Tad Duen

Though Sukhothai province, Thailand is well known for it’s ancient and historic ruins, it’s natural surroundings are also worth a visit. Sukhothai contains amongst others two beautiful national parks. They are not always as accessible but fun still the same.

About 35 km from the Sri Satchanalai ruins is the National Park with the same name. There is a double waterfall (Tad Dao) that can be visited though it’s a 2 hour walk from the park headquarters and visitors are not allowed to go there after a certain time in the afternoon so as to avoid tourists camping out there.

Close to the park headquaters though is a different waterfall by the name of Tad Duen (or Tad Duean, Doeun). Visited in November 2008 yet again the place was deserted. With a strong flow and a beautiful pool beneath the 10m high fall nothing could stop me from a skinny dip.

Sri Satchanalai has some lodging (as does the national park) and some nice places to eat, but otherwise head for Sukhothai itself even though it’s 1,5 hours drive away.

Rainbows

Many tourists come to the central Thai province of Sukhothai to visit it's hundreds of years old ruins. However the province also has two beautiful national parks, one of which is Ramkhamhaeng. Besides a high plateau there are a number of waterfalls around the base, one of which is Sai Rung or Sairung, which translates as Rainbow.

A very common name to give to a waterfall, there are many Sai Rung waterfalls around Thailand. All have as common features a high fall with little flow such that with the sunlight a rainbow appears.

Visited in October 2008, this waterfall is located on the southwestern edge of the national park, a few km off highway 1331 which bisects the park on the west. A turn off leads to a national park entrance and a car park. Again ample evidence of times when the park would be packed, but when we there, not so many were recreating. A steep path leads up and along the stream with many smaller falls and pools such as depicted above but the ultimate goal is the bottom of the 100m drop of which I have no picture. Darn!

Not many facilities available. Sukhothai itself is about 50 km away. Kamphaeng Phet about the same. Inbetween the park and Kamphaeng Phet is a hot spring Phra Ruang, worth a visit.