Chaiyphum - Tat Ton Waterfall

Tat Ton National Park is a scenic little spot on the edge of the Laenkha mountain range, 23 km north of the city. Covering 218 sq km, Tat Ton is best known for its photogenic namesake waterfall. Tat Ton waterfall is only 6 meters tall, but stretches to 50 meters in width during the May to October rainy season.

It is a great picnic destination for families and it is among Chaiyaphum's most famous nature destinations.   Rustic bungalows are available riverside, but the English version of the sign leading to the national park's store is a bit mystifying. Major benefits apparently include souvenirs, trinkets, snacks, and cold drinks.

Chaiyaphum - Stonehenge of Thailand

Mor Hin Khao is a number of large rocks in strange and rare shapes similar to mushrooms, boats, elephants, turtles and chedis scattered on a plateau. Moreover, there are five large stone columns standing in a line thus earning the place the nickname "Stonehenge of Thailand". The five stone columns, Grun Sao Hin, rise to heights of as much as 15 meters.

Mor Hin Khow is the most popular part of Phu Laenkha National Park, but the signs giving directions to visitors are few and infrequent. Just as you think you've missed a turn-off, a new sign appears.

Khamphaengphet - a hidden jewel

I must admit that I was positively surprised by Khamphangphet.

All these years, I have been rushing through - or rather, around – the city. But after spending a joyful and relaxed weekend there, I can say it is a place to visit again. The roads along the river are small but not crowded and one can take leisurely walks along the shop houses, stop in small public parks, visit the local market, and take a rest on a small island in the river.

The Scenic Riverside Resort - which I chose from my GPS simply based on its name – turned out to be very neat, fairly priced, and family-run as I like my accommodations to be. The owner’s personal touch was clearly seen in the theme of the bungalows as well as in the interior design accessories. I felt like entering into a teenage girl’s room as the bungalow was cram-packed with stuffed animals and other cute stuff.

In any case, it was a good base for exploring the town and furthermore located in close proximity to the ruins from the town’s grand past. Khamphangphet was a religious center and had an important strategic location (both in terms of military and trade) during the Sukhothai and Aytthaya periods. The ruins are well preserved and the museum exhibition informative. If one is interested in history or simply likes to stroll around and enjoy fresh air under the shade of trees, then a visit to Khamphangphet’s Historical Park (ancient city area) is highly recommended.

Nakhon Nayok - Waterfalls

Nakhon Nayok is a major weekend destination for Bangkokian nature lovers. The province has several waterfalls to visit and plenty of resorts scattered around lush hill sides. Some of the national parks that commonly but incorrectly are referred to by Bangkokians as “Khao Yai” protrude into the northern parts of Nakhon Nayok.

One of the famous waterfalls is Nangrong. It is not a tall or otherwise impressive waterfall, but it is a  very popular destination. It is so, probably because it offers plenty of opportunity for people to settle down for picnic and splash around in the river.

 Another famous waterfall is Sarika, which is located inside a national park. It is a tall waterfall with water flowing in a narrow rapid stream. There are a few places for visitors to splash around, but yet it is a relatively popular destination. The reason why it is famous / popular is probably that the waterfall has an impressive nine levels that combined make a drop of 200 meters from top to bottom.

Near Nangrong, a small detour can take you to the Khlong Tha Dan Dam, which is also referred to as Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam It is not an especially high or imposing dam, but it is reportedly the largest dam in Thailand based on the number of cubic meters of cement (actually, compacted concrete) used to build the dam.

From the top of the dam, you can take in the view of the valley below and all the way into town. The reservoir behind the dam is woefully underutilized – no boat trips are on offer and no kayaks can be rented. One reason may be that the dam is relatively new (2005) and the tourism industry has not yet put boat trips on the agenda for tours to Nakhon Nayok. 

Nakhon Sawan - where Chaophaya is born

This city is known as the birthplace of the mighty Chaophaya River. It is where the Ping and Nan rivers merge to form the river that makes the central flood plains a huge rice basket and that on occasion threatens to flood Bangkok. 

However, to see the rivers merge is not at all impressive. It felt like a bit of a letdown. I had not expected the same awe as when seeing two rivers merging to form Amazonas, but I had expected something like when Mun River flows into Mekong. Instead, it felt / looked very ordinary.

Likewise, I wasn’t impressed with the town itself, which lacks charm. However, the golden pagoda (Prahulamanee) located at a hill top in center of town looks very impressive, especially when seen in the waning light of a sunset. 

Yasothon Rocket Festival Bun Bang Fai

Bang Fai is not a military exercise but rather a local version of rain dance. The origin of the festival predates Buddha and it is held annually in Laos and in some parts of northeastern Thailand. The general idea was to shoot rockets up in the sky to wake up the rain god (Phaya Thaen) and kick-start the rainy season to bring much-needed water to the rice fields just as the rice planting starts. Later. Buddhist merit-making was added (Bun) thus making the festival "relevant" even as the religious base of the agrarian society changed away from its animist origin.

In Thailand, the biggest rocket firing takes place in Yasothon every second weekend in May. The festival starts Friday evening with concerts of "mor lam sing", the local folk singing. The city's main road is blocked for traffic and about a dozen stages are built to host the shows – music, raunchy skits, comedy, and traditional dance all at maximum decibel and plenty of alcohol.

Saturday, the main street is taken over by parades with floats and dancers that start / end in temples. 

Then Sunday, it is time for the rockets to be fired. Apart from the serious business of rain-making, there is a competition to be the local rocket champ. The team whose rocket goes the highest is declared the winner. Points are also given for beauty of the vapor trail.

For any team whose rocket doesn’t get off the launch pad, it’s tradition that other teams or spectators dump them in the mud.

At Yasothon, the competition rockets come in three sizes, Meun (10,000), Saen (100,000), and Lan (1,000,000), but this year, there were no lan rockets.

Bang Fai Lan are nine metres long and charged with 120 kg of black powder. These may reach altitudes reckoned in kilometers, and travel dozens of kilometers down range (they can go in any direction) while Saen merely disappear into the clouds. Many rockets have parachutes, but most fall where they may.

For more details on the history behind Bun Bang Fai, check out

http://bun-bangfai.blogspot.com/2009/05/rocket-festival-in-transition.html

Ayutthaya - Bang Pa In Palace

This royal palace is located a bit more than an hour’s drive north of Bangkok. Although the history of the palace stretches back to the 1600s, the buildings that can be seen today were mostly constructed during the period 1872-1889 under the reign of King Chulalongkorn.

Most famous (and most photogenic) is probably the Aisawan-Dhipaya-Asana Pavilion, which is located in a large pond in the so-called outer palace area. It is a copy of a pavilion in the Grand Palace in Bangkok and a great representation of traditional Thai architectural style.

In the inner palace, the Uthayan Phumisathian Residential Hall clearly resembles a Swiss chalet and the (smaller) buildings for the ladies of court are also in Western architectural style. However, Wehart Chamrun Royal Residence (a grand mansion) and Ho Withun Thasana (an observatory tower from where the picture is taken) are in Chinese architectural style.

However, apart from seeing the multitude of architectural styles, I mostly enjoy strolling around the lush gardens.