Pha Daeng National Park

Pha Daeng National Park, established in the year 2000, covers over a thousand square kilometers of northern Thai wilderness and sits just north of the Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary on the border with Burma.

The park's most famous feature is the legendary Doi Chiang Dao, Thailand's third-highest peak. Located in the far north of the country near the northern border, access to the mountain's trails is restricted to guided tours by park rangers, and climbing to the top of the mountain requires an intense, multi-day trek.

We weren't there for that (at least not this time). Instead, Pinky and I had just come to the visitor's center to see the Sri Sangwan Waterfall.

One of northern Thailand's famous "sticky waterfalls", Namtok Sri Sangwan is a limestone waterfall with a unique limestone base which has a strange, claylike texture. Brave adventurers like to scramble up the high-friction surface of the muddy falls.

That quiet morning, however, with nobody else around, we had the entire park to ourselves.

Sometimes the quieter paths hold the richest rewards, and as Pinky and I followed the river deeper into the jungle, we traversed amidst the lush greenery, breathed in the earthy, verdant scents, and immersed ourselves in the beauty of the Thai wilderness.

This felt like an ancient place, overgrown with moss and vines. The only sounds we could hear were the rushing of the nearby falls and the gentle buzzing of insects.

I wanted to take a walk to the park's campground, but it was unfortunately closed for the time being. A rotten tree had crushed the bridge, and the path had been closed for safety reasons.

Eventually, we turned around and headed back to the park headquarters.

Back in the car, we drove on to the park's second half: the Pong Arng Hot Springs. The other side of the national park was far more developed and built up. We flashed our tickets, which granted us a full day's access both to the waterfall and hot springs entrances to the park.

The hot springs, which bubble out of the ground at around 65°C (150°F), offer both private stone bathhouses for secluded soaks and public pools for relaxing foot baths. In keeping with Thai tradition, the park also provides nets for boiling "onsen eggs" in the hotter, restricted areas of the spring, where the water is too hot for delicate feet. 

We chose a comfortable rock and let the naturally hot mineral water of the spring soothe our feet. Pha Daeng is one of the kingdom's lesser-known parks, and it is remote, quiet, and even more deserted in the off-season. All the better for us!

As the gentle steam rose around us, we sat in tranquil silence of the gurgling hot mineral spring. We were able to spot a few new birds for my life list as we relaxed near the hot water.

Refreshed, we got back in the car to head onward towards the next stop on our mini tour of Chiang Dao.