Emerald waterfalls an hour away
and further than you'd think from town

If you do one nature trip from Kanchanaburi, make it this. Erawan is a seven-tier waterfall whose water runs an extraordinary emerald green — the image most people carry away of the province — set inside Erawan National Park about 65 km from town. The appeal is climbing it tier by tier, from level 1 up to level 7, with blue-green pools to swim in along the way. Small fish nibble at your feet and have the whole group laughing.

Honestly, the upper tiers are steeper and more slippery than you expect, so wear strapped sandals or water shoes and bring swimwear and water. One key rule: the park stops admitting climbers to the upper tiers at around 15:30 to 16:00, to avoid people getting stranded up the hill. Foreigner entry is about ฿300 (check current prices before you go), plus a refundable deposit on any plastic bottles you carry up. The falls are fullest and at their best in the rainy season.

If you love Erawan but not the crowds, Huai Mae Khamin is the answer. It is another seven-tier waterfall, this one inside Srinakarin Dam National Park, with water and turquoise pools every bit as lovely as Erawan's — but far deeper into the forest and much less visited. Several tiers have walkways and bridges so you can take it in at an easy pace beneath the big trees.

The bonus that makes the trip special: some routes cross the reservoir above Srinakarin Dam by boat before you reach the falls, throwing in a lake-ringed-by-mountains atmosphere for free. To be straight with you, it is a fair bit further than Erawan (about 2 to 2.5 hours by car) and best suited to anyone with their own vehicle or a tour who wants to escape the bustle. Foreigner entry is around ฿300 (check current prices before you go).

Sai Yok is the closer, easier alternative to the two big falls above. Sai Yok Noi sits right beside the Kanchanaburi–Thong Pha Phum road — park and it is a short walk to a pretty curtain of water dropping off the rock face, good for families and anyone who would rather not hike far. Sai Yok Yai lies deeper inside Sai Yok National Park, where the falls drop straight into the Kwai Noi river and feel grander.

What sets the Sai Yok area apart is its place on the same historic route as the Death Railway, with wartime sites nearby to stop at — and we would ask you to treat that history with respect, as this was a line built at the cost of many prisoners' and labourers' lives. A Sai Yok trip pairs neatly in one day with a ride on the Death Railway or a visit to Hellfire Pass.

Sangkhla Buri is the westernmost reach of Kanchanaburi — a small town by the Khao Laem reservoir with a noticeably slow, quiet rhythm. Its heart is the Mon Bridge (Saphan Mon / Uttamanusorn Bridge), a hand-built wooden footbridge more than 400 metres long that the local community built in the 1980s, spanning the Songkalia river to the Mon village of Wang Kha — the longest wooden bridge in Thailand. In the early morning, when mist settles on the water and Mon residents come out to give alms by the bridge, it is a beautiful sight, and one to share with respect for the community's way of life.

The other place not to miss is Wat Saam Prasob (the Sunken Temple), the remains of the old town that lie underwater since the dam was built; when the water drops they rise back into view, and you can hire a boat to see them. About 20-odd kilometres further is the Three Pagodas Pass on the Thailand–Myanmar border. To be honest, Sangkhla Buri is far (~215–230 km from town, around 3 to 3.5 hours' drive each way); a day trip is very tiring, and an overnight is far more rewarding.

On the way to Sangkhla Buri, Thong Pha Phum is the stop many people fall for. It is a hill district where, in the rains, the whole valley turns vivid green, ranges fold away into the distance, and viewpoints above the reservoir make good photo stops. The air up here is cooler than the lowlands and the mood is the quiet of a small mountain town.

The charm of Thong Pha Phum is how unpolished it still is — ideal for slow scenic drives, a coffee with a hillside view, and, if you are lucky from the rains into early winter, a sea of mist at dawn. To be straight, the highlights are scattered and you really need a car; deeper areas such as Pilok and E-Tong are lovelier still but the roads are winding and far, so allow time and check conditions in the wet season.

Kanchanaburi has several elephant camps along the river and at the foot of the hills, and it is an experience many families want. But we would urge you to choose carefully — look for places focused on observing, feeding and bathing the elephants, with no riding and no shows, which is far better for the animals' welfare than making them carry people or perform. Being near elephants at a safe distance and watching them behave naturally is just as memorable.

One thing to be clear about: the once-famous Tiger Temple (Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua) was closed in 2016 after findings about its keeping and trafficking of wildlife, so it is no longer a visitor attraction and should not be visited. Before you book any elephant camp, read recent reviews, look at how they treat the animals, and pick one that puts elephant welfare first.