30th of December, 2023.
Hitchhiking in Thailand: Erawan National Park
The park is quite crowded. Understandable, being holidays and Saturday. There is an entrance fee for the park: 300 THB. It is a very large park, so you can easily spend 2 or 3 days exploring. Apart from the seven waterfalls we’ll be visiting (the most famous one in the park), there are other ones spread along the whole extension of the park. And other points of interest too, like Srinagarindra Dam and Sinakharim Lake. If we had more time, I would definitely like to explore these other sites.
I ask at the info centre if we can leave our backpacks while we go to see the waterfalls. A quite charming woman, with short greyish hair, says that we can, but that we must return at 16.30h, when the park closes. And interestingly enough, she says that we better only go until the 4th waterfall, otherwise we will not be back on time.
When we start the path which leads to the waterfalls, we pass by a sign which says “camping site”. Interesting. Before, I had seen a camping site by the road, which seemed very nice, so I am not sure if we should camp here tonight. Of course, it would make our lives easier, so we decide to check on that on our way back from the waterfalls.
Now, the waterfalls… they are OK. Perhaps it is because I have already seen a lot of waterfalls, some of them really nice and extraordinary; perhaps it is because there are so many people, but so many people…; perhaps is because they are quite tiny; I don’t really know, but I didn’t think they are great! A lot of people are in the water, for what you need, by the way, to purchase a life-jacket: 20 Baht. Why? Capitalism. None of the waterfalls are deeper than 1 metre or so.
I am guessing that, if I was simply walking through a forest (or even a National Park, but for which I wouldn’t have to pay to visit), and then I had encountered these waterfalls, I would’ve found them lovely! They have a very nice turquoise colour, and their endings are flat and calm, which makes it beautiful. Also, if the walk was more along a proper trail, and not a concrete / wooden path made for tourists, I would indeed, have enjoyed more. What to do?
Miles and I have, of course, our laughs and we enjoy ourselves anyway. We manage to reach the last waterfall, number seven, but right by the time the park is closing, so we can’t even sit down and enjoy it for a while. The whole length of this path is about 4 Km. With the ups and downs in staircases, it takes more time than a usual walk in the park, but nothing serious. But we arrived at the park after 14.00h, so there was not much time to chill. I wasn’t planning to get into the waterfalls anyway, mostly with all these people around, so it was not a big loss for me.
An important note is: if you would like swim around and also spend some quiet time in each one of waterfalls, you should come early morning to stay until lunch time; or come right after lunch and stay until they close. Why this time table? After the third waterfall, food and plastic bottles are not allowed. You can either bring your own water bottle or you can leave your plastic bottle by the third waterfall, with a deposit of 30 THB per bottle. On your way back, by showing the bottle you can collect your money back again. It is a good policy, I think. Hopefully, it helps people to keep the park cleaner. Yeah, but there’s nothing you can do about the food, so for that reason, I don’t think it is practicable to stay much more than 4 hours around here. The good thing about leaving by the closing time is that your photos will not be crowded with people. That might be also the case if you come early morning.
We decide to stay in the camping site. There is a fee of 30 THB but I do feel like having a shower. Just like the park, the camping site is also crowded. What? Why? I don’t get it but it is the first time in my travels that I am in such a crowded camping site. And the area is huge! But there are tents everywhere!
Alongside the river, is the most popular place to pitch a tent. And I, of course, didn’t want different. But because there is so many people, almost every place is taken. Almost. Well, there is a small space without tents, which would be perfect for my tent and Mile’s, but a pratt has his metal bed frame (which are very common in India, and also here, to sleep outside) right in the middle of this spot, taking over it completely. And he is playing video games in his fucking phone! It is not even as he is enjoying the view and the nature. Jerk! I get so furious that I leave the spot shouting something like everyone wants a little space… – as Miles would remind me later, when I apologise to him for my behaviour. We laughed afterwards, of course.
Anyway, Miles brilliantly manage to find us another spot. We can’t, both of us, stay with our tent’s door facing the river, but it is close enough. And Miles kindly enough let me have my tent in front.
The sun is coming down. We go for a shower and decide to meet after at the food corner. What? Yep, there is some kind of event going on tonight, and so there are a few food stands around. There will be even a music performance too.
We hang around for the music performance. Members of the park stuff have a small band, and the vocalist can even play the harmonic. But they are only playing Thai songs, so after some time we decide to leave.
We have our dinner by the river. After another nice chat, we go to sleep.
Next morning, in conversation with Miles, we discover that both of us couldn’t sleep very well, keeping turning around the whole night. We pack our things and have breakfast by the food court. Miles has some Khao Pad and I have my muesli with yogurt. We leave soon after that.
10 Years Around the World 