Hup Pa Tat

Hup Pa Tat — also written Hoop Pha Thad — is one of Uthai Thani’s most unusual natural sites: a hidden valley sunk into the limestone hills of Lan Sak district in Uthai Thani. It formed when the roof of an ancient cave collapsed, leaving a steep-walled basin cut off from the land around it. The only way in is on foot through a cave tunnel, opened up in 1979 by a local abbot who found the valley behind it.

Inside, the isolation and filtered light have preserved plants that are scarce elsewhere — groves of tall Tat palms (Arenga westerhoutii), which give the valley its name, and prehistoric-looking ferns more typical of a far older Thailand. The effect has earned it the nickname “Thai Jurassic Park”. A walking trail and boardwalk loop the valley floor through the forest.

The site sits within the Tham Prathun Non-Hunting Area, and the walk is short and shaded rather than strenuous. It stays quiet and low-key, with the cave entrance, the palms and the enclosed valley making up the whole of the experience — there are no concessions inside. Light through the cave mouth and canopy in the morning is the best time for photographs.

Hup Pa Tat is reached by road from Lan Sak, around an hour from Uthai Thani town and easiest with your own transport. Entry is free, though a torch helps in the tunnel and sturdy shoes help on the path. It combines naturally with Thap Salao Dam and the Lan Sak caves on a day in western Uthai Thani.