Take the road less traveled – or the rail for that matter – and head a couple hours west of Bangkok to Kanchanaburi with your family for some excellent historical and natural sightseeing.Although Kanchanaburi’s claim to fame is the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai, there are many additional reasons to spend a few days in this beautiful and less-visited area.

Take a wonderful daytrip with the family to one of Thailand’s most beautiful waterfalls, the 7-tiered Erawan Falls.On the way back to town, enjoy a stop at one of several elephant camps, several of which are very big and famous.Here you can ride, feed, and even bathe with the elephants.Impress your friends at home with your picture on an elephant in a frame made out of real elephant dung!

Of course, don’t miss the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai, and the cemeteries of the allied soldiers that died building the bridge and carving their way through rock cliffs under the ruthless command of the Japanese during World War II.All in all, an extremely well-rounded, interesting, and educational place to visit.