Nature And Outdoors in Bangkok

Nature near Bangkok begins past the city limits, and almost every route heads towards Kanchanaburi. The nine-hour day at the River Kwai takes in the bridge, a run on the historic railway along the cliffs and lunch; a version of the same length swaps the train for an elephant walk and a bamboo raft drifting downstream. Departures are early: the drive to Kanchanaburi takes about two and a half hours.

Water is the main storyline. The Erawan waterfall — a seven-tier cascade of turquoise pools open for swimming — comes either in the 11-hour group route alongside the markets or as a 14-hour private run bundled with Kanchanaburi. Another outdoor evening is Amphawa: five hours, a canal, a market on the water and a boat among fireflies once it gets dark. The sea takes 11 hours — a speedboat from Pattaya to Coral Island with swimming and lunch. Bring swimwear and shoes that handle wet rock.

GetExperience lists 6 outdoor routes from Bangkok, from 57 to 528 dollars. All include hotel transfer, run five to fourteen hours and come as group or private. Pages spell out the route point by point and what the price covers; pick a date in the calendar and confirmation arrives quickly.