This poignant memorial is a beautiful tribute to those who died building the WWII Burma-Thailand Railway. Start your visit at the museum and get the free audio guide, which has detailed descriptions of the area and fascinating anecdotes from survivors. Then walk down a long staircase to the trail that follows the original rail bed. Near the start is the infamous cutting known as Hellfire Pass (locally referred to as Konyu Cutting), which is the largest along the railway's length.
The area earned its name following the final 'Speedo' construction period where shifts of 500 prisoners worked 16 to 18 hours a day. The glow from burning torches cast eerie shadows of the Japanese guards and of the gaunt prisoners’ faces, so that the scene was said to resemble Dante’s Inferno.
The full route is 4km and ends at Compressor Cutting, though Thai officials have closed the last 1.5km, so for the foreseeable future the walk ends near Hin Tok Cutting. Pick-up service at the end of the route is available if arranged in advance.
The museum is 80km northwest of Kanchanaburi on Hwy 323 and can be reached by Sangkhlaburi and Thong Pha Phum buses (55B to 65B, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes). The last bus back to Kanchanaburi passes here around 5pm.
