My second camping trip in Thailand:
Pun, our driver, arrived right on time at 6:00. We loaded our gear into his pickup, then set off on the highway leading north of town to Namtok Samlan National Park, one of the nearest national parks to Bangkok. After a short stop along the way for breakfast and coffee, we arrived just around 8:00.
There's a small made-to-order restaurant and a canteen where you can buy basic food, toiletries, and snacks. The park has some very nice toilet and shower facilities (impressively modern and clean!) and a place to was your dishes. There's also electricity available at the camp HQ where you can charge up your phones or power banks, but unlike at the forest park we visited a few months ago, there was no electricity provided at the campsite itself.
Even though we were just a few hours outside of Bangkok, the city couldn't have felt further away. The temperature fell into the low 60s Fahrenheit, and the wind was strong. Even though we couldn't go to the north like we had planned (thanks to Thailand's second COVID wave), we were still able to enjoy the cold weather of Christmas.
It has been a long and very difficult year. I was happy for the five-day break from the stress and hassle of the city.
I bought a cheap $3 Chinese-made gas stove off of the Internet, and it served us well during our camping trip.
At the very least, it was a fantastic way to make a very nice cup of tea.
The woods are quite wild, but as it is the rainy season, our walk was fairly easy.
Very quickly we we came to the waterfall. It is currently the winter season, though, and the water is now just a trickle. Still, it was a nice walk through the woods.
It isn't a hard walk to get to the waterfall, and it is worth the short trek. There were few visitors to the national park, and we didn't cross paths with anyone else on the walk. It was really peaceful.
Most national parks in Thailand seem to have some sort of spooky ghost story attached to them.
We would sit outside to watch the sun set behind the reservoir, then wash up and sleep as early as possible. Early bedtime and early wakeup are part of what makes camping fun for me!
After checking in, we made our way to the campsite, unloaded our gear, and said goodbye to Mr. Pun. He would pick up up in five days time.
I love camping, and I can't believe it has taken me so long to start camping in Thailand! When I was in the Boy Scouts, I used to go camping almost every month. Finally, after our first night at a forest park a few months ago, Pinky and I invented in some good camping gear, ready to start our new hobby together. We bought a much better tent and some cool gear, and were ready to spend a very relaxing holiday in the hills of Saraburi Province.
Camping costs just 100 THB for the entrance ticket to the national park ($3) and 60 THB per night ($2). It's hard to spend a cheaper or more fun holiday in Thailand.
* Thailand currently has an impressive 147 national parks and 69 forest parks (administered by the province rather than the national government). Some 20% of the country's land is maintained by the Department of National Parks! People don't necessarily associate camping and Thailand, but it's becoming a really popular activity here in the Kingdom! It's nice to see how much my adopted home cares for its natural treasures.
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| finding the perfect spot |
We found a nice spot in the campgrounds right along the park's reservoir. Camping in Thailand is a bit different from camping in the USA. You aren't assigned a campsite, but rather are free to pitch your tent anywhere in the designated campground.
We had quite the battle with the intense wind, but eventually managed to set up our tent. As an Eagle Scout, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I had to accept help from some very friendly campers when setting up our tent. The ground was really hard (described in the reviews as a "graveyard for tent stakes"), and I had been struggling for nearly an hour to set up my new tent when a very kind couple came over to give us two heavy-duty tent stakes. It's my own fault for trying to use the stakes that came with the tent! I should have known better.
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| home, sweet home |
"Camping people" are really cool, and are always willing to help fellow campers.
Another guy then came over to offer us the use of his hammer to pound our new stakes into the rock-hard ground. I'm happy to say that I immediately went on Lazada (basically the Thai equivalent of Amazon) to buy heavy-duty tent stakes and a useful rubber mallet. Next time, I'll be even better prepared.
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| we can finally relax |
Eventually, we got out campsite set up, and created a very comfortable home for ourselves to stay in for the next several nights.
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| our comfortable campsite |
The campsite at Namtok Samlan National Park is situated around a small reservoir and encircled by a very nice walking trail, and after setting up our tents, we went on a relaxing walk around the national park.
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| walking around the reservoir |
As it was Christmas week, we decorated our tent in our own small way. I had picked up a few strands of battery-operated Christmas lights at the shop last week, and we strung them up inside our tent.
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| Christmas lights in the tent |
Other campers had lights up on their tents as well, making the whole campground cheerful and bright. Even though Thailand is a Buddhist country, it still feels so festive during Christmastime.
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| trying to be festive |
Even though we were just a few hours outside of Bangkok, the city couldn't have felt further away. The temperature fell into the low 60s Fahrenheit, and the wind was strong. Even though we couldn't go to the north like we had planned (thanks to Thailand's second COVID wave), we were still able to enjoy the cold weather of Christmas.
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| sunset |
It has been a long and very difficult year. I was happy for the five-day break from the stress and hassle of the city.
There's nothing better than sitting by a waterfront and watching the sun slip below the horizon in the wild jungles of central Thailand.
The next morning I made tea (I was, of course, in charge of making the tea). When we go camping, I regularly wake up at 5 AM to start the kettle. Teatime is important, after all. As a matter of fact, it is most definitely the most important part of the day.
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| a lovely evening at the park |
The next morning I made tea (I was, of course, in charge of making the tea). When we go camping, I regularly wake up at 5 AM to start the kettle. Teatime is important, after all. As a matter of fact, it is most definitely the most important part of the day.
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| teatime, but please ignore the terrible hat hair! |
It's something of a ritual to light the stove and boil the water to make the morning tea. When camping, I only bring Lipton Gold Label. It's a far cry from my regular favorite of Typhoo Gold, but it is good enough for the English department at a small private school in Bangkok or a campsite in the center of Thailand, it is good enough for me.
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| early morning tea |
I bought a cheap $3 Chinese-made gas stove off of the Internet, and it served us well during our camping trip.
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| the best way to start the day |
At the very least, it was a fantastic way to make a very nice cup of tea.
One day, we took a walk through the national park to the waterfall that was its namesake. Namtok Samlan is a three-tiered waterfall that looks most impressive during the rainy season.
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| taking a walk through the woods |
The woods are quite wild, but as it is the rainy season, our walk was fairly easy.
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| hiking to the waterfall |
Very quickly we we came to the waterfall. It is currently the winter season, though, and the water is now just a trickle. Still, it was a nice walk through the woods.
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| it was dry season |
It isn't a hard walk to get to the waterfall, and it is worth the short trek. There were few visitors to the national park, and we didn't cross paths with anyone else on the walk. It was really peaceful.
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| still, it was a beautiful spot in nature |
My favorite part about camping is the cooking. Sometimes I am so busy during the week that I don't often have enough time to cook like I would like to. When camping, you can just take your time to make whatever you want to eat.
And I'm a pretty good camp cook, if I do say so myself!
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| breakfast and bedhead |
And I'm a pretty good camp cook, if I do say so myself!
Namtok Samlan is most famous for its incredible variety of butterfly species, which you don't have to look far to find. Even a short walk into the forest will introduce you to a number of brightly colored butterflies.
There was a small shrine at the park. It was built to honor the forest guardian. People had left offerings of candles, incense, and beautiful dresses for the forest spirit.
Even though we mostly relaxed around the campsite, we ended up walking quite a lot every day! The pollution in the city has been really bad lately, and I had been having some allergies. I really hadn't been feeling so well for the past few weeks.
Getting out into the fresh air really made a huge difference. I've spent a lot more time in the city this year than I normally would, and it was so great to spend a few days outdoors. During our hikes, we completed the English Channel crossing virtual adventure!
It gets dark quickly, especially in this time of year. Without a campfire (only stoves and charcoal grills are allowed at this particular park), there's not much to do once the sun goes down.
This was our first multi-day camping trip in Thailand, and it couldn't have gone better! I am so glad to have discovered how great camping in Thailand can be. I plan to go camping much more often, especially if there is going to be another lockdown soon.
However, I'm not sure how much fun it would be in the hot season. Maybe I'll stick to winter camping in Thailand!
I would also really like to spend a moment to shout out this dog! This guy was the guardian of the campsite. He protected all of us from the monkeys and wild dogs which roamed around. Merry Christmas to him, and a huge thanks!
He was very much deserving of our leftover sausages!
More on that later.
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