Region: Central Thailand> Province: Kanchanaburi> Location: Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi

As the guesthouse and hotel scene has changed in Kanchanaburi, so has the range of restaurants, cafes and bars. Everything is now available from big, very tourist orientated floating restaurants to simple Thai eateries and coffee houses.

Many guesthouses try hard to compete and perhaps the one that stands out is the Jolly Frog, which continues to be popular, serving both well-priced Thai and western food and it's certainly one of the better places to eat but be warned that service can be slow when it's busy.

Some of the most notable establishments in town are The Resort which sits astride Soi Korea and dishes out some snappy Thai and Japanese offerings and Ya Jai which has some standout Thai cuisine.

Just past the railway bridge is a relatively new restaurant which looks incredibly expensive but in fact is astonishingly good value for money. The Keereetara has a large covered room as well as some lovely tables on terraces down to the river's edge. Specialities include dried green curry and salted river fish.

Opposite Chitanun Guest House is the small and homely Fine Thai restaurant which offers a good range of Thai staples at very low prices. The pastel shades are everywhere, right down to the plates you eat off and the staff are very friendly. If you want to try something different, Ali Bongo's has recently opened opposite the Blue Star Guest House. The English owner and Nepalese chef offer authentic Indian cuisine at very reasonable prices in a wonderfully spacious restaurant. The artwork and sculptures on display are all for sale. Breakfast lovers should head for Kong's Cafe and Bakery opposite the Apple Guest House which serves a great full cooked breakfast with juice and fresh coffee. The best of the floating restaurants can be found under the railway bridge. Most specialise in seafood and they are very popular with Thai visitors.

Kanchanaburi might not be able to compete with Bangkok or some islands for nightlife, but there are still a handful of bars where you can enjoy a drink and get to know some very colourful locals. Hard to avoid are the token full-on English bar No Name, which also offers an English menu right down to fish and chips and bangers and mash, and the Snooker bar which shows several movies every evening. A few doors down from No Name is the Rasta Bar which is the meeting place for the Kanchanaburi biker gang and a fairly cool hangout. All these places can be found on Maenam Kwai Road between the Jolly Frog and Sam's House. If you prefer something a bit more Thai, then the floating discos and loud, brash bars on Song Kwai road are the places to head for. Every night rafts set off up the river stacked to the roof with as many loud speakers as they can manage without sinking - don't forget your earplugs.

The Resort 318/2 Maenam Kwai Rd, Kanchanaburi. Tel: (01) 847 9227 Daily 18:00-01:00
Ya Jai Cuisine 301/1 Maenam Kwai Rd - Kanchanaburi. Tel: (034) 624 848
Keereetara 43/1 River Kwai Bridge Rd, Kanchanaburi. Tel: (01) 847 9227. Daily 11:00-23:00
Ali Bongo 232 Maenam Kwai Rd, Kanchanaburi. Tel: (01) 194 4858
Fine Thai restaurant, Maenam Kwai Rd, opposite Chitanun Guest House, Kanchanaburi.
Kong's Cafe and Bakery, opposite Apple Guest House, Maenam Kwai Rd,, Kanchanaburi. Daily from 08:00