Khao Laem National Park

Khao Laem National Park covers 1,497 sq km across Thong Pha Phum and Sangkhla Buri districts in Kanchanaburi, roughly 190 km from Kanchanaburi town via Highway 323. Entry costs 200 THB for foreigners and 40 THB for Thai adults (20 THB for children), and the park is open daily from 09:00 to 16:00.

The headline hike is Namtok Krateng Jeng (also transliterated Kateng Cheng), a 23-tier waterfall reached via a roughly 2 km trail from the Kreng Krawia ranger station, about 12 km from park headquarters. The trail itself is as much the draw as any single tier — it cuts through banana groves, bamboo stands, and mixed deciduous and dry evergreen forest, passing trees wide enough that it takes over a dozen people linking arms to circle one trunk. A smaller, five-metre limestone cascade, Namtok Kreng Krawia, sits closer to the ranger station for anyone not up for the full walk.

Much of the park’s area, though, is water rather than forest: Vajiralongkorn Dam — still commonly called by its former name, Khao Laem Dam — backs up a long reservoir stretching north towards Sangkhla Buri. Floating raft houses and rental boats on the lake draw as many visitors as the waterfall trail, and the water level swings noticeably between the end of the rainy season, when it’s full, and the dry season, when it’s drawn down for irrigation.

Watch out: The Krateng Jeng trail floods and becomes hard to follow after heavy rain, and leeches are common in the wet season (roughly June-October). A ranger can be arranged as a guide at the visitor centre — worth it on this trail specifically, since it isn’t always well maintained.

Insider Tip: Combine a morning at the waterfall with an afternoon on the reservoir — the two are only a short drive apart, and the contrast between dense forest trail and open water makes for a fuller day than either alone.

The dry season (November-February) is the easiest time to walk the waterfall trail and gives the clearest water for photos, though the falls run fuller in the rainy months. Basic accommodation and camping space are available near the park office for anyone wanting to base here rather than in Sangkhla Buri or Thong Pha Phum town, and rangers can point out where to pitch a tent. Bring insect repellent regardless of season — the forest is thick enough that mosquitoes and leeches are a near-constant presence on any trail.

For a break from the trail and reservoir, Three Pagodas Pass at the Myanmar border in Sangkhla Buri is a straightforward add-on to the same trip.