Hintok River Camp
Hintok Story Museum is located inside the campsite. Hintok Story museum is on the site of the former POWs camp kitchen. In fact, from July to September 1943 Hintok River Camp was a British PoW (Prisoners of War) camp of 300 of whom 79 died. Today’s camp pays homage to its predecessor in name and theme, by using tents, reminiscent of the PoW’s bell tents, motifs such as railway ties and a guard tower. There was a steep and difficult 250-foot climb to work on the railway everyday.
A short distance from the museum front door is a near vertical 25-foot deep limestone natural drain hole. At the bottom, it levels out somewhat and descends gently to a narrow opening 12 feet long leading to a small, lower gallery. This drain hole was used as a refuse pit by the PoWs.
The pit recovers hundreds of PoW artifacts. Many are displayed at the Death Railway museum in Kanchanaburi as well as here.
Early humans sought airy, bright, dry caves for shelter and protection. The cave at Hintok River Camp at Hellfire Pass is anything but that. It is difficult to access and is cramped and damp even during the dry season. Few animal bones, stone flakes and relatively few potsherds were found, indicating very little habitation. However, we have also discovered tools over at least a 10,000 year span. 181 artifacts were recovered. We believe they washed down in monsoon flash floods in the old days.
The majority of artifacts on display at Hintok Story museum –-both PoW and Stone Age–-came from the cave on this Hintok camp site. The few Stone Age ones that did not were recovered from another cave high in the hills above. This cave is locally known as the Death Cave because of dangerous carbon dioxide levels which develop on occasion and which threatened the lives of the team.
The bones of an infant and an adult were found in association with broken pottery, some with the cord design common during the Neolithic, along with a polished nephrite adze (now held by the Fine Arts Department in Bangkok).
Moreover, the cave network under Hintok River Camp is a habitat of the world’s smallest bat—Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (Craseonycteris Thonglongyai)—is in competition with the Etruscan shrew for the title of the world’s smallest mammal. It is restricted to limestone caves along rivers in this corner of Thailand and directly opposite in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Colonies range greatly in size but average 100 individuals. Because of its diminutive size, it is also known as the bumblebee bat.
Females give birth once a year to a single offspring. Because of these fragile characteristics it is listed as a vulnerable species. It was only discovered in the 1970s.
Mountain Biking to seeing local village, school and temple.
When the sun sets, another side of Hintok River Camp @ Hellfire Pass begins. We offer exotic buffet styled B.B.Q. dinner around the camp fire and your canvas tent’s frontyard.
For a special occasion request, we could also organize Mon dance performance (Mon is the native minority community living in the border of Thai-Burma in Kanchanaburi) while enjoying your barbeque dinner under the moonlight.
Right next to the river, swimming in a man made rock pool overlooking the River Kwai with a cocktail is just absolutely relaxing. It is the real plus of Hintok River Camp at Hellfire Pass. It is a wonderful dip during a hot day. The water is clean and it is tested for its hygienic conditions. The spring water actually comes right out from the mountain and naturally filtered underground. In other angle, the spring pool looks like mini waterfalls with 2 steps water depth. It is also safe for kids.
Take some time to escape from your days with our pampering massage session that will rejuvenate your body and mind. Hintok River Camp @ Hellfire Pass offers Thai Traditional massage, an art of local meditation, harmonizing human mind with the nature. This massage primarily helps blood circulation and gives you utmost relaxation and great health.
This is a part of the Death Railway constructed during the Second World War using POW labor to cut through the mountain. Along a 4-kilometer walking trail made by the Allied prisoners, today visitors can envision the difficulties faced in constructing the Death Railway using simple tools. Take a closer look at this historical Hellfire Pass, walk along remaining railroad tracks and even walk into the cutting!
Learn a history of hellfire pass with the modern setting museum with knowledgeable information regarding ww II and the origin of hellfire pass. The admission is free.
Opening hours : 09.00 AM – 04.00 PM
Hintok River Camp at Hellfire Pass is set in a remote rural area called ‘Had Ngew’. There are local villages which their work is specialising in basket weaving. The elementary school located a kilometer from the camp. The village temple where you will need to cross the river via the suspension bridge. You could explorer the area by taking a bike and ride through these local communities.
