Exploring Paradise: Huai Kaeo Waterfall

I kept hearing about a waterfall just above the zoo that the kids would like, but each time I planned a trip, something came up or we decided to do something else. Once we finally got there, though, we liked it so much we were back just one week later. :-)

It really is easy to get to (relatively, since with traffic the last time took almost an hour since it's on the other side of town)--there is a pretty big sign and it's just the first left turn after the Chiang Mai Zoo. There is parking, lots of little food stalls, and a path (no fee!) to the river and waterfall. After just a short walk, you get to the creek.

There are lots of shallow pools perfect for wading, dam building, and bug hunting. On our second trip out, the kids played here for hours, making friends with two cute little Thai kids.  There are little fish that nibble your toes, freshwater crabs hiding among the rocks, and a plethora of gorgeous giant butterflies and speedy iridescent dragonflies (including neon green and pink!). 

There are flowers, laughing children, picnickers, and rocks to climb. It's hard to believe it's only about 2 minutes outside the city!

Our first trip out, we hiked right up to the waterfall (probably about 100 m to the base).  The trail to the top of the waterfall is easy to miss and some people were trying to climb up the slippery, treacherous route right next to the falls (I won't name any names, but My Man and Young Man almost gave me a heart attack!  See My Man in the picture above?  That is not the correct trail!).  Luckily, our guys made it to the top alive.

There is a pretty easy trail off the right down below that Funny Guy, Darling Daughter and I opted for instead.

At the top of the falls there is a pool of cold water deep enough to swim and other pools further up the stream to explore.

On our second trip, Young Man discovered a trail up to the top of the bluff with an incredible view of Chiang Mai.

As we were swimming at the top of the waterfall on our first trip, the clouds darkened and within minutes the rain was pouring down. Darling Daughter had been avoiding the water, but that plan didn't last. ;-)  Luckily I had brought a mini drybag so our phones were safe.  My Man's travel guitar fared less well . . . though it seems to have dried out ok now.

The amazing thing about rain in Thailand is that it's just another fun adventure. It's not cold, so as long as electronics are protected, it kind of just adds to the fun (and chases the heat away for a few minutes at least).  We swam, splashed, and laughed through the entire storm, watched the clouds rage away and the sun come back out, then scrambled (carefully) back down the now-slippery trail to head back home.