Huai Pa Daeng Reservoir

Huai Pa Daeng Reservoir is a working irrigation reservoir about 8 km west of Phetchabun town, built in 1975 to serve farmland around Ban Pa Daeng in Pa Lao subdistrict. It’s a local fishing and dining spot ringed by low hills — not a wildlife-viewing destination, whatever older listings for this page claimed. Entry is free, open daily 07:00–18:00.

A handful of open-air restaurants line the water’s edge, serving the reservoir’s two local specialities: pla phao (grilled fish) and kung ten, a spicy dish of live freshwater shrimp tossed in lime and chilli. Locals come to fish from the banks, eat with friends, and watch the light change over the hills at sunrise and sunset — this is a relaxation and dining spot built around the reservoir, not a nature reserve with trails or hides.

Watch out: if you’re chasing wildlife photography — elephants, hornbills, that kind of sighting — this isn’t the place. There’s no park infrastructure, viewing platforms, or protected forest here, just a dam, a few restaurant huts, and open water. Khao Yai and Thung Salaeng Luang national parks, both genuine wildlife destinations, are hundreds of kilometres away in different provinces.

Insider Tip: Go for an early evening meal — order kung ten if you’re up for something spicy and unusual, and time it so you’re eating as the sun drops behind the hills across the water. Combine it with a stop at Wat Phra Kaew Phetchabun or the Phetchabun Cultural Hall, both in town, on the same day out.