First shot, after making the mistake of not informing the minivan driver in Tak City we were headed to the Lan Sang National Park (no one told us we had to), my partner in crime Brandy and I almost landed in Myanmar/Burma (don’t make this mistake, it’s not a fun ride, unless of course you enjoy winding up, down and around mountains. It was the one day I so wished I had a plastic bag in my purse…). Second shot, due to our friend Sombat, who acted as our tour guide, we spent the morning in the park and had a pretty great time; it was filled with locals camping.
The park covers an area of 65,000 rai and is located approximately 20 km from Tak City. The public minivan service runs regularly (nagging mom moment….TELL THE DRIVER). A definite fun spot to check out, roam around and swim in the waterfall. Highly recommended.
(Please note, as Tak is still a fairly conservative area of Thailand, should you be interested in swimming at the waterfall, I highly recommend leaving the Speedoes and bikinis in your bag, unless of course you want to wear them under the full-length shorts of any kind for men and any length shorts and t-shirt for the ladies).
Rainy season falls between August – October.
Historical Notes (As cited on signage found at the park):
According to legend, King Taksin the Great, during a stop in Tak on his way to launch the second attack on Chiang Mai, led his troops to save the Mon people who came to give their allegiance to him from the pursuing Burmese soldiers. He got separated with his troops in a dense forest.
As it was already night-time and difficult for the troops to track their king, they stopped in the forest. Suddenly a beam of light rose into the sky and neighs of a battle horse were heard. The troops hurried to that point and found their king on his mount in the middle of a stone terrace, Lan in Thai, with shining radiance around his body and surrounded by crouching Burmese soldiers. The dawn was breaking at that time and the Thai word for dawn is Sang. This is how the area derived its name. On the second level of the waterfall, traces of what are believed to be the king’s horseshoes on a stone terrace are to be seen.
How To Get There
By Vehicle: Highway No. 105 (Tak-Mae Sot route). Take a left turn at approximately 19 km (there is a huge sign). The park headquarters is another 2 km inside the park and along that road.
By Public Transport: Buy a public minivan (not bus) ticket for Mae Sot. Tell the driver that you are going to the Lan Sang National Park. Be sure to find out when transport out of the park ends (I believe it is around 6 pm at time of writing). The minivan will drop you off at an entrance to the park for where you will have to walk 2 km to reach the park headquarters.
Admission Fees
Children: 100 baht
Adults: 200 baht
Accommodation
3 visitor houses ranging from 500 – 1,500 baht (at time of writing). There are camping facilities for those who bring their own tents. Visitors who bring their own tents are charged 30 baht per person per night in addition to admission fees.
Park Tel: 0 5551 9278-9
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