Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park

This is one of my most impressive places in Kanchanaburi provice, Thailand. You need to pass a small cave that has plenty of bats but inside the cave is very beautiful. (You can wear mask to prevent the bat poop smell) Then, you will meet a forest that is very well preserved. There are many types of mushroom and small animals. After walking about 1.3 Km., you will see a 1st level waterfall, Tri trueng, that is very nice too. After that, walking up to the 2nd and 3rd level waterfall. The way to go up is a bit difficult with high steep but the path is good and stable. And during the way to the scenaric viewpoint is quite difficult and a bit dangerous but it's not hard for those who have hiking experience. I do not recommend people who have heart atttack or mussle pain to continue walking because the path's quite steep and not that stable. Also, the viewpoint is nice. And then, continue walking to 300 meters to the last cave. The park closed at 4 pm. And the tourists are not allowed to enter the park after 3 pm. That means you can stay in the forest until 3 pm., then you have to walk back and leave the park before 4 pm. For hiking here, I recommend wearing hiking shoes and pants. The bug spary is also useful.

Easy walk. Nice view. Cave, jungle, and waterfall in about an hour with a decent climb to the last highlight. A healthy guy can easily do it.

While this park wasn't originally on my 12-day Kanchanaburi itinerary, I'm glad we had an extra night to visit. The experience was well worth it, thanks in large part to the kindness of the staff. Mr. Ton, one of the park officers, was especially helpful and spoke excellent Mandarin. He was able to get us special permission to take shelter in the main hall for the night due to heavy rain and safety concerns. The park is known for its impressive caves, which are a definite highlight. The area around the caves is filled with large linestone and fresh, cool air. The main path is well-lit, but be prepared to crouch down in some parts. It's a short journey—you leave your car at the park headquarters and walk about 300 meters, then another 30 meters to the end of the main cave. For those who want to hike further, there are additional trails, though some are damaged and impassable. The trail ultimately leads to a larger cave, which you can also reach by driving about 30 kilometers. As for camping, the grounds are not as spacious as other national parks, and while there are platforms, they are far from the washrooms and didn't seem intended for camping. On the morning of my visit, I experienced a water supply cut, similar to a previous stay at Phu Teoi, but the kind park staff allowed me to use a washroom in one of the chalets to clean up, which was very considerate. There is a food store, but the selection is limited. Overall, this park is a great choice if you're interested in exploring caves.