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Pung-Waan Resort – reviews, photos

3.0 of 5
123/3 Moo 3 Tumbol Thasao, Amphur Saiyoke | Ampur Saiyoke, Kanchanaburi 71150, Thailand
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Pung-Waan Resort
Ranked #17 of 72 hotels in Kanchanaburi
3.5 of 5 stars 42 Reviews
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42 reviews from our community

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    3
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    3
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Stonehouse, United Kingdom
2 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“peaceful destination at the end of the train line”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

If you are looking to get off the beaten trail, but like your luxury – a ride on the railway from Kanchanaburi to the end of the line (Nam Tok) and a stay at the Pungwaan resort - is a great combination.

The train ride really is special. I sat by an open window (there are only 3rd class carriages) and watched as the train passed through fields of sugarcane, maize, rice and cassava. At one point we passed a group of buffaloes wallowing in the mud – an intimate glimpse of rural Thailand. The last half hour of the ride, we caught sight of the river and the mountains of Burma – with some really spectacular views.

This is the infamous railway built during WW2 that once ran to Burma. Now the line terminates at Nam Tok, but at Hellfire Pass you can still walk along the old train beds and take in the extreme terrain the prisoners and conscripts had to work in – digging out a line with hand tools. No wonder so many perished!

I got on at Kanchanaburi and it was just under 2 hours to Nam Tok – at a leisurely pace with lots of stops….which was great as I was enjoying the ride. Most tourists got off the train before the end. The hotel had arranged a minibus to meet us and take us to the resort (only about 5 minute drive away). You can travel to Nam Tok all the way from Bangkok (it’s still only 100 Baht for a ticket), but I gather it’s a very slow journey that takes all day and is probably not very picturesque before Kanchanaburi – so only for the hardy!

Pungwaan resort is very green and peaceful – a real change from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. (If you are looking for nightlife, this is probably not the place for you). Rooms and amenities are luxurious, corresponding to its 3 star rating. It is under Thai management, some but not all staff speak English – a chance to practice your Thai!

We stayed there as a family party, and the kids found lots of activities within the hotel grounds (a challenge course, biking, and rafting down the river which flows through the resort). The adult option was to enjoy a massage at the spa and wander round the scenic gardens.

Most tourists to the region seem to stay at Kanchanaburi and take a day excursion to Hellfire Pass Museum, Erawan Falls that includes a short ride on the train – but it makes for a very full day. Staying at Pungwaan Resort gave us a more leisurely option – we could allow a whole day each for Hellfire Pass and Erawan Falls (excursions which the hotel can arrange), enjoying the beautiful grounds (and huge swimming pool) at Pungwaan in between.

Room Tip: the resort is spread out, with many different styles of rooms. We stayed in chalets close to recept...
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  • Stayed August 2011, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Winnipeg, Canada
Top Contributor
53 reviews 53 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
122 helpful votes 122 helpful votes
“Very Nice Resort, a bit in the middle of nowhere!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 August 2011
2
people found this review helpful

We stayed here for two nights in mid August 2011. It is in a lovely part of Kanchanaburi province and it's proximity to Hell fire Pass and all the other WW2 sites makes it a great choice if you are looking for complete relaxation and a unique out of the way resort. The grounds are gorgeous and you can walk around for a long time on beautiful walking paths. The pool area is absolutely stunning. The rooms were very nicely appointed and very comfortable. You can use the bicycles at the resort if you wish to explore the area, but as the title of my review states, this resort really is in the middle of nowhere.
Because of this fact, your eating options are really limited, other than breakfast, which is included, as is a lovely spread of both Asian and western choices, including omleletes and fried eggs, you have little option other than to eat at the resort for lunch and dinner, unless you are with a tour and are out of the resort.

The dinner menu presents itself as rather comical upon presentation at first glance. It is almost like a children's menu with it's colourful design, but in actuality it is excellent for english speakers, as it caters to all dietary needs. they will make dishes vegetarian if needed and if you have an allergy they will adjust the dish as necessary. all the dishes we had were excellent.

it appears they have a schedule for fun activities at night, but we din't partake in any of them as we were too tired and went to bed early!
I would recommend this resort to anyone looking for a quiet out of the way resort and spa.

  • Stayed August 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“Just an average hotel on a nice location”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 August 2011

This hotel has many types of rooms and we stayed in the main building. The rooms are large but a bit sober, with a bed and a nice corner where you can sit. The room is a bit old school, with a safe with a key, old furniture and a big old television, but everything looks nice and you have exactly what you need in a hotel.
The pool is large and nice and they have free lockers where you can store your valuables.
For breakfast you can choose from three different types and that is served to your table. So no buffet, but just a fine meal.
This hotel is just an average hotel, no fancy things, but no really bad things either although I had that feeling that it had better times in the past.

  • Stayed July 2011
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Martijn_1979 about Pung-Waan Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Queensland
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“relaxing & rewarding”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 July 2011

Stayed at the Pung-Waan with my wife and daughter and had a outstanding relaxing stay.The staff were very friendly with broken English the meals were fantastic value.The resort was so peaceful with the mountains across the river making a beautiful back drop when you are floating in the pool.The gardens are well kept and the pathways around the resort make for a relaxing way to spent time before your evening meal.The rooms were large with the basic facilities and you had a variety of standards, we will return and book a small cabin with a patio overlooking the river & mountains.For a family wanting a relaxing time together with all the ammenties to keep kids & adults happy this will do, it is a distance from Kanchanaburi but with some research you can arrive there without hiring a car.

  • Stayed June 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask QueenslandTommy about Pung-Waan Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
London
Senior Contributor
28 reviews 28 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
“Hated my stay here”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 May 2011

Arrived at the resort first impression where ok was shown to our room which was a floating house for 4 the room is very small and shabby it had light fittings hang off the wall i left my family in the room and went to complain, long story short we moved to a vip floating house but had to pay extra which was not a problem anything to escape staying in the first room however we where charged for entering our first room even though we didnt stay in it, the vip was ok but nothing great just ok.
if you stay here you will need your own transport as you cant leave the resort which forces you to stay and eat at the overpriced restaurant with staff the look more misrable to be there than i did.
I did ask if it was possible to get a taxi so we could eat off site first time i was told they didnt have any taxi numbers seconf time i ask the recpetion said it would be 500 bhat which when i said it was high was dropped to 200 striaght away nice to know they will try and rip you off if possible.
The tours to local sights seemed to be over priced compared to other tours i have taken in thailand before ( i have been coming to thailand for more than 10 years) so only took one trip with them.
To be honest i hated my stay here and was lucky allowed to leave the resort one day early without being charged it might be to some peoples taste but not mine without any question my worst ever stay in thaland

  • Stayed April 2011, travelled with family
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Pung-Waan Resort

  • Pung Waan Hotel
Address: 123/3 Moo 3 Tumbol Thasao, Amphur Saiyoke | Ampur Saiyoke, Kanchanaburi 71150, Thailand
Price range (per night):* INR2,396 - 3,790

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