Erawan National Park is the 12th national park of Thailand, situated about 60km’s from the town of Kanchanaburi. The park is named after Erawan, the Thai name for Airawata who is the three-headed Hindu elephant god. This name was bestowed on the park as some people believe the top tier resembles the mythological creature. The national park features various waterfalls dispersed over seven tiers, which entails a 2km hike to view all of the levels. The park is a very popular destination with tourists and locals alike, so expect crowds – especially in the lower tiers.
First few tiers are easy to navigate but the hike gets tougher the further up you go. You should wear sneakers with a good grip when scaling the last few tiers. Hiking through lush vegetation, you can stop at each tier and swim in the various pools along the way. Don’t be surprised if some Doctor Fish (Garra Rufa) flock towards your feet – the nibbling if dead skin off your feet can be a freakish sensation. In particular, the larger fish can be quite intimidating and very different to the tiny variety at your local spa. The most beautiful parts of the waterfalls involved navigating over slippery rocks, which I didn’t attempt with my camera. I don’t have pics of these gorgeous areas but a google image search can give you a better idea of the actual waterfalls. We went during the worst drought that Thailand has experienced in a decade, so many of the waterfalls were drier than usual. The seventh tier was actually quite disappointing, with none of the majesty that was shown in the pictures at the entrance. Hopefully the drought will not continue into the next rainy season and allow the waterfalls to gain back their former glory.
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AuthorWriter. Dreamer. Lover. Explorer. Teacher. Archives
July 2017
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