Going solo

Kanchanaburi is about 2-3 hours away from Bangkok. It's a nice place, with the famous bridge over the River Kwai, Death railway and the very-tropical, very-magical Erawan waterfalls. Levels 5, 6 and 7 do not have many tourists and are the best place to sit and relax, and perhaps get a free fish spa!

I booked a room at Sam's River Raft House, which has basic floating rooms available at cheap rates. The nightlife is good and seems lively, with a lot of pubs and  bars. Being in Thailand, the entire 2-day trip cost me about 50$.

View from the bridge over the River Kwai

Vampoo Viaduct

War Cemetery

The people in Kanchanaburi are friendly and helpful beyond imagination. I was doing the trip cheap and tried to take trains and buses all the time. At one point, I could not locate the bus stop to go to Erawan Waterfalls, so I approached the 7/11 behind and asked the girls at the counter where the bus stop was. They told me there was no stop there. At this point,one of the girls left her counter, walked to her scooter, motioned to me to sit behind her and then drove me all the way to the bus terminus. She dropped me near a bus, repeating "Erawan" a few times and with many smiles.

Erawan Waterfalls

The way back from Erawan was half an adventure. The public bus was filled with tourists and the only free space I could find was the stairs near the back door. So I took it. All throughout the journey, I had to hold on to the door and stop myself from falling asleep to avoid falling out of the bus.

Travelling solo, I had complete freedom to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted! There is so much time to observe and take in your surroundings, and think about the experience! I met other tourists (a Russian, a Japanese) and locals (3 Thai kids who guided me to the railway station because they thought I was lost, smiling shyly all the way). I found out that people are more likely to approach you when you are alone, than when you are in a group.