Erawan National Park in Thailand – All You Need To Know
There are many natural tourist destinations to explore when you visit Thailand. You can explore your horizons there by visiting some of the world-famous tourist attractions. These places have so much to offer for your soul.
One such tourist attraction that you cannot miss during your trip to Thailand is Erawan National Park, one of the most visited and loved places in Thailand. It has Erawan waterfalls, caves, and trails to look forward to and you will be mesmerized by its eye-catching beauty and serenity for sure.
Photo Credits: www.leightonliterature.com
History
Erawan National Park was founded in the year 1975 and considered as the 12th national park of Thailand. It is located in west Thailand in the Tenasserim Hills of Kanchanaburi province and has carved a niche for itself as every year, thousands of tourists visit here to catch a glimpse of divine nature.
One of the major tourist attractions here is Erawan waterfalls that has some astonishing emerald green ponds that are named after the three-headed white elephant of Hindu mythology. If you watch it closely, the top tier of the falls looks similar to the head of the elephant.
The Erawan National Park is mostly covered with dense forest and has limestone hills and the elevation is between 169-996m from the sea level.
Wildlife Scenery
Photo Credits: animals.net
There are very limited trails you will find in the Erawan National Park and that is the reason, the wildlife watching possibilities are very restricted. However, once in a while, you will find macaques, water monitor lizards, and if you go down deep into the forest, you will find some astonishing animals such as Indian muntjac, Indochinese serow, wild elephants, sambar deer, wild boar, lar gibbon, and others.
Also, you will find some beautiful birds here including kalij pheasant, grey peacock pheasant, blue-winged leafbird, blue whistling thrush, dark-necked tailorbird, and others.
Visiting Hours Of Erawan National Park
If you are planning to visit Erawan National Park, you can go between 08:00 AM to 04:30 PM every day on any day of the year. However, the tourist rush is so huge that officials start cleaning from the top tier of the Erawan waterfalls from 03:00 AM. Officials start requesting tourists to leave from the top tier and they start moving down from tier to tier.
On public holidays and weekends, the Erawan National Park is almost full and busy.
There is an annual Songkran festival held from 13 to 15 April and if you are visiting in those days, you can watch water fights. However, you are not allowed to carry any electronic equipment and gadgets such as cameras and mobile phones during the festival.
Astonishing Waterfall-like Erawan waterfalls are one of the less-crowd places. You can also visit Huai Mae Khamin falls. It is located in Sri Nakharin Dam National Park, 43 km away from Erawan waterfalls. You will definitely catch serenity and peace here.
There are some finest restaurants which are serving different world-famous cuisines and different facilities. You will surely get surplus choices to eat here. Besides that, if you want to make Erawan a home for a few days, you can easily get Bungalows in Erawan National Park. These bungalows are available at an average price between 800 THB to 5000 THB. You can choose from the available options according to your stay budget.
For transport or travel, you can get buses from Kanchanaburi to reach the Erawan National Park and if you are adventurous and love cycling, then you also can rent bicycles at the visitor area for 20 THB per day.
Best Attractions at Erawan National Park
Erawan Waterfall
Photo Credits: www.thousandwonders.net
One of the most preferred destinations for visiting at Erawan National Park is Erawan waterfalls. It is located on the east side of the national park office and you can just walk there conveniently.
The Erawan waterfalls have 7 main tiers and a few smaller tiers. There are footbridges and trails to reach till 6th tier. To reach the 7th tier, you have to climb some cliffs. For adventurous people, it is a challenge to conquer. The most astonishing tourist attractions are some emerald green ponds in which you can swim too. These ponds are full of a wide range of fishes.
If you are carrying some food, you cannot go beyond the 2nd tier as food is strictly forbidden. There are some picnic spots on the 2nd tier where you can eat your food and lessen your weight. You can deposit your food and other items at the checkpoint at the 2nd tier and collect it back on your way back.
If you are visiting Erawan waterfalls on weekends or holidays, you will find it crowded with tourists across the globe. Even on weekdays, you will find it crowded.
National Park Office
The national park office is located on the northeast side of the park. It has a few restaurants, shops and a parking area for cars and public transport vehicles.
Phra That Cave
Photo Credits: www.amazingplacesonearth.com
The Phra that Cave is located 12 km northwest from the HQ. You can get to see stalactites and stalagmites within a limestone hill. A perfect place to visit if you take an interest in such things.
Ta Duang Cave
If you like rock paintings and sculptures, you might visit this beautiful Ta Duang Cave. It is located 30 km from HQ in the southwest part of the national park. You have to walk 700-800 meters down the forests from the Tha Thung Na Village. Here, you can also find some evidence of past human habitation, and pottery too.
Mi Cave
In Thai language, Mi means bear and it is believed that this cave is occupied by the bears. Located on the south side of the park, it has 5 chambers and has stones, stalactites, and stalagmites.
In short, your visit to the Erawan National Park would be full of surprises, adventure, and memories. You can visit Erawan National Park from Bangkok and spend some most beautiful time of your life here. Just plan a trip now and have fun with your family and friends.
