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Published: December 31st 2012
Sueb Nakasathien
Thailand's heroic conservationist responsible for turning Huai Kha Kaeng-Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Reserve into a World Heritage Site.It is ironic in that my recent two week plus trip, spent mostly in and around national parks, wildlife reserves and mountains, began in Thailand's infamous urban jungle, Bangkok.
About a month ago, I had just finished spending about three weeks gardening and rice farming on the outskirts of Chiangmai. I had yet to secure an apartment for myself and was missing my friends in Bangkok. So I decided to head there by scooter, as usual, while passing through some new terrain, taking photos along the way. Thailand has so much to offer when traveling this way.
My first night I traveled about 300km from Chiangmai in the North to Nakon Sawan at the northernmost part of Thailand's central provinces. Nakon Sawan is the meeting place of the two largest rivers in Northern Thailand, the Nan and the Ping (which are further fed by major tributaries nearby, the Yom and Wang respectively-river systems fundamental to irrigation and agriculture in Phrae and Lampang provinces).
Nakon Sawan also features Bueng Boraphet, Thailand's largest freshwater lake. An impressive aquarium sits on its edge and provides an insightful look into the fish and birds found in
Surreal aspect of travel in Bangkok
It is often so crowded that I feel a normal framed photograph doesn't capture what it feels like cramped on a boat, bus, or other wheeled transport. and around local waters.
Nakon Sawan is quite flat and features some of the most impressive rice plains in Thailand, perhaps because of all that water running through it. One of the best experiences, if you like birds, is to sit at the edge of the rice paddies and observe or photograph the birds. The variety is quite impressive and the openness of the paddies allows you to see them in a way the forest obstructs. The sight of a farmer tilling his paddies in the early morning or evening light, with birds swooping to and fro, is a moving spectacle everyone should witness at least once. Just to its west is Thailand's largest wildlife reserve.
I had the good fortune to speak to one of these farmers at length while photographing him and the birds in his paddies. We mostly talked politics and cost of living in our respective countries. We both agreed that the previous Thai government was the most corrupt in recent memory. He told me that he was only able to break even selling his rice at that time, but now with the government rice subsidies he know turns about
Straddling the old and the new
Monkeys seems to have been allowed to adapt here rather than being imprisoned or exterminated. This makes Lopburi very interesting. a $3,000 + (USD) profit on just a few acres. His operation, as my photos show, is only partially mechanized but chemicals are part and parcel of the package. (which of course makes farming more expensive!)
From there, I decided to venture to the former Khmer (Cambodian) stronghold of Lopburi renowned for its monkeys. I spent a night and morning wondering around the city before exploring a little bit around the province. It is actually quite scenic and limestone rock formations burst out of wet and dry farmland throughout. It is also renowned for its military bases, with several divisions of Thai armed forces stationed there.
On a more humorous and sanook (Thai for fun) note, just outside the Artillery Manufacturing Center about 10km from the city (I'm not kidding!) I found myself looking for army souvenirs to buy and then flirting vivaciously with the girl who sold me some ice coffee. About 45 minutes (?) after we began talking, a guy showed and sat and observed our conversation (after the young lady and I had exchanged phone numbers and pleasantries). Soon we began talking, and I asked if he was single like me,
"Actually this is my girlfrend here," he said. He then offered to take me on a tour of the province the next time I was back.
These are the kind of experiences I love in this country......the possibility of this happening at home without violence are much much lower. Here it is just seen as fun. I think that is the nice part of being a foreigner and not a local (if I was local I suspect it would more resemble encounters at home.) I forgot to mention the great conversation I had with the young affable guy at my hotel in the city and the grilled rat seller on the road to Lopburi. Lopburi was very social for me!
From Lopburi, I took the 200 plus km plunge into Bangkok and my friend Jon's house in suburban Nontaburi where he lives with his wife Kung. The road there is wide and not fun by motorbike, I ended up doing circles and wasting about an hour on all the rings they have moving you around Bangkok's outskirts, at one point almost ending up back in Ayutthaya which I had passed at sunset on the
way there. The roads through Ayutthaya were actually quite pleasant. It is just approaching Bangkok where the madness of scaled bigness begins.
I spent about three nights there having dinner with them and meeting other friends during the daytime while photographing traffic in Bangkok for my photo blog. It was nice to be back visiting some old haunts and old friends (and one new friend too!) but I don't miss Bangkok. Sometimes I wonder how I lived there for so long. I think there is some love in it, I say all this but I would never dismiss the possibility of going back. It is one of those places, dare I say it given Thai belief in spirits, full of ghostly desires and fulfillment.
I decided to head straight for Kanchanaburi from Bangkok. It is only a few hours drive from the city (a frequent Bangkoker and backpacker getaway spot). There was a celebration regarding the railway bridge built by coolie and white slave labor during World War II, under Japanese occupation. Given that the capital city of Kanchanburi is probably the hottest place in Thailand that I am familiar with, the increase in
population made it quite miserable my first night, particularly because a quintet of mosquitoes feasted on me much of the night.
Whoops! I forgot to mention they I headed south first to Phetburi province, the northernmost of Thailand's southern provinces. I wanted to witness the meteor shower that was expected at the time from the beach. No dice! Only mosquitoes were witnessed but I ate some great chewy dumpling snacks from the local market.....and a cold beer. This helped my disappointment.
Phetburi city has an amazing temple complex sitting on a hill overlooking the city and rice plains in all directions with a huge forest to the west. The forest is Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand's largest) where I had spent the day. It is about an hour away and has an impressive dam complex (like many Thai provinces). I decided not to camp out there because alone it would be more expensive than staying in town.....they wouldn't let me take my motobike in and insisted I rent a car to travel to the campsite many kilometers from the headquarters. I will have to return there another time. It is a fascinating park as
it resides in three of Thailand's provinces that border a part of Burma that is relatively uninhabited.
So from there I headed to Kanchanburi, arguably home to Thailand's most pristine or at least best protected forests. There are several wildlife reserves there along with part of the World Heritage Site, Thung Ya Naresuan-Huai Kha Kaeng Wildlife Reserve. I spent one day exploring the various dams that sit on the frings of the animal reserves. Coincidentally, these dams (ie water sources) block the animals access to water and exit from the reserves. Formerly, they could drink from the rivers here and cross them into the jungles of Burma. Modern development is only that from one point of view. In the case of this area, I just think it means more people live there....and now at a higher standard of course, but usually not for the animals.
By complete accident, I befriended the head of the Salak Phra Wildlife Reserve (Thailand's oldest) by just stopping at the headquarters and chatting with everyone, security guards, rangers, office staff until I found myself in a long enjoyable conversation with "the boss" (as they affectionately called him). He eventually
Tiger Feeding Area
Yup....this is where the tiger's feed at Huai Kha Kaeng gave me permission to camp out at any of the reserve's fourteen park ranger stations, including the most heavily populated ones where wild elephants, tigers, gaur and other exotic species are abundant. I have a copy of his card with a handwritten Thai message on the back, that says, "Please help my guest find a place to stay." This can be presented at any of the ranger stations.
I put off the wilder stations to stay at an island camp near the Sri Sawat Dam several hours north of the city. Here too, was an excellent opportunity to view the metor showers. I chatted and ate with the rangers there after setting up my tent lakeside and then just lay in the hammock on the riverside for several hours watching the sky. Although it was incredibly beautiful and picturesque on the lake, I still didn't spot the meteors......but the rangers saw them (WTH?) The rangers recommended a nice driving route around the lake which is quite high up and offers many vistas. I also hiked up some rock formations to look at some ancient cave paintings.
From here I headed back to Muang Kan
(what the locals call the provincial capital of Kanchanburi) for a night where I had some pizza and sat at a bar flirting with one of the bartenders there eventually getting my fingernails painted. I got a number after a spirited but gamely conversation. However, she was in high demand and I was ready to move on.
The next day I stopped at Hellfire Pass some 80km north of the city. Here many Australian and Asian prisoners died building a railway to Burma through rock passes. It is gorgeous here, perhaps because of its remoteness, and the center that runs the museum is funded through an Australian foundation that provides a wonderful tour that you can do yourself. It includes an audio headset to walk you from place to place.
Another two hours later and I pulled into Sangklaburi one of Thailand's most beautiful vacation spots and renowned for its long wooden bridge leading to a big Mon village (The Mon are an ancient and imporant ethnic group for Thailand and Burma).
Sangklaburi sits near Three Pagodas Pass border, which I also visited. Sitting on the lake just before sunrise or
sunset is memorable. I have been there once before but this was the first time I really enjoyed myself. I took a kayak out on the lake at sunset after a morning visit to Three Pagodas Pass border where I had a long conversation wth the local police about the l dynamics of the town and the border. (which is currently closed to foreigners)
Just outside town is an entrance to the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Reserve. Here too, I had a brilliant talk with the local ranger even though he would not let me pass. (Motorbikes are not allowed in this rugged terrain and permission from the head office near Bangkok is required....apparently) The drive in to the edge was still quite beautiful. The whole region around here bursts with wildness and is gorgeous to pass through.
After failing to get in the park, I drove to the Vajiralongkorn Dam in Thong Pha Phum some 90km away. This is, I think, offers some of the most elegant views of any dam in Thailand, both looking out at the water and the edges of the wildlife reserve forest on the other side. From the
dam, I drove some 300km plus around the entire World Heritage Wildlife Reserve to the Huai Kha Kaeng side in neighboring Uthai Thani province, but this required passing through part of Kamphaeng Phet to the east of Kanchanchanaburi and Uthai Thani....I also passed through several ancient cities such as UThong and the outskirts of Suphanburi (rice fields galore) where monuments to infamous old school tycoon Barnharn Silaparcha sit at intersections in several towns along the way-marbled clock towers with his name engrave in gold lettering.
This long drive is necessary because the park has no access roads around it or through it except for very limited access. This is a big reason why the wildlife inside is so spectacular. I had to pass through much of Kanchanburi that I had already seen before passing the cities mentioned above and headed into neighboring Uthai Thani where the main entrance to the Huai Kha Kaeng Wildlife Reserve is located.
I arrived at the park headquarters just after they closed. So I camped out next to the bathroom at the exterior headquarters. It was free and there was an electricity outlet so it beat a hotel. However,
The best tour guides
Taking a break to do what boys do....of course I joined in. I was warned about wild elephants by the villagers and rangers. I figured I was safe near the bathroom in my tent and fortunately I saw none....which was good since the security guard abandoned his post before 5pm. This after assuring me he would be there all night.
The next day I entered the park and even got the Thai price (20 baht vs. 200 baht). There is a camp and a number of facilities here designed for eco-tourism. This includes a shrine to Thailand's most famous environmentalist and wildlife protector Sueb Nakhasathien(Thailand's John Muir). I camped out here for a night after a guided hike through the forest where every imaginable form of wildlife roam including tigers......this park has over 100 of them. But believe it or not, the tigers are not perceived to be dangerous, except at night. It is the wild elephants that are most feared. You could hear the elephants in the nightime very close to the campsite calling out to each other, eerily beautiful and a touch frightening.
The birdlife here is the most accessible, varied and colorful I have seen in Thailand. Woodpeckers woke me up in the
morning and a rainbow of colors fluttered through the trees during my breakfast. A group of elementary school boys were fascinated with me the entire time and guided me much of my stay showing me where to photograph birds and telling me where to spot wildlife.
One of them loves photography and I gave him my camera to play with during much of my stay. I just sent him some of the photos he took. This boy should have a camera. He is so curious about what lives in the forest and so so smart and engaged. I just loved him and I hope to go back and take some pictures with him again. His opportunities there are limited given the park's quite isolated location. During their ad-hoc tours my height allowed me to grab tamarinds, Indian gooseberries and jujubes from the trees for them. They seemed delighted! They were probing the trees with rocks and long sticks before recruiting me for the job.
At this point, my visa was about five days from expiring with Bangkok and Chiangmai being the only places where I could extend. I made the 300 plus km ride
to Tak by late morning after trying to photograph birds with the boys, quite unsuccessfully. I need to get a better zoom lens!
On the treacherous road between Tak's capital city, high up through the mountains, and Mae Sod on the Burmese border, I suffered a flat just before sunset about 30km from my destination. The nearest tire repair station was near 10km away and my tools had failed me (even though I had the spare tire.......I couldn't get the damn rubber off!!). Thankfully, two Thai men picked me up and brought me to the nearest village where I had the tired repaired while sipping a couple shots of Thai whiskey with my two saviors (employees of the university in Tak's capital city).
I was very thankful so I indulged minimally. Otherwise I would have likely been walking around until midnight. Thai people's generosity towards foreigners never ceases to amaze me. Of course, I didn't pay for the tire but I made a generous donation to my mechanic's young son who drove me to my bike after the repairs were finished. Still, this was one of those situations where I felt a bit guilty
Thung Yai Naresuan
As close as I got to any animals at Thung Yai Naresuan...they wouldn't let me in with my motorbike because there are several bridgeless rivers to cross that pass through the dirt route that takes you through this part of the wildlife reserve.
about my travel indulgence and assumptions that everything would work out. It did, as it always seems to, but I sometimes wonder what kind of thoughts and actions these types of encounters encourage. I will now follow the Thai adage," Ya Khit Maak" or "Don't think too much."
Tak, like Kanchanaburi, has one of the wildest forests in the kingdom. I think much of the 'national parks' you encounter driving around the province serve as buffers for the World heritage site. This seems to be the case in many surrounding provinces as there is a plethora of areas listed as national parks.
Mae Sod, on the border, is Burmese refugee center that attracts many NGO workers from abroad to deal with the crisis caused by the Burmese government's long running program of what is often referred to as 'ethnic cleansing' in the many mountains that border Thailand. (The Burmese Army's arms cache is helped greatly by the sale of energy and natural resources to China and Thailand)
Several of Thailand's largest refugee camps, resembling small squatter cities, are within an hour of the city. Mae Sod is primarily populated by Burmese
people. About four hours away, traveling via what is labeled as the 'death highway' because of the many accidents on its curves and rough surface high up in the mountains, is the small town of Umpang, once a communist stronghold until the 1980s. Just outside of town is one of Southeast Asia's largest waterfalls named Thee Lo Suu (from Karen language- the largest ethnic group in this region).
Although I made it to the waterfall, transport is prohibitively expensive because the road is still bad (like 1500 baht to hire a truck) and there was nobody else there to help me lower the cost. Motorbikes and small cars are forbidden to enter. However, if I had more time, they told me I could park my bike at the headquarters and hike through the jungle some 25km and camp out near the falls.....probably at least two days to complete and enjoy. This sounds like something I will do in the next month, but at the time my visa was near expiration.
I made the return drive to Mae Sod along The Death Highway stopping at the Gibbon Conservatory on the way (it was closed for
The Real Travelers
After the rainy season ends in October, you see monks like this walking the length and breadth of Thailand, often hundreds of kilometers, to find their way home or their next Buddhist mission the holidays but I could hear them). The next morning I made the drive through the provinces of Tak and Mae Hong Son to Chiangmai extending my visa the following day. It was a lot of driving and I must note that I followed the Thai-Burma border for over 200km. Many refugee camps are along this route, including the largest and most famous one at Mae La, which often features jagged mountains sticking out of the mist which might as well serve as the Thai-Burma border in these unpopulated parts. I think I must have ventured close to 5,000 km on this 2-and-a-half-week journey.
Once again, I have broadened my network and opened up some possibilities. I feel like such a man!
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Sandy
non-member comment
Wonderful adventures!
Zak, I love reading your blogs as it makes me feel like you are not so far away. You have had amazing adventures and are so open to everyone and all cultures that I am not surprised that people are so welcoming to you. I envy you having all those wonderful encounters. We all miss you and I was able to spend a week with Michael and family just before Christmas. It was a nice visit and I was there to see Salvador take his first steps. Very busy household! Miss you as always, Love, Sandy