Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Thais, particularly fanatical about such things, consider Nam Tok Thilawsu to be the
most beautiful waterfall in the country. There's a shallow cave behind the falls and several
levels of pools suitable for swimming. The best time to visit is after the rainy season
(November and December) when the 200m to 400m limestone cliffs alongside Mae Nam
Klong are streaming with water and Nam Tok Thilawsu is at its best.
The easy 1.5km path between the sanctuary headquarters and falls has been trans-
formed into a self-guided nature tour. Surrounding the falls on both sides of the river are
Thailand's thickest stands of natural forest, and the hiking in the vicinity of Nam Tok
Thilawsu can be superb. The forest here is said to contain more than 1300 varieties of
palm; giant bamboo and strangler figs are also common-place.
The vast majority of people visit the falls as part of an organised tour, but it's also pos-
sible to go more or less independently. If you've got your own wheels, take the turn-off to
Rte 1167 just north of Um Phang. After 12km, turn left at the police checkpoint onto Rte
1288. Continue 6km until you reach the sanctuary checkpoint, where you're expected to
pay the entry fee. It's another 25km along a recently paved road to the sanctuary
headquarters.
It's easy to book a truck just about anywhere in Um Phang (round trip 1500B). Altern-
atively, you can take a Poeng Kloeng-bound sŏrng·tăa·ou to the sanctuary checkpoint
(30B, every hour from 6.30am to 3.30pm), and organise transport from there.
Tham Ta Khu Bi
From Ban Mae Klong Mai, just a few kilometres north of Um Phang via the highway to
Mae Sot, Rte 1167 heads southwest along the Thai-Myanmar border. Along the way is the
extensive cave system of Tham Ta Khu Bi, which in Karen allegedly means 'Flat Mango'.
There are no guides here, so be sure to bring your own torch.
CAVE
Poeng Kloeng & Letongkhu
Rte 1288, which leads to the checkpoint for Um Phang Wildlife Sanctuary, continues
more than 70km, terminating in Poeng Kloeng - a Karen, Burmese, Talaku and Thai trad-
ing village on the Myanmar border.
Poeng Kloeng is a pretty nondescript border town where the main occupations appear
to be selling black-market cigarettes from Myanmar and the production of betel nut. The
real reason to make the schlep here is to visit the neighbouring village of Letongkhu,
12km south of Poeng Kloeng along a rough uphill track.
VILLAGES
