My very own boat to the floating hotel on the River Kwai! I felt very spoilt
2 days of travel and trekking round the countryside of Kanchanaburi tired me out. It was educating, inspiring and thought provoking but i needed a rest. I was tipped off about the floating hotels further up river and was immediately lured in. There is one that has no electricity and is very remote, which i kind of liked the idea of as is more true to the way that the real river houses are like. But as with many of these types of places, they presume bookings for two and had no single rate. So i found another that was further up river but could cater to the lone traveller. It was a bit more luxurious, not only electricity and wifi but river sports if you so wish etc. So the The Floathouse River Kwai won the toss.
I mentioned to the guys that run the hotel that i was already in that i was going up river and they were worried about how far it was, “oh i just need to go into town” i say “and then they take me the rest of the way” or that’s how the hotel made it look on their website… In reality, the jetty was 60 kilometres up from the main town and then they take you the rest of the way. “Ahhhh, i say” they were really concerned about how i would get there, as there are buses, but they are not reliable and they don’t have stops. You have to count the mileposts in order to know where to get off. Not being the worlds best navigator, I’m not one for faffing about when i have all my stuff with me and that sounds like a bit too much of a gamble. So trusty Surat offered to take me via a trip to the post office and the pharmacy. It was much appreciated!
So off we went, straight back up country to the same area that we were in the day before. I could have saved a lot of
The majestic river Kwai from low down in the water
bother… anyhow it’s beautiful up there and i wasn’t complaining about the scenery. It also meant i got to go through the Myanmar “checkpoint” again I’m not sure what their criteria for passport inspections is, but i’ve been through there 4 times now and no one has ever been stopped!
I finally arrived at the jetty and Surat beckoned one of the waiting boat men over. Making me promise to tell my friends and family about Xanadu and that he was a good driver, so here you are guys. I have a good heart and a beautiful smile apparently, he’s a charmer! I went off on my merry way clambering into the Thai fishing boat that was to be my chariot with ladylike abandon (ha! i wish, there is no way to get into one of those in a ladylike way!) I was more than thrilled to have it all to myself, cruising down the river at speed with the wind blowing through my hair, i felt very special. The boats sit low in the water and i was perched on the floor of the boat with my legs out in front of me lapping up the passing views. It’s breathtaking sitting down there, looking up in awe at the mountains that border the river.
The river Kwai from the comforts of the floating village verandah
The hotel was quiet when i arrived, most people were out on day trips in the surrounding areas. So i took the opportunity to explore my new environment. Finally settling on one of the three spots that i could choose to sit on my verandah. The swing chair… It was incredibly relaxing and calming just reading and listening to the water speeding past, until a boat went by. At which point, the wake would disrupt the whole hotel, sending it groaning and swaying with the tide. Including the swing chairs which rocked rather violently in the back flow, which
Riding the waves on the Verandah at the Float House River Kwai
was quite fun at first until i felt like i was going to fall out! I was engrossed in reading the last of The Railway Man and only broke it for lunch which was monstrous in size. Tom Yum soup is normally a small bowl of powerfully spicy hot and sour soup, but this one was a
Cauldron of soup for one?!
cauldron of the stuff! I feel the waitress should have warned me, that this was a portion for 2, so what was intended to be a light lunch ended up being a bit of a banquet as i had that and then some ribs to contend with.
I wanted to enjoy the peace and do some more writing so i retired to my room. Which was a bit cavernous and maybe a mistake! It was so big that i was a bit scared of it. A super high vaulted ceiling with drapes and ropes hanging from the ceiling to allow the structure to move with the water. A big dream like four poster bed with very romantic looking mosquito nets hanging like a princess bed, and lots of different little walk through cupboards and compartments. Four different
My stunning if not a little scary bedroom suite at The Float House River Kwai
ways to get in and out of the room, an outdoor enclosed shower and the sight of the water through the floorboards everywhere. I got stuck into some work and then got into bed, somehow imagining that someone might be able to get in. It was humanly impossible as any approach by a boat rocks the entire hotel and that was the only way in, but my overactive imagination was going to town. A fretful night sleep ensued, with teeny little bats flitting by the window it just added to the atmosphere. Enchanting, in a way!
There was a light mist on the river over breakfast the next day, the countryside was still waking up. I LOVE THAT! and it was time for me to make my way back to Bangkok again. I was excited to be able to relax in a place that i am coming to know very well before the next big adventure down to Singapore from Bangkok by train in a couple of days time. But was Bangkok going to be kind to me this time?!
Baci a tutti x x
