Hunting waterfalls is hungry work

22 November….The monsoon season, or rainy season as the Thais call it, can be pretty exciting.  The thunder and lightning storms that come very predictably in the late afternoon almost every day can be spectacularly bright and deafeningly loud, especially when the storm is right on top of you.  The rain can come down like there’s no tomorrow and sometimes it feels that way.  From my office window on the 24^th floor or our home on the 32^nd floor we’ve had the chance to see some stunning storms.  And amongst the challenges and dangers all this rain brings there is also at least one great benefit.  Waterfalls.  Huge flowing waterfalls.  And this time of year, with the rainy season just finishing, is waterfall season.

A beautiful hornbill joined us for lunch

The rain is both a blessing and a curse to Thailand.  Over the centuries its economy has been primarily based on wet rice farming on the fertile river plains of central, eastern and southern Thailand.  The country’s historic trading strengths and its prosperity has been built around rice.  Lots of rice.  And as long as the Thai water management system can handle the excess water and flooding that occurs every year, all is good. 

This has been more or less an average year for rain which means good crops, minimal flooding and lots of healthy waterfalls.  Julie and I headed into eastern Thailand on a recent weekend, bravely taking our tent in hopes of starry nights and a cool breeze.

A small casecade in a beautiful setting

We were targeting three national parks, all of them well known for their large cascading waterfalls and beautiful scenery.  Our first stop was at Khao Chamao-Khao Wong National Park, actually two different areas under one administration.  The park is in the mountains north of the provincial town of Klaeng where the limestone mountains feature dramatic escarpments that are ideal for waterfalls.  The Thais have done a super job of preserving their natural resources and most parks – there are over 120 in the country – are well maintained with visitor centres, toilets, parking and the inevitable food stalls and local restaurants. 

There is something fishy happening here

We parked and headed up the footpath to the largest waterfall in the park.  As we followed the stream, some of the

Julie following the trail to the next cascade in the waterfall

pools below the individual cascading waterfalls were full of carp living so densely they at times would swim over the top of each other.  Gill to gill you might say.  We turned around before the ninth cascade as oppressive heat and nagging hunger drove us back.  At lunch in one of the very local restaurants a hornbill sat on the rail near us, almost as if it was a pet, a rare treat to see this beautiful bird up so close.

Ah, the good life.....

We explored other waterfalls in the park that afternoon and with the blessing of blue skies we pitched our tent amongst the trees near the facilities and the restaurants.  We love our five star hotels, blue ribbon service and gourmet meals but we also love getting outdoors to enjoy the setting from a completely different angle and to mix with the locals.  And after cocktail hour, dinner and more star gazing we went to bed and were soon reminded of a rule about camping in Thailand – the cool season, usually December to February, is the only time of year cool enough at night to allow a good night’s sleep.  Note to self.

The entrance to the Khao Wong cave - and as far a Julie would go

The next day we wound our way through the limestone mountains to Khao Wang which features a huge cave system for those brave enough to venture in.  There are no fees or guides or lights or maps to these caves but luckily we had torches.  Julie prefers deep dark caves from the outside so I ventured in, slipping and sliding on the bat guano, desperately trying not to fall.  I ducked and weaved through the different chambers, wishing I had a bigger torch and getting a bit spooked from the bats swooping all around in the dark, not to mention their squealy sounds and acrid smells. 

Bats in the caves made a bad sound and a worse smell

Eventually, thankfully, I popped out the other side, fresh air at last, and followed a faint track through the jungle and in and out of many other caves until I realised I had lost the trail and became confused about which way to go.  The jungle was making strange noises, I was soaked in sweat from the heat (and fear?) and at the first hint of retracing my steps I scampered back through the big cave I had left Julie at and eventually back to the car.  That was fun.

We tracked north a bit through extensive rubber plantations and rolling hills covered in cassava, the root of which they use to extract tapioca.  Khao Sip Ha Chan only joined the national park family in 2009 and had some fabulous grounds for camping.  But their big ticket waterfall was a five kilometre trek in the jungle so we gave that a miss.

One of nine cascades down this long waterfall

Our last national park of the day was Khao Khitchakut, a pleasant drive south through rich farmland and modest homes dotting the roadside.  Khao Khitchakut turned out to be prime time waterfall country, a huge draw for the locals on a nice Sunday and a stunner by any measurement.  It also turned out to be a steep and difficult climb up the track to see all nine stages of the waterfall but the views of the cascades falling just beside us as we climbed up were first rate. 

Only one place to get relief from the blistering heat

The locals were happy to jump into the pools at the base of the waterfalls and it seemed like a good idea with the high heat and the scrambling climb.  The young men might take off their shirts and swim in their pants or shorts while the girls just kick off their thongs and jump straight in, more worried about their modesty than about dry clothes. 

I certainly didn’t expect Julie to do the same thing in the beautiful pool at the base of the eighth fall but she just walked into the sandy pool and dove under the waterfall as if it was stinking hot and everyone else was doing it.  Julie’s still full of surprises after all these years.  So naturally I jumped in as well, scaring off a couple of the young girls who were in this pool first, and Julie and I splashed around like school kids.  But we did have dry clothes back in the car.

Like a mermaid at the base of the waterfall

We want to come back to Khao Khitchakut as it has more to offer (including good camping spots on a little lake) and the mountain setting was just stunning.  So maybe during the waterfall season next year, if the stars are out during camping season and the temperature is down we might come back.  It deserves a second look.

Some signs are self-explanatory

The national parks have something for everyone