3-4 km from entrance to Khao Chamao, you can find the Klong Pla Kang waterfall. It is a lot more impressive and beautiful than Khao Chamao waterfall, but it is also rather difficult to reach. During the rainy season, the access road gets so muddy and slippery that the rangers often don't allow people to enter. Khao Chamao waterfall is the most famous and visited attraction. Turn off the highway (Sukhumvit Road) at km 274 and continue for around 16 kilometers. The waterfall has seven levels and reaching the top levels requires ascending on a very rocky trail. The rocks can get very slippery during the rainy season, so the rangers often block the trail at level 5.
There are of course various types of trees and plants, but what surprised me was the information that this (relatively) small patch of forest is the last remaining old-growth forest on the Eastern Seaboard.
At the second level (called "Wang Mutcha") there is a pond, which is brimming with fish. They have become icons of this waterfall and it is a must for visitors to feed them.
If you are allowed to enter and park, ahead awaits a sturdy walk through the forest followed by a relatively steep climb up the mountain. Steep and slippery - one rainy day, I fell on the rocks and hurt my back. One of the occasions where an afternoon spent in front of the TV seemed a better option.
If you have the time and the stamina to do the climbs, however, a visit to Khao Chamao national park will reward you with a good feel of exploring a real rain forest where you may run into real "wildlife" like the little bugger pictured to the right.
After the climbs, there is a wonderful beach about 10 km from Laem Mae Phim (in direction of Ban Phe), which is relatively deserted.
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