 stars except for the guide we had for the first morning and 2nd afternoon by the name of Susan. Her way of speaking English and use of words was very hard to understand and she had the annoying habit of referring to herself in the third person as Susan. She never used Me. The guide we had for the first afternoon and 2nd morning was excellent. He took us to the hotel and the mon village. Another disappointment was that We were unable to see Hellfire Pass. Not the fault of the tour company as it was closed for the holiday and company didn't know at time of our reservation and did notify us in advance by email and we didn't have availability to change the date. I mention Hellfire Pass because I feel the substitute site was really not comparable. It was ok. <br/> The River Kwai and bridge were great to see and the museum is excellent too. Loved the visit through the Mon Village and the information provided by the guide was excellent as we love history and learning about different cultures. The Hotel without electricity was a unique experience that I would not have missed but I had my Kindle fire charged up, my mp3 charged up and downloaded songs and movies to watch. We upgraded the Death Railway train ride and really enjoyed it. Note that there are lots of rides in the long tailed boats on this tour and it is hard to get into and out of them. After two times I was very sore in my legs and knees. I am overweight and 63 years old. If you are in great shape no problems. There is lots of walking uphill and quite a few steps. !</p>

A truly different experience!!

This tour was amazing!! The Jungle Rafts are gorgeous!! It is a pretty cool experience being able to swim the length of the rafts bith in terms of doing something fun and a great way to cool down. We visited in January which is a cooler time of year in Thailand, i can imagine it would get pretty hot and the river being right on the door step is a fun way to cool down. The rafts are gorgeous, having no power made them a little more special because at night they are lit with lanterns! It did mean the rooms are pretty humid... i creatively solved tge problem sleeping under a damp towel :) We had an amazing experience in the morning as they bought an elephant down to the river next to the raft. The visit to the Mon village is amazing and our guide Bli (?) Who is a resident of the village was amazing. He was friendly, funny, knowledgable and has a great rapport with all people on the tour. The visit to hellfire pass was phenomenal! Again Bli was super informative and seemed to be able to make the visit meaningful with his knowledge tgat was specific to each of the cultures represented in our group!! As Kiwi's he talked to us about Anzac Day memorials held at the site. I will be honest, at times we wished we had chosen the air conditioned option at the Floatel, but in hindsight this was such a special experience that I will reflect on fondly for a long time!!! I would encourage you to do this tour, it is very special. It was the first time we saw stars in Thailand, and Dawn on the rafts was spectacular!!

This was a really great activity! We...

<p>This was a really great activity! We learned a lot and had a great time on the river Kwai. We learned a lot and were able to have some downtime on the jungle rafts while also learning about the Mon tribe. This is a great tour for people wanting to learn more about some of the history of the area.</p>

Best thing we did in Thailand

I will admit that when I booked this tour I was worried about a hotel without power in Thailand. What a surprise. This turned out the highlight of our Thailand tour and we did alot in Thailand. I chose the tour as we got to see Hellfire Pass and as a Aussie I always feel we should pay our respects to our fallen soldiers when travelling. Yes it is 2 days and my advise is to pack lightly (we left our luggage in Bangkok and took a small bag). It is a big drive and you get to stop quite a lot. You wont be bored. You see the cementries and the River Kwai Bridge which is covered off in other reviews but the fun starts after that. You are taken to the jungle and deep in the jungle you board a cool long tail boat. Then 20 minutes up a river - just you and nature - come around a corner and there it is. A beautiful hotel run by the Mon tribe. They take you up to visit their village - all very relaxing. You get to see their elephant which you will fall in love with. Its then back to the floating hotel and you can safely swim or just go to the bar. The tribe put on a show that night. The next morning you wake up to fog rolling up the river. Have a breakfast on the river and then a real surprise visit (I will keep it a secret for you but bring your camera to breakfast). We then checked out and went off to Hellfire Pass. This is so well looked after - a real tribute to the Australian Government. Steep steps at the start but no too bad once down the steps. There is a small air conditioned museum to go through as well. From there they put you on the original train line that the prisoners of war built. Then back to Bangkok. Look it is a full 2 days but well worth the money. We had doubts sure but the food was all good, water is supplied, mozzie nets - but we didn't see any mozzies. The river water is fine to swim in (clean). The only extra money we spent was at the bar. You wont regret this tour.

We did this tour in Nov and would...

<p>We did this tour in Nov and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in WWII history. We were picked up from our hotel at the arranged time and taken to a central point for our bus of the day. After a bit of a drive were taken to the Bridge over the River Kwai by long boat and then proceeded to the Death Railway Museum and one of the many cemeteries. Sam, our guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the history and provided an excellent commentary. We were then taken to another long boat where we were taken to our overnight accommodation. The accommodation was very comfortable and the food provided of good quality, however it must be pointed out that there is no power at this site, so it will be hot and humid. A quick swim in the river helped, but it was still very hot and humid. Bligh was our guide and he attended to all our needs as there was only 4 people in our group. His passion for the WWII history was evident and his knowledge of the history would be much better than most Australians of a similar age. The next day we were taken to the Hellfire Pass and Museum before being delivered back to our bus for the return journey to Bangkok via the Death Railway. The whole experience was well worth the discomfort of the heat and I would recommend an overnight stay as it would have otherwise been a very long day. The day tour also does not visit Hellfire Pass.. <br/> The only problem we had was that our return bus broke down, but the tour guide managed to organise suitable alternative transport in record time and even though our bus was not available, the tour went on regardless without a hitch and without delay. Well done.</p>

Informative Jungle Raft.

Well organized trip, comfortable transport, a bit tight time for memorial museum. Guide is very nice and easy to understand. Stay in Jungle Raft is nice, good meals, hut is of course simple but fine and hygienic. Tour of Mon village is relaxing and informative. I liked the train ride, but it did not go over the River Kwai bridge. All in all, we had two fascinating, fun days.

Beeindruckendes Dschungelerlebnis

Die historischen Hintergründe zu River Kwai und dem Hellfire Paß. Die beeindruckende Landschaft und die Freundlichkeit und Hilfsbereitschaft der Einheimischen. Das Dschu gel Camp ist ein wenig in die Jahre gekommen, aber sauber. Das Personal sehr freundlich, das Essen sehr gut und reichlich, aber man sollte wissen, dass es keinen Strom gibt. Unsere Reiseleiter waren ausgezeichnet.

Nicht zu empfehlen!

Ich und meine Freundin haben uns sehr auf das Abenteuer und diesen Ausflug gefreut. Leider wurden wir sehr enttäuscht und die guten Bewertungen sind leider nicht nachvollziehbar. Ich bin letztlich sehr froh gewesen, dass wir uns nur für eine Übernachtung entschieden haben! Zunächst bekommt man bei den Ausflügen nur wenig Zeit, all die Eindrücke in Ruhe aufzunehmen. Leider wird man schnell von Ort zu Ort gebracht, man bekommt die "nötigsten" Informationen zur Geschichte und schon ging es zum Floating Boot. Zu den Zimmern. Wir hatten zum Glück ein 3 Bett-Zimmer, sodass man mit zugekniffenen Augen die eine Nacht überstehen konnte. Auf dem Moskitonetz befand sich etwas seltsames (wie ein kleines Nest) von irgendwelchen Tieren, die vermutlich ihre Hinterlassenschaft auf dem frischen Laken hinterlassen haben. Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass dies nicht gesehen wurde...daher fühlten wir uns zu beginn schon sehr unwohl. Getränke waren nicht inkludiert und unverschämt hoch. Z.B: Wasser (0,2) für 90 Bath? Oder ein Cocktail (0,2 l) für umgerechnet 6 Euro? Das steht für mich in keinem Verhältnis. Auch die Massage kostet mind. 400 Bath und ähnelt keiner Thaimassage, die ich kenne, sondern nur ein Gedrücke der Muskeln. Am schlimmsten war allerdings das Essen.... ich habe in Thailand noch nie so schlecht und fast ungenießbar gegessen... Fettige und knochige Fleischreste im Curry, Frühstück ebenso umlecker. Wir haben tatsächlich nur das frische Obst verzehrt. Unterhalten wird dieses "Unternehmen" von einem Dschungeldorf, welches dort lebt. Schön war zu sehen, wie sie im Dschungel leben. Allerdings wird dort auch leider eine Elefantendame allein gehalten, die mehr als nur Knochig aussieht und rein zum Tourismuszweck gehalten wird. Die Erfahrung auf einem Flussboot zu schlafen mag nett sein, jedoch würde ich niemanden diesen Ausflug empfehlen. Preis-Leistung stimmen hier einfach nicht und wir konnten es schon Morgens nicht mehr abwarten, endlich wieder zu fahren...

Geweldig

Wat een geweldige plek ! helaas bleven we maar 1 nacht en kwamen wat later op de dag aan zodat we maar kort hebben mogen genieten van de rust en de mooie lokatie. De kamer is geweldig, romantisch en goed verzorgd. Wel een koude douche maar dat was gezien de buitentemperatuur geen probleem. Heerlijk en goed verzorgd diner. Zeer vriendelijk en gastvrij personeel. Een plek om minimaal 2 nachten te verblijven.

رحلة النهر الطيني

في هذه الرحلة ، تستطيع أن تكتشف نهر كاواي ، وأخر رحلة لمدة يومين ، المكان جميل لمن يبحث عن الهدوء والابتعاد عن صخب بانكوك

Spændende boform

Et meget spændende sted at overnatte. 1 eller 2 overnatninger er nok, da man ikke kan lave så meget der, men det er så anderledes og ligger meget flot. Blomster over det hele. Prøv en tur i floden med redningsvest :-) Hvis muligt kan en udflugt til Hell Fire Pass anbefales. Det er en utrolig historie og giver stof til eftertanke.