Kanchanaburi

The River Kwai and its infamous WWII bridge draw history buffs, but Kanchanaburi province is really about waterfalls and wild jungle. Erawan National Park's seven-tiered turquoise falls are the headliner — pack swim gear, the pools are swimmable and stunning. Sai Yok National Park hides smaller cascades and the eerie Tham Lawa cave system. Further west toward the Myanmar border, Sangkhlaburi offers a completely different vibe: a lakeside town anchored by a wooden Mon bridge and the sunken temple of Wat Sam Prasop, partially submerged in the reservoir.

The town of Kanchanaburi itself is a solid base — guesthouses line the river, and the night market on Maenam Kwai Road is one of the more authentic in central Thailand. History runs deep here: the JEATH War Museum, Hellfire Pass Memorial, and Allied war cemeteries tell the story of the Death Railway. For something different, Elephant's World sanctuary near the city offers ethical elephant encounters, and Sri Nakarin Dam National Park rewards the drive with quiet swimming holes and limestone scenery.