River Kwai Jungle Rafts

Our family of 4 (2adults, 2 children 9&12) boarded a boat at Phutakien Pier for the hotel. Checkin was brief but information in folders and boards around reception are readily visible for tours and transfers. We booked two rooms as max is 3 per room. Our rooms were clean with basic amenities. No tissues to be flushed in the toilet! Cold showers! No electricity so bring a fully charged power bank for your gadgets. Poor/ no internet reception. Pack a powerful torch or headlamp as it gets dark after 4-5pm making seeing things hard. Unpack essential before then. We originally planned to do a day trip to Erawan Falls but found the location to navigate ourselves cumbersome and the tours expensive. Organize beforehand. We were however glad to relax by the river. The river jumps down stream were a highlight even in the rain! The stroll around the village was short. Be care of slip hazard with wet weather when wandering around the bush areas and spray insect repellent. Payment is cash only directly to the activity providers even though it said MasterCard was available. I tried the 1hr Thai full body massage for 400baht. I did not enjoy it and found lying on the floor mat uncomfortable. The Mon cultural show was 300baht. We had an elephant visit around 7.30am each morning too. Overall a memorable trip!

Your opinion on this place has a LOT to do with your expectations. There are several of these along the river that are more exotic and romantic (more privacy), but this was still a great 1 night experience with our family. It is extremely rustic with thin walls and no electricity. Hard to sleep if you have noisy neighbors. BUT, the easy hike to the neighboring Mon village and seeing the local elephant gives this location an added bonus if you have kids. Food is good and location is clean. Personally, if it was my wife and I, I would have chosen a different location (like Float House), but I would choose this one again if it was with our kids. Also, 1 night was perfect. Not enough to do for multiple nights. Lastly...make sure to jump in the river...best part!!