Bridge Over the River Kwai (Kanchanaburi, Thailand)

Around 100 humid kilometers north of Bangkok is the bridge made famous by the film The Bridge Over the River Kwai. Kanchanaburi is the site of the Burma-Siam Railway Bridge built by prisoners of the Japanese in World War 2 under forced labour conditions. Today’s idyllic tropical setting (and even the movie) belies the appalling privations, random punishments, disease, meagre food and atrocities along with the withering humidity and searing heat suffered by the bridge builders. The toll was so large – over 12,000 prisoners of war and around 90,000 Burmese, Thai, Malay and Indonesian forced labourers lost their lives in construction of the railroad – that it became known as the Death Railway.

An excellent and busy tourist train (on weekends only) takes a scenic three hours aimed more at Thais than foreign visitors stopping near the famous bridge. The train nervously slows a couple of times on its journey to a snail’s pace to traverse old and rickety wooden bridges held up more by divine intervention than any expertise in engineering.

The train stops near the famed bridge where the passengers stroll the steel and wooden structure kept immaculate for all the visitors (only the outer spans are original as most was destroyed by bombing raids). Trains chuff across the bridge at regular intervals while the tourist train continues over the bridge to its terminus at Nam Tok with its scenic waterfall.

The gently running placid river and quiet setting give little feeling of the toil and hardship that went into building this key railway link and the plain dark steel arches lack character. Unsurprisingly, it is not the bridge used in the movie, which was fully shot on location in Sri Lanka!!

Nearby is the slightly disappointing JEATH Museum, its unusual name being an acronym of the various nations involved with the bridge (Japan, England, Australia / America, Thailand and Holland). Run by the local monks, there are some moving pictures, sketches and newspaper clippings shown in a cramped humid dingy bamboo hut to resemble the accommodation of the prisoners. Many of the exhibits are masked in plastic to prevent damage from the moisture and so are difficult to read or view properly in the poor light.

The bridge only became famous with the success of the movie. Ironically, for its grand title, the bridge doesn’t actually cross the Kwai but rather the Mae Klong (klong is canal in Thai). The Mae Klong runs into the confluence of the Khwae Yai and Khwae Noi Rivers (literally the big and little Khwae).

Under the mesmerising spell of popular cinema and sensing a tourism opportunity , the local authorities quietly renamed the relevant short section of Mae Klong to the Khwae Yai River, ensuring that there is a Bridge Over the River Kwai for all to visit and enjoy.

Despite its checkered history, the rail journey from Bangkok, the bridge and surrounding area are worthy of a visit, though the undoubted highlight is a short walk up the road to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.

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Sights of the USA – East to West Rail Tours

A vibrant labyrinth of culture and colour, New York is the ideal location to begin the epic adventure of coast-to-coast rail tours. When you’re done shopping along Fifth Avenue and taking a cosmopolitan stroll through Central Park, view the cityscape from the towering heights of the Empire State Building (where Tom Hanks or King Kong may be waiting, depending on your luck). Look out upon the USA’s inspiring symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty, and contemplate the journey of discovery to come.

If architectural splendour is your thing then you’ll find plenty of it in the nation’s capital, Washington DC, a living monument to historic and contemporary America. Home to the Senate and the House of Representatives, discover where all the biggest decisions are made and soak up the power with a tour of the Whitehouse. The national monuments are truly spectacular, best viewed at night when illuminated in this beautifully crafted city.

There are equally important decisions being made in the next rail-tour destination, Chicago. Hawaiian or Four seasons? Meatballs or Mozzarella? Find your own version of the best Chicago pizza after working up a hunger in the delightful grounds of Millennium Park (Anish Kapoor's famous bean-shaped sculpture might inspire your appetite) or shopping on the Magnificent Mile.

With a history of gold seekers, outlaws, buffalos and beer brewing the Wild West is very much alive in the next destination, Denver. The final resting place of Buffalo Bill, you can find out more about this colourful character (Express rider, army scout, buffalo hunter and showman), in the dedicated museum atop Lookout Mountain. Enjoy views of the snow capped Rockies in one direction, the Great Plains in the other. For another angle of history, check out the art Museum's unparalleled collection of Western and Native American art and artefacts.

Hollywood is the next stop, where dreams and drama are in plentiful abundance. Once you’ve taken ample pictures of Hollywood’s iconic sign, saunter down the Walk of Fame, where stars on the sidewalk commemorate those who have made a name for themselves in radio, television and movies. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre sits beside the famous footprints in the forecourt, a charming viewing experience from the golden age.

If you’ve ever wanted to be directly confronted by the awesome power and depth of nature then the Grand Canyon, next stop on the rail tour, is the place to do it (although Thelma and Louise style is not advised). An ancient Native American holy site, a geological wonder; the Grand Canyon is an astounding 277 miles of fiery rock and sublime depth exposing almost two billion years of the planet’s history.

Look back on your journey from the suspended beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, a perfect end to the tour. A modern day miracle of man’s ingenuity and architectural achievement, the bridge spans two miles across the waters of San Francisco bay. Joseph B. Strauss’ lifetime masterpiece is among America's most cherished landmarks.

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