Are you planning a trip to Kanchanaburi? Located in the eastern central part of Thailand, Kanchanaburi is a popular tourist destination for international visitors and Thais. Known for the gleaming Bridge Over the River Kwai and its tragic war history, many visitors head to the museums to learn more about the area’s past, the war cemeteries, and take a ride on the infamous Death Railway over the bridge.
There are also many natural attractions not far from the main town too, including green mountains and cascading waterfalls. One of the most popular waterfalls is Erawan Waterfall, with its seven-tiers and inviting pools that are suitable for swimming. Erawan Waterfall is beautiful, but its beauty comes at a price – it is often very crowded. Did you know there is another equally as stunning waterfall not too far away but with a fraction of the crowds?
Having your own transportation is recommended, as to reach this other waterfall you need to journey around 50 kilometres along scenic mountain roads. The homes that you pass don’t have mains electricity; properties use solar power for all their electrical needs.
Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall is within the lush Sri Nakarin National Park. It is easy to walk around and explore and this waterfall also has seven levels with areas that are suitable for swimming. Surrounded by nature, the main car park is in the middle of the falls, giving you the option of either walking up a few levels to begin with or climbing down. Either way, you’ll have ascents and descents, it’s just whether you’d like to get the climbing out of the way first! If you only have a few hours, personally, I’d recommend going to the lower levels. They are closer together, meaning that you can see more of the falls, and they are very pretty.
There are large drops and small drops, giving plenty of visual variety. If you do fancy having a swim there are plenty of pools where you can splash about in the blue waters with very few other people around, indeed, don’t be surprised if you manage to find a spot just for you! Pack a picnic and enjoy relaxing in gorgeous nature.
The trails are closed at 4pm because of the creatures that roam the national park during the darker hours. It is also to prevent people from trying to climb up and down in the dark and potentially injuring themselves.
During the day you will likely see lots of smaller creatures and insects, such as lizards, fish, dragonflies, and butterflies.
The main trails are well maintained, with boardwalks and sturdy wooden steps to make getting up and down easy.
If you go down to the bottom you can see the small hydro-electric power station where the power of the water is harnessed to create electricity for the park’s buildings.
There are toilets and places to get food and drink close to the main car park, as well as a variety of other walking trails through the national park.
/// Written by Sarah-Jane Williams, Thailand
