| Cover
story: 25
Sep 06 / Vol.
23 No.12 |
AND
UMPHANG
Back
to nature in the western
forests of Thailand |
Humans
are meant to live in harmony with mother nature. The more
they become attached to materialism and riches in modern civilization,
the farther they are from nature. Among those who neglect
this inborn instinct, there rises the need to get back to
the soothing embrace of verdant mountains and refreshing wind.
A pond surrounded by green vegetation
is found on the trekking trail.
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As for salaried people who lead a city life constantly struggling
with rush, pollution and stress, a sensational remedy for them
is to return to natural surroundings. Close your eyes and flash
back to your last recreational vacations. If they are so vague
for it was a long time ago, let me escort you to the western
forests of Thailand in Tak Province.
Even though it is a big province in the North bordering Myanmar,
Tak is often bypassed as people head for the more popular Chiang
Mai or Chiang Rai also in the North. Nevertheless, Tak's serene
beauty, especially that of Thi Lo Su Waterfall, its famous tourist
attraction, has steadily won travellers' heart. New comers are
drawn to this veiled terrain by word of mouth.
Thi Lo Su Waterfall stands majestically
with white foaming water all year round.
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All in all, Tak Province is proud to present its numerous natural
treasure. But allow me to deal only with its Umphang County
(district) where Thi Lo Su Waterfall is located.
Introduction
to Umphang
Umphang has a mountainous topography. It is the largest among
the eight counties of Tak Province. A large number of Karens
have been inhabiting here for ages.
In the old days, Umphang was a west garrison town under Uthai
Thani Province's jurisdiction. It served as a passport checkpoint
where Burmese merchants entered Thailand. These merchants kept
their travel documents in a bamboo section with a lid. These
documents were called "umpha" in Karen, which later
was changed to Umphang.
To get to Umphang
Just a thought of visiting Umphang is a challenge because you
are required to go through the 1,219-curve asphalt road meandering
into the thickly forested mountainous area. This may cause you
a severe motion sickness, so after fastening your seat belt,
take a pill immediately as a preventive measure. My suggestion
is to travel at night to let yourself sleep while the car is
crawling the path like a snake.
The impressive scenery along the
Mae Klong River
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From Bangkok, drive along Highway 1 (Phahon Yothin Road), pass
Ayutthaya, Angthong, Chainat, Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaengphet
provinces and you will reach Tak (Distance 425 km). Then, turn
left onto Highway 1090 (Maesot-Umphang), the 1,219-curve road.
It takes about 6 hours to finally get to Umphang. A total distance
is 668 km.
Thi Lo Su Waterfall
Part of Umphang
Wildlife Sanctuary, Thi Lo Su is a limestone waterfall with
a height of 900 m above sea level and a width of 500 m. Thi
Lo Su in Karen means a waterfall with a loud noise. Its
water source comes from Klo Tho Stream supplying water for the
waterfall all year round but the water will be more plentiful
in the rainy season. Situated in the embrace of charming luxuriant
vegetation, Thi Lo Su is the most beautiful waterfall in Thailand
and is ranked among the six most beautiful waterfalls in the
world.
The upper leap of Thi Lo su
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Here, white foaming water jumps down the sheer cliff. And since
Thi Lo Su faces east, rainbows will appear when water spray
reflects the sunlight at a perfect angle. The air is real refreshing.
You can swim to your hearts' content in its large pond with
pleasant cool water. Camping is allowed in the Umphang Wildlife
Sanctuary.
To get to Thi Lo Su, you can sail along the Mae Klong River
and disembark at Tha Sai point. Then, continue travelling on
a pickup for about 45 minutes to arrive at Umphang Wildlife
Sanctuary. After that you are required to walk to Thi Lo Su
Waterfall for about 45 minutes. However, automobiles cannot
access the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary in the rainy season (June-October).
During this period, you have to walk right from Tha Sai to the
waterfall which takes about 3 hours. |
Thi
Lo Re Waterfall
Thi
Lo Re, part of the East Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary,
means rainbow waterfall as in the morning, rainbows appear in
the area. The water jumps down the 80 m high cliff amidst the
greenery. It can be reached by dinghy sailing along the Mae
Klong River. You are recommended to be there not later than
10:00 a.m. to be able to see the rainbows.
Thi Lo Cho Waterfall
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Thi Lo Cho Waterfall
It is not far from Thi Lo Re. The name means the rain drop waterfall.
It comprises two levels. The upper level gushes from the sheer
cliff while the lower one flows down to the Mae Klong River.
The water bursts into drops looking like those of rain. You
can go there by trekking or dinghy sailing.
The refreshing cool morning at Doi Hua Mot |
Doi Hua Mot Hills
The topography consists of a 30 km limestone mountain range.
Early in the morning, you can stand on one of its tops to watch
the romantic sunrise and to admire the panoramic view of the
puffy sea of mist shrouding the surrounding hills. Plants on
the hills are mostly cyad and wild flowers which will abundantly
bloom in the rainy season carpeting the hills with their colourful
flowers.
Routes to learn the Karen ways of life
Palatha Karen Village
This is an old Karen village of Umphang. Here, elephants are
still domesticated as vehicles. The villagers proudly wear their
traditional costume and do the weaving themselves.
Paedotha and Umphangkhi Karen Villages
Set in the verdant forests, these villages provide you with
authentic karen lifestyles. Home stay services are available
if you would like to intimately learn their way of living. If
you prefer camping, you can bring a tent by yourself.
Paddling the dinghy along the
Mae Klong River
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Routes for shooting the rapids in the Mae Klong River
Umphang-Thi Lo Su
Start your sailing at Umphang town, paddling along the stream
past beautiful nature and take a break at Thi Lo Cho Waterfall.
Then continue rowing to a hot stream and Takhobi Rapid where
white water flows strongly. Let yourself be lulled by the sounds
of nature. You will disembark at Tha Sai point. After that,
travel on a pickup for about 45 minutes to arrive at Thi Lo
Su Waterfall.
The luxuriant forests along the
Mae Klong River |
Palatha Karen Village-Thi Lo Re
Begin your adventurous sailing at Palatha Karen Village, you
will pass Leketi which is a large rapids stretching for a few
kilometres. Then the dinghy will take you to Khon Mong Rapids
whose level of difficulty is about 3-4 as the water gushes past
rocks. Alongside scenery is so pleasant that you might not notice
that you are right in front of Thi Lo Re waterfall.
These two routes are only examples of shooting the rapids in
Umphang and the western forests of Thailand. Click the links
below for more details on shooting the rapids:
• Shooting
the Rapids in the North of Thailand : Part 1
• Shooting
the Rapids in the North of Thailand : Part 2
• Shooting
the Rapids : What to know?
Apart from shooting the rapids, Umphang
offers you several trails to trek both on foot and on elephant
back. Another recommended activity is camping at the East Thung
Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary where you can study nature along
its forest trails and watch wild animals at night. Consult an
authorised travel agent to arrange your personalized trip and
activities. Besides, please conform with the rules and regulations
of each place.
After soaking yourself in the waterfalls and vitally charging
your energy amidst mountains and forests, it's time to get back
to real life. It is glad to know that such a pristine nature
still remains for us to experience in our lifetime. And it will
be a great relief to learn that every traveller bears in mind
the preservative conscience when going to any national park
or wildlife sanctuary so as to be assured that nature will remain
intact no matter how long time passes. Then, whenever life is
unbearable, you can be sure that nature is out there to be your
refuge.
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