The River Kwai is a beautiful river with a brutal history. Spending time relaxing on the River Kwai is an incredibly peaceful experience, more here - http://migrationology.com/2013/07/river-kwai-jungle-rafts-kanchanaburi-thailand/'>http://migrationology.com/2013/07/river-kwai-jungle-rafts-kanchanaburi-thailand/
I had the opportunity to go on a media blogger trip to the Kanchanaburi province of Thailand. Along with doing some activities like visiting the bridge over the River Kwai and going to Hellfire Pass museum, the highlight of the trip was most definitely the stay at the River Kwai Jungle Rafts, a floatel in the middle of the river. To get there you first have to board a longtail boat and take the boat upstream for about 15 minutes until arriving. The day we went it was a little rainy, but that didn't take away from the beauty of cruising up the river. The water is a little chocolate brown, but the lush green cliffs and the steep walls of the banks of the river made the entire atmosphere extremely gorgeous.
We arrived to the River Kwai Jungle Rafts, a true relaxing oasis surrounded only by the beautiful sounds of the jungle. The room was basic, but very comfortable. They don't have any power at the rafts, so all light is handled by kerosene lantern, which I thought could potentially be a little dangerous with the wooden rafts - nevertheless, that's what they used. The jungle rafts are a long series of floating houses that float on huge floaters. On top of the floaters and beautifully constructed wooden houses which are then covered by thatch roofing. The rooms are clean and there's a nice balcony on both the front and the back of the rooms where you can sit and watch the River Kwai peacefully go by.
After settling in to our room and shooting a little bit of this video, we headed for dinner, which is served table by table family style. The food is served from the main dining room which was located next to the lobby. Unfortunately the food was a little on the bland side as it really catered to foreign travelers, but nevertheless, it was pretty good and it included a good mixture of different dishes. I would have been a little more pleased had the food been a little more Mon traditional, but that's alright. After dinner we were invited to watch a traditional dance and music performance put on by local students from the surrounding village. It was a nice performance that lasted for about an hour. It's a good thing they provided entertainment, or I would have been asleep immediately after eating dinner - the River Kwai Jungle Rafts are so peaceful and calm, there's nothing to do but sleep, especially at night when there's no light. After the performance, I headed off to our room, got ready for bed, and was sleeping by about 8:30 pm.
The next day I woke up to take a short walk into the small Mon village, which was very touristy, even containing small boutique shops selling souvenirs. Unfortunately, they've become quite touristy, so it's not the most authentic experience. I preferred the River Kwai and just swimming and relaxing and the floatel jungle rafts. We then had breakfast, consisting of some fried eggs, ham, potatoes, toast, and coffee. After breakfast at 7:30 am each day, they bring by a few elephants for breakfast. The effort is probably to get customers to ride the elephants later in the day, but you can also just watch them without any obligation.
My stay at the River Kwai Jungle Rafts was sponsored, but I can say that overall I had a great time. The village is a little touristy, so if you're looking for an authentic cultural experience, it's not the best. But it's really amazing for the gorgeous natural scenery of the River Kwai and some extreme relaxation and swimming in the river.
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