I went to Kanchanaburi to explore the beautiful Erawan waterfalls and started to look at the map. I saw a big lake and a town called Sangklhaburi and decided to rent a scooter and drive there to explore what it was.
It’s about 210km between the two towns and I decided to do a scenic route and avoid some of the bigger roads. The best part is when you get up to the Vajiralonkorn Lake, the green lush jungle and the sceneries of the lake is amazing.
Breakdown:
Kanchanaburi —> Sanghkhlaburi 272km
Sanghkhlaburi —> Kanchanaburi 242km
Price for scooter: 200 baht a day (6.6$)
Petrol: Total roughly 430 baht (14$)
Things to see on the way
There are plenty of things you can stop at along the way like waterfalls, temples and caves.
Death Railway Wampo Viaduct & Krasae Cave
Walk on the railway and experience the beautiful sceneries over Kwae Noi River, the sight is impressive but don't forget that a lot of people lost their lives building it.
Hellfire Pass Museum
The hellfire pass interpretive centre is a walkway and memorial dedicated to the prisoners that were forced to build the railway between Thailand and Myanmar during the WWII. The Hellfire pass got its name from labourers working during night with torches and its said to resemble a scene from hell.
The Hellfire Pass is located in the Tenasserim Hills and was a very difficult section to build the railway, it was remote and lacked proper construction tools. Allied prisoners from Australia, Britain, The Netherlands and other allied Prisoners of War were required by the Japanese to work for 18 hours a day to finish the cutting.
According to the United Kingdom's Forces War Records more than 16,000 enslaved British, Dutch, Australian and American POWs lost their lives. About 90,000 Asians also died from starvation and disease during their forced labor.
Prasat Mueang Sing
Sai Yok National Park
This is a popular National Park which is famous for its beautiful waterfalls and caves. and its located about a 100km from Kanchanaburi.
Where to stay in Sangklhaburi
I stayed at Grandmas House in Sangklhaburi and it was very simple but I didn’t need more. Fha that owns the place is amazing, she's very kind and like to teach you about the community and history, it feels like you're at your grandmas home.
Price: Starts at 8$ a night including breakfast.
