Planning a half term break with a friend and her kids, Alex really experienced the beauty of whatever will be will be.
As half term approached and the realization dawned that our husbands would be working, my dear friend Meghan and I planned to take the kids away together but where? I’m not one for planning too far in advance so we were well into January before thoughts turned to half term. But having been knee-deep in major house renovations during our time in Germany, I was determined when we arrived in Thailand not to make the same mistake gain. This time, life would not take over, and opportunities for adventures and exploration would not be missed.
We talked about Krabi, or maybe a road trip down to Phuket but couldn’t finalise, nothing seemed right. I reminded Meg that whatever will be, will be. Then one day she was reminiscing about a trip to Kanchanabhuri on the banks of the River Kwai, staying in the hotel of the boys’ class mates and the light bulb came on. A few emails backwards and forwards and suddenly with days to spare until half term, we were on.
Kanchanabhuri is approximately 2 hours drive west of Bangkok. The fourth biggest city in Thailand, and compared to the capital it is a sleepy suburb.
Nestling on the River Kwai it was made famous by the novel and film Bridge over the River Kwai re-telling the brutal tale of thousands Thai’s and POW’s who lost their lives building the Burmese Railway, also know as Death Railway.
We were greeted at Mstay by Khun Ae the owner and mum of the classmates and instantly made to feel like part of the family. The resort overlooks the river and is peaceful and private, serene and soulful. It felt a million miles away from Bangkok. We spent the afternoon playing in the pool with the kids and having a heavenly foot massage.
The following morning Khun Jon joined us from Bangkok and all three families headed off into history and a ride on the infamous Death Railway. In true Thai style the 11.30 train arrived at 11.30-Thai-time: almost an hour late. On board we secured Thai donuts and pancakes for the journey and were treated to stunning views of the river.
That evening our hosts who also own a watersports rental took us out on a sunset speedboat tour of the River Kwai. Meanwhile my son Akiro, and Khun Jon hit the river on a jet ski – what an amazing treat for Akiro, speeding along super fast on his first ever jet ski trip.
Onboard the speedboat we popped a bottle of fizz and tried to drink it sedately whilst the wind whipped our hair into a frizz and the fizz into a mini whirlpool in the glass. It was a relaxed end to a thought provoking day.
The next day we took a trip to Erawan Falls. This has been on my Bangkok-bucket-list since arriving here and it did not disappoint. The falls are a series of 7 waterfalls. With small kids in tow we only ventured to the first 3 and in the third took a dip. Fish nipped at our toes, which was disconcerting and it was hard to maintain a calm demeanor by which to encourage the kids into the water: we only managed to entice 4 of the 7 kids in.
This time it was my daughter Indie’s turn for a first: her first waterfall swim. The water was cool and refreshing and the fish left us alone once we were swimming.
That afternoon Khun Ae took me with her to her local hairstylist, where I has the best hair cut so far in Thailand and it only cost 250bht (£5). I resolved to catch the train down from Bangkok when the next hair cut is due. Meanwhile the kids were planting banana trees elsewhere on Khun Jon’s estate and we have promised to return when the trees need harvesting.
Our last day took us to a local farm. With a pickup truck loaded with plastic chairs doubling as a makeshift bus we trundled out to the corn fields. I am sure we were quite the sight to the workers in the fields: a truck full of Farang picking corn. Apparently I was a natural. Probably did it in a former life. We headed back to the farm for a mini spa treatment. Organic sesame paste made at the farm, mixed with ground coffee and sesame oil and massaged onto the skin – seriously soft and smooth results and another Bangkok-bucket-list ticked: natural beauty products sources for the bathroom cabinet.Afterwards an afternoon relaxing by the pool lay ahead.
Before we left Kanchanabhuri we of course had to go down to the famous bridge for photo opportunities. It was hard to think of the trauma and misery of those times, and to feel that we were walking in the footsteps of so much suffering. We looked at the river, at the way it was alive, and vibrant again. We thought of the train journey we had taken on the railway and enjoyed, but it was a railway line, which accounted for the lives of so many captives, of so many nationalities.
There was much to think about amongst the click and laughter of so many selfies, and much history to process.
In our 4 days in Kanchanbhuri we were treated to the most amazing hospitality, kindness and generosity by our hosts and I cannot recommend Mstay more highly. I love leaving a place knowing when I return there is more to experience. The families merged beautifully laughing and joking with ease as if we had grown up together. We mostly ate locally and of course it was delicious and very different to the usual red and green curries. And it absolutely proved the old saying: if it’s meant to be so it will be in the most beautifully eloquent fashion.
Alex Bannard has lived the nomadic life of an expat for over 10 years. After a successful career in retail she became a mum and decided on a more holistic approach to life, teaching yoga. In 2015 the family moved to Bangkok where Alex started writing articles on yoga and her Bangkok adventures for a local magazine, Expat Life, and is also Frost Magazine’s correspondent. She continues to teach yoga and mindfulness to adults and children.