Srinakarin Dam & Reservoir

North of Erawan, the Khwae Yai is held back by the Srinagarind (Srinakarin) Dam — at 140 m high and 610 m long, Thailand’s largest rockfill dam — flooding the valley behind it into an enormous, fjord-like reservoir of deep blue-green water ringed by jungle hills.

Why It’s Interesting

This is upper Kanchanaburi’s playground for doing not very much, beautifully: floating raft resorts moored in quiet coves, boats and kayaks gliding over still water, fishing, swimming, and picnics on the dam. From the lake you can also reach places the road can’t — most famously the seven-tier Huay Mae Khamin waterfall on the far shore. It’s serene, scenic, and far less crowded than the famous falls down the valley.

Best Time to Visit

The cool season, November to February, is ideal: clear skies, calm water, and comfortable days for being out on the reservoir. Water levels are highest and the colour richest late in and just after the rainy season. It sits about an hour beyond Erawan Falls, so the two make a natural pairing.