Sa Kaeo - Pang Sida

Pang Sida National Park is not famous and doesn't get that many visitors. It is a part of the quintet of national parks that laymen simply refer to a "Khao Yai" and borders to the north and west to Tublan National Park.

Where has all the water gone?

Pang Sida Waterfall is about 10 meters tall, but it is without water flow during the dry season. Nearby is one of a handful of locations where butterflies gather by the hundreds if not thousands. Another such location is the viewpoint reached after 25 km on gravel road.

The view to be had is over the Samong River Valley, which is between 5-8 km wide, up to 500 meters "deep" and its many creeks feeds over 250 million cubic meters of water annually into the Prachinburi River.

To me, the trip to get to the viewpoint was much more interesting than the view. At the entrance to the park, the park ranger joked that I should watch out for the wild elephants. There was, however, some truth to that warning. Wild elephants had left many signs behind that they had rummaged around, but fortunately, they apparently mostly do that in the night or morning, so I didn't actually see any wild elephants. Nor did I see any gaurs. But I did see many wild boars, some pheasants, and a deer of some sort.

The road was not a challenge by any stretch of the imagination - no need for 4WD - but I did encounter some road signs that made me smile.

Somebody should bring this insubordinate road to order

Everybody needs a rest from time to time

However funny the wording in English is, the meaning did come across to me: Slow down. And the picture below shows what the signs were meant to convey.

Well, the road does look worn out

Please also note that freshwater crocodiles were "discovered" in 1991 at Huay Nam Yen Stream near the south-west corner of the park. As it apparently is the last place in Thailand freshwater crocodiles live in the wild, it is an interesting side tour to visit that site.

Sa Kaeo - Lalu (2)

First time I went to Lalu ( http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2011/02/sa-kaeo-lalu.html ), I got slightly lost in the small village. This time, I noticed a sign during my trial-and-error attempts to find the right road. Although in Thai, it started to dawn upon me why signs to lead visitors to Lalu disappear once visitors enter the village.

The sign I saw gave directions to a "visitor center". However, the "visitor center" is actually a parking lot from where unsuspecting and gullible visitors are supposed to rent a rickshaw motorcycle for the last two kilometers rather than driving themselves on gravel roads. .

Now that I've been to Lalu three times, that's enough. So although I've now saved the location in my GPS, I probably will not return.

Sa Kaeo - Lalu

Lalu means "pierced", but the signs on the main road attracted my attention because it almost sounds like Lula, the former Brazilian President.

Lalu is a natural attraction in Sa Kaeo province. It is located somewhere out in the boonies - at Ban Noenkham and Ban Khlong Yang of Tambon Thap Raj some 40 km north of Sakaeo city.

Lalu is a collection of earthern pillar formations caused by erosion and subsidence in the ground resulting in gorges or canyons with shapes like a city wall, cliffs, rocket and others. It covers an area of approximately 2,000 rai with intriguing scenery in the middle of rice fields.

Similar earthern pillars can also be found in Ratchaburi and Phrae. Pong Yup takes up 60 rai and is located in private land in Tambon Tha Khoei, Ratchaburi. Phae Muang Phi in Phrae province is much bigger than Lalu and Pong Yup and is more famous. 

Some in Sakaeo are trying to promote Lalu as „the miniature Grand Canyon of Thailand“, which – however – is vastly exaggerated. It shows that the promoters don’t expect that potential visitors actually have visited the real Grand Canyon nor the Charyn Canyon in Kazakhstan.

The promoters miss that fact that Lalu is not „grand“, it’s cute, intriguing, and slightly difficult to locate. The sign at he main road (Ban Koklan - Nong Pak Wan road) indicates one has to follow a side road for 20 km. But after about 18 km, the road comes to a village and you’ll then have to use trial-and-error (real men don’t ask for directions) to come out on the correct gravel road at the other end of the village. Then cross a rickety wooden bridge and you're almost there.