Kanchanaburi - is 120km west of Bangkok, and its main claim to fame is as the place where the Bridge over the River Kwai once stood.  There's still a bridge, but its not the timber one that broke Alec Guinness' heart - the big baby.  (That was only a pretend one built for the film in Sri Lanka).  The real bridge was blown up by American bombers in 1945.  Kanchanaburi has more to offer than just the bridge, though, and its a pleasant place to hang around for a few days.  

How to get there - On a train from Bangkok's Hualamphong Station, or on an air-con bus from Bangkok's southern bus terminal, the ride in either case is about 2 hours 30 minutes.  I got the train when I went, and it was a very scenic journey that passed in no time.

Where to stay -  There's a whole load of cheap guest houses and raft houses on the banks of the river all over town.  When you get off the train, or get dropped by the bus, there will be a whole gang of tuk-tuk and samlor ("saam lor" means three wheels) drivers waiting to ferry you to their friend's place.  To be honest, I can't remember the name of the place I stayed in, but it was near the Nitaya Guest House, pretty much in the centre of town.  The Rough Guide and the Moon Travel Guide both say Sam's House is a good choice, but this means it may be full.  Just dump all your bags somewhere central and safe, and whizz about in a tuk-tuk until you find somewhere you like in your price range. 

What to do in the day - Go and have a look at the Bridge, of course.  If you're there when the train goes over, you may hear them playing "Colonel Bogey" over the loudspeakers.  There's also the JEATH war museum, which starkly brings home the horrors of the Japanese occupation of this part of Thailand during WWII.  When I was there, we also hired a boat to take us on a day's trip on the river.  We stopped off at several caves and temples, and also one of Kanchanaburi's two prisoner-of-war cemeteries.  There are thousands of graves are laid out neatly in rows among the pristine lawns and flower gardens, recording the names of some of the allied soldiers who died during the construction of the railway.  Curiously, many more Thais were killed than allied troops, but I didn't see any Thai names.  A travelling companion of mine also took a day trip to the waterfalls in the Erewan National Park, 65km northwest of the town, and he said it was a good day out.

What to do at night - Find the night market for a plate of Pad Thai or Kao Pad Goong, or better still, visit one of the large floating restaurants on the river. Kanchanaburi is a popular destination for Thai tourists, and you'll see large family groups splashing out on seafood banquets in the floating restaurants.  You should also try out one of the open-air karaoke places, because, well why not?  I can't tell you much about the disco rafts, apart from saying they're noisy.