Kanchanaburi Waterfall

Located 100 kilometres north west from Kanchanaburi town, is Sai Yok National Park.

A place filled with beauty, nature and a place that I recently went to explore.

Sai Yok is home to animals, mountains and caves, but the reason, I (and many others) travel there, is to see the waterfalls.

Waterfalls are a simple thing, with water, height and (mainly) rock working together to create an extraordinary piece of beauty, and in a world where it wont be long until phones are smarter than your average human, I think it’s important to appreciate the natural elements this world has to offer.

There are many waterfalls to choose from in Sai Yok, however we ended up here:

Phatad waterfall.
A place where the relaxing sound of mud and leaves rush through the groves, flowing and winding their way back down to the river Khwae Noi, echoes around you.

The walk to the waterfall winds up a slow and steady hill.
Sun peers through the leaves lighting the way, and nature is as nature should be.
Untouched and unapologetic.

The forest is moist and the bridges are slippery.
A little reminder that whilst you are welcome, the rain will soon fall and wipe away your footsteps, recreating the illusion of an untrodden path and preserving excitement for the next set of people who wander through.

There’s an array of wildlife scattered through the forest.
From dragon flies, to butterflies.
But this forest is a place where time feels like it has stood still.
Undisturbed by traffic, noise and technology.
It’s a place where you can re-live the excitement from your youth.

When I was younger my sister and I would play a game.
We would take over the living room and turn the floor into a blazing inferno…
Figuratively speaking.
Ornaments would be moved to safer places, and furniture rearranged to give the appropriate level of difficulty. The aim was to climb from one part of the room, to the other, without touching the blistering pool of lava (carpet) that lay waiting.

Sai Yok National Park reminds me of this.

A place where you pull on your explorer hat.

Forget that you’re an adult

And enjoy the excitement of climbing through the unknown.

This is a place to kick off your shoes, to climb up, fall down and to feel nature between your toes
And the best part about getting down and dirty, as you wander off the beaten track?
Is that you find places like this, where you can wash it all away.