A Magical Place - Erawan Falls

Ever since moving to the Land of Thai, we had heard about the mystical Erawan Falls. Some of our friends had raving reviews about the place and so we were committed to seeing it for ourselves. The problem is that it's so far from Chiang Rai. Located in the Kanchanaburi province outside Bangkok, it was going to take time and effort. Time and effort well worth it! It turned out to be one of the highlights of our experience so far!

We selected a long weekend and took an overnight bus from Chiang Rai. Upon arrival at the BKK bus station we met Jody's friend Alexandria who was joining us for the weekend. We then promptly hopped on a cramped minivan for 4 hours to Kanchanaburi. We weren't there yet. From the Kanchanaburi bus station, we found the colorful, local bus that chugged us the final 1.5 hours to the entrance to Erawan National Park. A long commute, but the beauty of our destination immediately erased the painful memories out of our minds.

Not Too Shabby!

Surrounded by lush jungle, Erawan National Park is best known for it's stunning 7 tiered waterfall. The place is truly one-of-a-kind and therefore is not exactly off the tourist map. There are 2 options for staying within the park - bungalows and camping. Since we were visiting on a holiday weekend and the place was busy, the bungalows were full so we were "stuck" with camping. Let me just say that this was one of the best camping experiences I've ever had! Cheap, local food only a 5 minute walk away, manicured camp grounds & an accessible bathroom with shower facilities! We weren't exactly roughing it. After renting the already prepared 3 person tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags & pillows, our bill had run up to a massive 150 baht ($5) per person! We chose a supremely located spot overlooking the River Kwae (yes the famous bridge is a few miles down river).
















The good thing about staying inside the park is that all the annoying foreigners leave during the morning and evening. We had the place to ourselves! Most tourists visit Erawan as a day trip from Bangkok, so they arrive at 10AM and are out by 3. We were determined to check out some of the lower falls (more popular & accessible) that evening. I was struck by how many fish there were! Big fish too - not the little minnows you'd attach a hook and sinker to. We joined the locals frolicking in the water and jumped in without hesitation. It was so nice and refreshing after the long day of travel we had.

Swimming with the Fishes in Level 2

Locals With Fish

Never Ending Falls

The falls are named after the three-headed white elephant of Hindu mythology which they are said to resemble, and cascade down 7 limestone levels. Each of the 7 tiers is unique in a shape & character. The cool, clear water emits a beautiful, soothing aqua color. It's a supreme photo opportunity contrasting with the abundant jungle greenery lining the stream. Fantastic and straight out of a fairytale.

Beautiful Level 5

Me and My New Friend At The Top Level

We woke early the next day and hiked up the 2KM trail (steep and slippery at times) which took about an hour. I relished in the fact that there wasn't a soul in sight and we would have a nice, refreshing reward waiting for us at the top. A local dog joined us at the 5th level and became our "spirit dog" and guided us to the promise land. She playfully led us up the trail and constantly waited for us to catch up. I must admit, it was difficult passing each beautiful pool without jumping in, but being the 1st to reach the top was worth the haste. The final falls were absolutely beautiful as the sun came out. Having it to ourselves was fantastic! We spent an hour swimming and lounging around in paradise eventually joined by some friendly Thai "male-models". Little fish constantly nibbled on our toes preying on dead skin on the feet- A similar cleansing can be found at fish spas but these guys were bigger and more aggressive - a strange sensation.

Friends Behind Level 7 Falls :)

Success!

To the dismay of our spirit dog, we decided to start the descent. It was then that we saw some rustling in the trees above us and sure enough a family of monkeys were hanging out! It was cool to see them in their wild habitat jumping from tree to tree. There was an adorable baby in the pack clinging to her mother the entire time. They seemed to follow us from above down each tier. I had to stop at the 3rd level & go down the natural water slide! It was a good feeling to join in on the local activity while gawking tourists snap pictures from the safety of the trail.

The Lil Nugget

I HAD to Do It!

When we reached the bottom, the masses had arrived. We were so glad we got to experience this magical place in relative seclusion rather than share it with hundreds of others. I really can't say enough about our experience at Erawan and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Thailand - just make sure you spend a night.