Up the creek

Easily accessible from the most touristed stretch of the Khao Lak coast (Phang Nga, Thailand), it could be expected that Chong Fa would be nearly overrun or near ruined. However the opposite is true.

'Please do not entry to the waterfall'

The entrance gate (Chong Fa is part of the Lam Ru National Park) is half open or half close with a poster revealing that the park is somehow off-limits (photo above). A plus is that the park is (still?) open. Furthermore, no entry fees are required. And once again the access road is too difficult to take. There is a lone ranger, but he has his pitched his hammock up high and is wondering what his dreams will bring him.

From the entrance to the waterfall is a 1km long access road. From the road head it’s another 200m walk along a track to the first level, so no real strenuous hike, but a deliteful one nonetheless.

Getting there is a big part of the experience.

Chong Fa is a fabulous waterfall with lots of water crushing down into a deep and sunny pool. Downstream along the access road, are more swim holes, all deep and free flowing with great opportunities for a great dip.

It really is amazing, this piece of paradise so close to the paradise lost of Khao Lak.


There’s one website which has some more info on Khao Lak’s waterfalls (it mentions Chong Fa as having a steep (!) track to the first of five levels), but in general Khao Lak’s waterfalls are neglected and ignored, despite these being a great way to diversify the coast’s attractions, generate income and able to increase awareness of the globe’s natural surroundings, their fragility and the unique experience they offer. It contrasts with other places nearer Bangkok where waterfalls have become attraction parks, places of recreation.

But for me the tranquillity and (temporary?) absence of the great world is an opportunity to indulge in swimming, plunging and receiving a natural back massage.

Chong Fa, back massage please!

Plunge jacuzzi

View from the old road

Ease of access is key to most Thai waterfalls, but seldom is access so guaranteed as to Punyaban (or NamTok SetTakuat, source) which falls nearly onto highway 4, just north of Ranong town.

In the sharp U shaped turn, the old bridge and both banks are used to create a park like area with the 50 m waterfall as natural backdrop. Near the parking areas are two small restaurants as well as amenities block (or two). One can walk below to the stream level and safely go up to the base of the waterfall.

Strongly recommended is to take the nature trail path on the north side. Steep, it’s well laid, though not often utilized. The educative element has slightly became a victim of time, the trail itself climbs beyond the lip to a smaller fall and beyond this to a 10 m fall.

View towards Myanmar

With a beautiful view as well as the solitude gained so close to the mad world as represented by a major highway, this area above the larger waterfall entices one to become one with nature and plunge in the natural rock jacuzzi’s or get immersed under the falls them selves.

Up beyond the main waterfall are some great skinny dip pools.

More info can be obtained from cathy and gary's travel page entry on Punyaban. Note that the waterfall i s just 10 minutes drive north of Ranong town, it counts 3 levels but only 20m height. Their end note:

'Punyaban Waterfall - Beautiful Place'

Others mention the nature trail heads back down on the other side.

Lonely Planet rates Punyaban as no. 5 of the 11 things to do in Ranong.

Interestingly the blog waterfallsonstamps names Punyaban as one of his 9 stamps of waterfalls from Thailand (from 1980, 2 THB!).

Anyway, Punyaban is definitely a contender for top 10 waterfall position in Thailand.

Just one of the pools waiting for you to quit your sweaty clothes!

Falling Fairies

Entrance to Suoi Tien

Fairies
Suoi Tien is a commonly used name for a water-like attraction in Vietnam. Suoi meaning stream, Tien meaning fairy. So in English not as straight forward as commonly thought. Fairies are an often recurring theme in Vietnamese legends and with Suoi Tien, Khanh Hoa province the legend goes as follow:

'Legend has it that a giant from Binh Dinh Province visited Suoi Tien thousands of years ago. Enchanted by its charm, the giant accidentally slid into the stream. One of his feet landed on a boulder on the bank of the river, flattening it to create a smooth surface in the middle of the stream. The flat stone served as a place for fairies from heaven to play after coming down to earth for a swim. The flat stone is now an ideal resting point for visitors who want to conquer the upstream flow of the river'.

Note that the website from which I gained this insight has a photo of another stream (possibly for fairies) presumably more south (Mui Ne?).

The stream at entrance, with man-made pool.
Note the extensive scarring beyond, a sign of times to come

Getting There
Anyway, this Suoi Tien is located not so far from Nha Trang, the provincial capital. Passed the 17th century citadel of Dien Khahn one takes a left and continues towards the hills, sign boarding is unpredictable. There is also a number of internet sites that imply taking a turn from highway 1, south of Nha Trang in the village of Suoi Dao.
And finally a new by-pass is being built which will alter the directions altogether. The final 1 km up to the foot of the mountain is a poor road , though small scale repairs were underway. A total of 20-25 km from Nha Trang (45 min.).

Plans are being drawn up, according to this reference:

'under a 15 year plan to build hotels, bungalows, regenerate forest, etc'.

So by then it should be less difficult to find!
Considering the amount of scarring this process (construction) is already resulting in (see photo above), the regeneration part will probably entail a long term restoration of what they had initially undertaken. Sims [1] adds:

'Past the parking area a bar, restaurant, and tourist office are under construction. This once hidden gem is under wraps no more!
…
The downside to tourism is evident in all the litter seen strewn about, despite the odd rubbish bin'.

Other references are less expansive. LP [2] has a short paragraph on Suoi Tien:

'This enchanting spring seems to pop up out of nowhere.
…
It has been earmarked as the next big ecotourism site, which paradoxically probably means massive over-development, but it is still peaceful if you hike upstream'.

Anyway despite the nearness to Nha Trang and the obvious attractiveness for recreation, a week day mid-morning, March 2011, sees little or no crowds at all, quite sleepy.

Experience
An entrance fee is required (10,000 VND; ~ US$ 0,50) and then ione can wander up the stream. Despite aforementioned plans, there's still hardly anything to be had, at the entrance; even buying a drink is only just do-able.

The first set of falls which have been enhanced see a large crowd of drunk local teenagers, but continuing onwards through the stream bed one can seek solitude easily.

Enhanced

There's a passage below an overhanging rock and at a certain place an inlet for drinking water. Continuing through the bed stream brings one in still quieter places, though refuse still bears witness to a superior (?) civilisation.

Finally I find a nice sun drenched sandy pool and take an au-naturel plunge and reconnect with my inner-self. Birds everywhere, a nice place indeed.

More
Though not a waterfall in the strictest sense, it does contain many drops of a meter or more. There are a lot of pools to cool off in and if motivated one can continue onward up the mountain. Sims [2] describes continuing as follows:

'Locals say that if you follow the stream to its source, about a two day hike, you’ll reach a magical chess board used long ago by fairies’.

Closeby is another stream, Suoi Nguon which according to Sims [1] misses the extensive development of the other nearby sites (see Ba Ho and Yang Bay) and signifies

‘it’s peaceful atmosphere with little to no other people around’.

Suoi Nguon can be reached by taking the road up Hon Ba mountain. Some pictures of Suoi Nguon are to be seen from this web album.

Notes:
[1] Sims, A. (2010) Nha Trang Guide Book 2011-2012 Edition EBT Media, Nha Trang, Vietnam.
[2] Ray, N., Y.-M. Balasingamchow, I. Stewart (2010) Vietnam. 10th Edition. Lonely Planet, Footscray, Australia

Couple of waterfalls

Lan Sang waterfall.

Located nearer Tak town than Taksin Maharat National Park (see also entry on Pang Ah Noi waterfall) is the national park of Lan Sang (sometimes written as Lansang). Just 17 kms along a gradually climbing towards the foot of the mountains road in the direction of Mae Sot (Highway 105).

As always there's a significant entry fee (~$US 7), but with the added benefit that the aforementioned Taksin N.P. is included in the same price if visited the same day.

Once past paying the road continues onwards along the Lan Sang stream for another km until one reaches a carpark. By then one could have already visited the Lan Lieng waterfall.
At the carpark there is also an information kiosk and after some search a toilet, oddly that they built two toilet structures next to each other.

A short amble gets you to Lan Sang waterfall itself. The waterfall is a small series of 5-10m drops between a rocky gully. Some good pools for splashing but as this is easily accessible it might be a little too public for my (and wife's) exhibitionist behavior. Or so it maybe construed. Careful.

Instead we notice the nearby signboard which mentions a number of waterfalls along the same riverulet but more upstream. All seem within an hours walk (the furthest, Pa Tay (Pha Te) is only a little more than 2 km away) and my wife and I decide to tackle the track to the next fall. The track alongside the stream is narrow and beginning to be overgrown. About 30 minutes up is Pa Pueng, the destination. This fall is much more open and is actually the stream going along a 20m slope rather than a real fall. Nonetheless a great place to hang out naked.

Pa Pueng waterfall during rainy season (October 2010).

On our way back we discover a much more worn track which though longer takes just the same amount of time. Once back we discovered we were just a short distance from the next waterfall Pa Noi.

More photo's of Lan Sang here and here.

This website provides a good insight:

'Legend has it that while leading an attack on Chiang Mai, King Krung Thon Buri became separated from his troops. In the dark forests, his soldiers were forced to wait for daylight to search for their beloved King. ' That night, a strange light appeared in the sky and the soldiers heard the King's horse whinny in the distance. They followed the horse's cries until dawn, when they came across their King mounted on his trusty steed. This site was aptly named "Lan Sang", the "Dawning Ground"'.