Tired of being told where to go and what to do? It’s time to break all the rules and go out on a car camp trip! We’ve just returned from a very satisfying trip to Pa Sawan, a less well known waterfall, hidden away in one of the most tranquil surroundings in Srinakarindra Dam National Park, Kanchanaburi. But in order to get there you need to be a bit of an offroader yourself because the access route is rather unforgiving.
Which was not a problem for us because we had our brand new Mazda BT 50 Sport pick-up truck: a perfect combination of extreme performance, spacious cabin and wait for it road hugging suspension allowing you to confidently beat a curve at 140 kph. Plus the acceleration was so good we realized the zoomzoom catch phrase was not one bit exaggerated. All things considered, the sheer performance of Mazda BT 50 coupled with the driver’s skill were more than enough to overcome obstacle, potholes, swamps and makeshift bridges we came across along the way. We arrived at our camp site at twilight so we had to race against time setting up tents and such. The nature here was as intact as it could be. Noises made by the little creatures, the gentle streams and the soft breezes constant hummed in the background. We feel asleep with these simple beauties of the nature to a good night’s sleep before waking up to wonderfully fresh morning in one of the paradises on earth.
Pa Sawan is actually the name of only the seventh tier of the waterfall. At first we thought it was going to be as beautiful as the preceding six tiers but we were proven wrong. The name Pa Sawan, literally Heavenly Cliff, is most appropriate for the kind of beauty before our eyes: 60 or 70 meters tall cliff with foaming streams down both sides of it to a clear basin below. The sight was so breathtaking we stood there in awe for a good moment. We took a long, rewarding dip into the cool water after having collected ourselves. It was the kind of surroundings that librated you from the worries of outside world. The kind that made you forget about cost of living, oil prices, politics and similar issues and reinvigorated you before your had to return to the real world.
And that is why we don’t want to keep such a wonderful place to ourselves. Do yourself a favor and find the time to visit.
How to get there
From Bangkok, head to the town of Kanchanaburi then take Highway No. 323 to Saiyoke. Once you reach an intersection near Baan Nikom Sahakorn about 26 kilometers before reaching Tong Papoom, turn right on to Highway No. 3230 and proceed a bit further on two-lane blacktop road. You will eventually see a dirt path off to the right with a sign indicating it as the access to Pa Sawan Waterfall. This first path is 13 kilometers long and you will need an off-road vehicle in order to get through during the rainy season.