Route 12: Day 03 - Kanchanaburi

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game...” – Babe Ruth

(A familiar cafe' at a PTT)

Day 03: 20 April 2025 (Sunday)
Route: Tha Sae - Kanchanaburi
Distance: 452 km
Hotel: Kanchanaburi Hop Inn

 
The alarm woke us up at 5.00 am for subuh prayers. As it was still early for breakfast, we recited some pages of the quran. For breakfast, we had half-boiled eggs, bread, fruit juice and coffee.

(A simple breakfast in the room)

(A beautiful serene Koi pond)

By 8.00 am we packed our bags and checked out. This morning we drove northbound towards Kanchaburi via Route 41. The sky was clear and there was less traffic on the road.

(Clear blue sky, a good start for the day)

(A few roadworks along the route)

(The Big Yellow Bird - Prachuap Khiri Khan)

Stopped at a PTT rest area to refuel and comfort break. Bought provions from the 7-eleven and key-chains from the souvenir shop.

(Refuelling full tank at a PTT)

(Driving towards Cha-am)

(Long Live the King)

We had lunch at Muslim Halal Food Chairat, located next to the viral Kedai Makan Abang Mana at the PTT rest area foodcourt in Cha-am. The food was equally tasty and not very pricey. We performed jamak prayers at the surau across the foodcourt.

(Having lunch in Cha-am)

(Tasty nasi goreng and tomyam kung)

(The surau is across the foodcourt)

From Cha-am we drove direct to Kanchanaburi. When we arrived in Kanchanaburi, the Songkran festival is still on going. Along the road, people engaged in a friendly water war where they playfully splash each other with water using buckets, squirt guns, and any other water containers. There were also street celebrations with loud music and street dancing.

(Friendly water war)

(Youngsters splashing waters on each other)

Arrived at our hotel around 5.30 am. Checked-in Hop Inn Hotel for Rm83/night for two nights. We requested to change to another room when the air-condition was not functioning well. Rested in the room until it was time to look for dinner in town.

(Kanchanaburi Hop Inn)

(Clean and spacious room)

We had dinner at 19 Burger stall, a short driving distance from our hotel. The stall sells halal burgers and kebabs. We had beef and lamb burger and french fries. After dinner we had an hour of therapeutic strong foot massage at Kwan Thai Massage on the River Kwai Road.

(A halal burger stall)

(An hour of relaxing foot massage)

(Cannabis Cafè in Kanchanaburi)

Back in the hotel, after a hot shower, we went straight to bed and slept like a log..

👈RT 02: Hatyai - Tha Sae

      RT 04: Kanchanaburi Tour👉

Route 12: Day 04 - Kanchanaburi

“Do not let making a living prevent you from making a life...” – John Wooden

(Mallika Ancient Village)

Day 04: 21 April 2025 (Monday)
Route: Kanchanaburi Tour
Distance: 50 km
Hotel: Kanchanaburi Hop Inn

Today we decided to spend time visiting several attractions in Kanchanaburi, some we have not visited during our previous trips here.

Our first destination was Mallika City 1905 A.D. Mallika is the retro-city reflecting the past Siamese lifestyle in the Chao Phraya River Basin. Mallika ancient city has been restored and maintained to its former glory – giving both locals and foreigners the opportunity to experience what it was like living in ancient Siam. The entrance fee was THB200/pax inclusive a pack of sticky rice and 20% discount at the Black Canyon Cafè.

(The entrance of Mallika Ancient City)

(The layout of the ancient city)

(One of the many market places)

It is a living museum where you get to walk around and interact with the villagers, staff dressed in ancient costumes, and even play the role of villager yourself if you decide to rent and wear the ancient costumes. You could walk around and mingled with these villagers and really feel as if you have travelled back in time

(Floating market, an eatery by the river)

(A wooded house bridge)

There were several market zones that were considered famous and modern for the era. They are Prange or Intersection zone, divided into three sections, Prange Nara, Prange Phuthorn, and Prange Sappasart, Yaowarat zone and Bangrak zone.

(The Saphan Han across the river)

(Shops selling crafts and local products)

The City Tower was simulated from the prison tower which was built to create an elevated observation point for supervising and preventing prisoner escapes. It is nowadays used as a scenery point of the Mallika city.

(The City Tower)

(A scenic view of the City Tower by the river)

Reuan Khahabodi displays lifestyle of ruling class, including various activities such as fruit & vegetable carving, flower & banana leaf decoration, and etc. All products are actually used and sold in the Mallika city. In the area of Reaun Khahabodi, there is its supplement part, “Reuan Krua”, Traditional Thai Kitchen to provide food for all residents and guests.

(Reuan Khahabodi, a house for the rich and famous)

Thai traditional dance team to perform for their important visitors was also a popular idea among noblemen then. Mallika City has the largest Reuan Hmoo in Thailand. It displays the living condition of these traditional Thai dancing team; their activities during day and night.

(Mallika Village tradional dancers)

(Floating houses)

As it was so hot and humid we were sweating buckets. We made a quick round and did not stay too long in the ancient city. Once we were outside, we had cool iced coffee and Caramel latte to quench our thirst at the Black Canyon Cafe.

(Rickshaws for hire)

(Black Canyon Cafè)

(Iced coffee and cheese cake)

While waiting for our drinks to be prepared, we had the opportunity to visit a small museum and exhibition room located next to the cafe.

(A life-size model)

(A model of a famous person)

(Exhibition of tradional costumes)

From Mallika Ancient City, we drove back to town and stopped to have a sumptuous lunch at Zubair Farm Islamic Food Kitchen.

(A halal restaurant in Kanchanaburi)

(Nasi goreng and tom yam)

After lunch and prayer break in the hotel, we drove to the giant Monkey Pod Tree, 23 km from our hotel. It is located inside the Royal Thai Army’s Division of Veterinary and Agriculture.This giant tree is a 20-meter-tall single rain tree, aged older than 100 years. The shady canopy is measured about more than 50 meters in diameter, which means it crowns over an area of about 2,400 square meters.

(A description of the giant tree)

(A beautiful giant rain tree)

As usual, when we are in Kanchanaburi we will visit the infamous Bridge Over the River Kwae. Bought a pair of t-shirts and sun-gkasses from the souvenir shops.

(Bridge Over the River Kwae)

(The signage to River Kwae bridge)

Next stop was at Luxury Hotel to have some photo shots. This hotel is one of our favorite hotel to stay until the Covid 19 pandemic when it closed its operation for quite some time. We were surprised that it has started business again since a few months back.

(Luxury Hotel is back in business)

Tonight we had dinner of Nasi kuning ayam at the Kanchanaburi Night Market. The halal stall is still where it used to be. The Pakcik Haji is still up and about. Business as usual after more than a decade since we were first here in 2011.

(The Kanchanaburi night market)

(Our favorite food at the night market)

👈RT 03: Tha Sae - Kanchanaburi

        RT 05: Kanchanaburi - Tak👉

Route 12: Day 05 - Tak

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment...” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Elvis Presley in Chainàt, Thailand)

Day 05: 22 April 2025 (Tuesday)
Route: Kanchanaburi - Tak
Distance: 415 km
Hotel: Be Rich Hotel, Tak

After subuh prayers, we recited the quran while waiting for our half-boiled eggs to be ready. Last two days we had breakfast with hard-boiled eggs because we let the eggs to over cooked.

By 8.00 am we checked out and headed towards Tak. Last night I swallowed a Zyrtec pill before I slept. This morning I was feeling drowsy and nodded on and off while hubby drove. The side effect can last up to eight hours. In addition to drowsiness I was feeling overly fatigued.

(A lonely young man at the R&R))

(A parrot and a white gorilla at Cafè Amazon)

It was already noon when we arrived in Nakhon Sawan. We detoured to Restoran Aminyàn Halal Food to have lunch. We ordered nasi goreng,  daging garlic pepper and tom yam with iced coffee and lime soda.  The dishes were tasty but a little pricey.

(Hotel 42C near Restoran Aminyan)

(Still feeling drowsy and sleepy)

(The dishes were tasty as usual)

After lunch, drove a short distance to Masjid Nakhon Sawan and performed our solat jamak. The ladies prayer room was moved from the main prayer hall to a smaller room which is more convenient and comfortable for the ladies as it has separate washrooms, ablution area and a kitchenette.

(Masjid Nakhon Sawan)

The main prayer hall)

(Solat jamak zohor/asar here)

From Nakhon Sawan, drove on AH1 highway to Tak with another break at PTT Kamphaeng Pheton for coffee and snacks. Arrived in Tak atound 6.00 pm and checked in Be Rich Hotel at Rm96/night with complementary breakfast for two. The hotel is located next to the Ping River. There is ample parking space and the room is quite spacious.

(Crossing the Ping River to Tak Be Rich Hotel)

(Spacious room, well decorated)

👈RT 04: Kanchanaburi Tour

        RT 06: Tak - Phitsanulok👉