Phu Pha Man National Park — Attraction in Khon Kaen Province

Came on a whim in August 2023 - it is presumably the rainy season but hasn't poured cats and dogs yet, thus the waterfall was dry and the cave was closed for safety reasons.

The park is very well managed - working toilets, showers, sinks for washing cookery utensils and a cheap even if you consider the foreign visitor price. There are trees available if you're a hammock camper.

As I had been bicycle touring for over a month, I had developed a bit of an inflamed left toe. The rangers went out of their way to drive me and my bicycle to Chun Paea Hospital, perform language translation and subsequently take me to a nearby clinic where the doctor prescribed some medicine to bring down the swelling. This is despite me saying I'd manage on my own.

If they had not (and frankly, I don't see it as their responsibility), I would have had a 30km++ painful ride into town and then trying to manage communicating my issue to clinical personnel.

Absolutely grateful - outside of the beauty of Thailand's landscape, I'll remember their kindness and hospitality for longer.

Don't miss an opportunity to visit if you're...

Have to give it one star because of the racist discrimination when buying tickets. If you arrive at the park via the back roads theres a good chance the checkpoint there won't be manned so you can avoid all that nonsense. The checkpoint at the main road (201) is always manned. If the second checkpoint is manned, you can take the road before (or after depending which way you come) for a few 100 metres which goes alongside the park and walk through one of the gaps in the hedge emerging near the toilets.

At the headquarters area there is a nature trail but not much else. The waterfall is across the road but everything else (mainly caves) is kilometers away and needs driving to. For me the highlight is the mountains jutting up into the sky near pha nok khao town. I managed to scramble up a couple of these, took all morning and was a real challenge. Most people would struggle, need to be fit and have an adventurous spirit.

I did the main phaya nakarat cave as well which was very impressive but theyve blocked the entrance road so you have to park your bike or car and walk the...

A beautiful national park campground by day that can be eerie after dark. The small bungalows we stayed in were clean but spooky. The park allows cooking on rental charcoal stoves at the larger lodges, which was nice for the group of students with whom we went.

The greatest thing about this campground is that there were no biting insects at all - not a single mosquito or ant when we visited! The trade-off is that in the valley where the campground is located, there was no breeze and the air was wet, regardless of the time of day or night and the temperature. This is an acceptable trade off.

Regarding dual pricing, the posted sign does have different prices for Thais and foreigners, but it's pretty easy to talk your way out of this, as with most national parks in...