Kanchanaburi borders with Myanmar (Burma) and a rugged mountain range and almost impregnable jungle separate the two countries. British engineers surveying the terrain in 1905 for a projected rail route, declared it impossible to build only to have the Japanese army do it 17 months later, in wartime conditions.

The 1950's world box-office hit movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai" put Kanchanaburi, on the world map. The bridge, part of the infamous 'Death Railway' joining Thailand with Burma, was where thousands of soldiers lost their lives due to brutal treatment by their captors in the area during its construction and subsequent completion and the film depicts this time of horror and sorrow in graphic detail.

After the film hit the screens around the world, tourists flocked to Kanchanaburi to see the bridge. Now, Kanchanaburi is a prosperous province, sugar cane plantations cover her plains and mines, her hills. As for tourism, the province's spectacular scenery and rugged mountainous terrain give rise to a growing number of jungle resorts for nature - lovers and trekking trails for the more adventurous.

Kanchanaburi City lies 150 km west of Bangkok and is itself a popular resort town. Situtated on the banks of the Mae Klong River where its two tributaries - Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai rivers meet the city serves as an overnight base for tourists visiting the province's many attractions. There are spectacular waterfalls, river cruises, fishing trips and jungle tours for the nature lovers or one can visit ethnic Mon and Karen settlements.

Thungyai National Park, within Kanchanaburi province remains the most pristine jungle area in the whole country and is listed as one of the world's natural heritages by the United Nations. Here one can stay in floating bungalows on the River Kwai in remote jungle areas, an experience not to be missed or wander along jungle tracks where time seems to have stood still.