River Kwai Jungle Rafts Hotel Kanchanaburi - Reviews - Kanchanaburi

We went there in october 2003 at the beginning of our 4 week trip thru Thailand and Laos. First we took the train (river kwai) to the river and then went by longtailboat to the hotel. When we arrived is was already dark and foggy. We got our room and had a drink at the bar. The hotels atmosfere is great. You really get that jungle feeling. The room is clean and big enough for 2 people and luggage. When we got out of bet in the morning we couldn't believe the view we had. It was unbelivabel. The river is right there floating at your doorstep. It was still a litttle bot foggy outside but that made it very junglefeel.
We had breakfest and it was really good!!! Everything you require.

The River Kwai Jungle Rafts have a little piece of paradise to offer you in the heart of the jungle, and a visit to this floatel moored along the historical river is a unique opportunity to step out of your everyday world into the harmony of nature.

There are beautiful waterfalls to bathe in, wild orchids to view on jungle jaunts and deep and fabled caves to visit. You can ride elephants through the jungle and visit native Mon villages or simply bask in the sun and dive off you verandah for a swim in the river.

As dusk turns into night and the river changes its mood, the cool evening reverberates the magical sounds of Mon music and their bizarre Balinese-like dancing. The night wanders on like the river; whispers and smiles pass across candlelit wooden tables as our host tells folkloric stories of the river.

This has got to be one of the most special places I ever stayed in and it certainly was one of the highlights of my trip to Thailand. Imagine going upstream of the River Kwai until you suddenly arrive at a series of floating huts, covered by complete darkness. Lack of electricity makes it necessary to use oillamps, resulting in a very idyllic and romantic atmosphere. Every room comes with its own oillamp, a small hammock outside (right next to the river) and a simple bathroom. These simple facilities are more than made up for by the atmosphere, the enormously kind staff and the fine food and drinks (check out the cocktail bar).

Talking about the staff, the floatel is operated by the people of the nearby Mon village, one of the minorities living in this region of Thailand. They seem to be very intelligent, quickly picking up words in other languages and offering you a cup of coffee in whatever way you may refer to it at home (in our case, not the regular Dutch 'kopje koffie?' but the slang 'bakkie pleur?'). In the nearby village of the Mon the kids are happy to play some soccer with the guests and you can also see their elephants. And as you can imagine, this remote location offers you wonderful peace and tranquility, only to be broken by the performance of the traditional Mon dance by the children of the village. The latter might not be everybody's cup of tea. ;-)

If you're near Kanchanaburi, for instance to see the 'bridge over the River Kwai' or the war cemetary, make sure you stay here for at least two nights. You won't regret it, and to be completely honest it's a whole lot more interesting and entertaining than the aforementioned bridge.