Sai Yok Waterfall and National Park

Sai Yok Waterfall ('Nam Tok Sai Yok'), located 104 km northwest of Kanchanaburi town, is the most popular attraction in the 500-sq-km Sai Yok National Park. Popularized in poetry and a classic Thai song, the Sai Yok and Sai Yok Noi falls cascade directly into the Khwae Noi River, close to the National Park headquarters to the west of Highway No 323. A wire rope suspension bridge has been strung across the river opposite the falls to give visitors a clear view. The sand bar on the opposite bank from the falls also affords a direct view.

Other attractions in the Sai Yok National Park include fascinating limestone caves, which are home to the Kitti's hog-nosed bat, discovered in 1973 and reckoned to be the world's smallest mammal at just 3 cm (1 inch) in length. Wildlife in the area includes 67 bird species, barking deer, slow loris, gibbons, porcupines, serow and wild elephants. Tropical broad-leaved evergreen forests cover most of the park, while bamboo and mixed deciduous tracts can be found in the lowlands and foothills.

Sai Yok was the site of a Japanese army barracks during the Second World War and traces of the soldiers' camps and the abandoned Death Railway can still be seen. Most of the rails and sleepers of the railway have been claimed by local villagers

Rafts can be hired from Sai Yok to explore the limpid Khwae Noi and to get to the Daowadung (to the north) and Lawa (to the south) caves with their exquisite stalactites and stalagmites. Some of the unforgettable Russian roulette scenes in the film 'The Deer Hunter' were shot on the river in this area.

Accommodation in the form of raft houses and National Park bungalows is available close to the park headquarters. The place is popular at the weekend so expect to pay more than in the week. Sai Yok National Park can be reached by bus or car from Kanchanaburi or by train to Sai Yok and then bus. It's also possible to charter a boat from Kanchanaburi for the 100-km trip upstream.

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