The Maeklong Railway Market dates back to 1905. Fishing has long been a main source of income for the local community, and the market became an important place where fishermen and farmers could sell their fresh catch, seafood and local produce. When officials later built the Maeklong Railway to help transport goods to other provinces, the market did not disappear. Instead, the vendors simply adapted to the new situation and continued selling their products right next to the railway tracks. To this day, vendors still place their baskets, trays and umbrellas directly on the rails. Just moments before the train arrives, the train sounds its horn repeatedly to warn the vendors that it is approaching. Within seconds they quickly pull back their awnings and move their goods away from the tracks while the train slowly passes through the middle of the market. As soon as it has gone by, everything is placed back again and the market continues as if nothing happened.

Our first stop of the day will be the famous floating market Damnoen Saduak. You will board a long-tail boat for a ride through the canals. The Damnoen Saduak canal was ordered to be built in 1866 by King Rama IV to facilitate waterborne travels between Ratchaburi and Samut Sakhon provinces. It was finished and opened to the public in 1868. Photos of this vibrant market featuring boats laden with colorful fruits and vegetables, agricultural produce as well as authentic, local sweets, delicacies and souvenirs, are among the most often published in travel magazines and brochures of Thailand. NOTE: Damnoen Saduak is very touristy nowadays, but it still guarantees the floating market experience, even though it doesn't always feel totally authentic.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, also known as Don Rak War Cemetery, is one of the most moving places to visit in Kanchanaburi. Located near the route of the infamous Burma Railway, the cemetery is the final resting place of nearly 7,000 Allied prisoners of war who died during its construction in World War II. Many of the soldiers buried here came from the United Kingdom, Australia and The Netherlands. They were forced to work under extremely harsh conditions, suffering from exhaustion, disease and malnutrition. Today the cemetery is an impressive and beautifully maintained memorial. Perfect rows of headstones stretch across the green lawns, many belonging to young soldiers who died far from home. Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the peaceful grounds invite visitors to pause and reflect on the sacrifice of those who lost their lives here.

We make a stop at the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, which formed part of the notorious Burma Railway, also known as the “Death Railway”. During the Second World War, Allied prisoners of war and Asian laborers were forced by the Japanese army to construct this railway between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). The railway ran through dense jungle and rugged mountains and was built under extremely harsh conditions. The circumstances were terrible. Workers suffered from exhaustion, tropical diseases, malnutrition and brutal treatment. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people lost their lives during the construction of the railway, including thousands of Dutch, British and American prisoners of war. Today the bridge stands as a powerful reminder of this tragic chapter in history.

JEATH War Museum is a small but interesting museum located near the famous Bridge on the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi. The name JEATH is an acronym for the nationalities involved in the construction of the Burma Railway: Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand and Holland (the Netherlands). The museum was created to give visitors an impression of the harsh conditions endured by prisoners of war and Asian laborers during the Second World War. The main exhibition building resembles a bamboo prisoner-of-war hut, similar to the shelters where many prisoners lived. Inside you can see photographs, drawings, maps and personal items telling the story of the railway and the suffering of the workers who were forced to build it. Although small and simple, the museum offers a sobering insight into this tragic chapter of history.