Tak - Umphang

Umphang is at the end of the road. Well, not exactly, but after reaching Umphang, there really isn't anything but dead-end roads. Umphang should be a Mecca for nature lovers as there are many waterfalls, rivers, caves, and hot springs to explore. But Umphang's sights aren't easy to reach, one has to take a boat (raft) or trek for hours - or even days - in order to reach them. Umphang is for hard core nature enthusiasts.

Umphang is also difficult to reach. While the provincial capital (Tak) is on the main highway between Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Umphang is over four hours drive from Tak. The last 115 km takes around three hours as the road winds its way around and along the mountain ranges that divide Thailand and Myanmar. 

Umphang is copying Pai and Mae Hong Son by making the serpentine road's 1,219 curves a marketing tool by selling T-shorts and tacky souvenirs stating something along the lines of "I survived the 1,219 curves to reach Umphang". 

However, the people of Umphang should remember that Pai didn't become a hot destination for Bangkokians until after the 2009 movie "Pai in Love". So maybe Umphang should vie to be a location for a funny / romantic Thai movie? "Chua Fah Din Salai" (a movie from 2010, based on an almost 100-year old book) took place in Tak, but was a love story without a happy ending.

That was a detour. Fact is that 10 years ago, there was literally nothing in Pai. Now, it is so crowded during the cold season with tourists that drive there merely in order to be able to say "I survived the many curves to reach Pai" when returning to Bangkok. But not after having had a cup of coffee or two and taken 1,000 photos.  

Around Umphang, there are no towns - only villages. Many people are Karen, which is not surprising when one considers that Tak borders Karen State - one of the 14 states of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. In Umphang, a tiny walking street is created on weekends with low-key entertainment, e. g., magician show for kids and a merry band of park rangers, that ends around 9 PM. 

In summary, Umphang is a great but hard-to-reach destination for nature lovers.