Bang Pae Waterfall

This blog page was from 2007. Here's an updated post about Bang Pae Waterfall from November 2012 :

• New post about Bang Pae Waterfall

Up in the Northeast of Phuket in a heavily forested area is the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park. To get there, head North on the airport road from Phuket Town and turn right at the Heroine's Monument, then drive around 10km - the entrance to Bang Pae Waterfall on the left side is well signposted. At the entrance to the falls just as you turn off the main road there is an elephant trekking safari - the elephants looked happy and well fed. I swear they posed for photos too. If you want to try elephant trekking this might be a good spot.



As you drive up to the park entrance the roadside is lined with rubber trees as is much of this area of Phuket. Rubber was once very important to the economy of Phuket and indeed it continues to be important. There are also fields of pineapples nearby, but once you hit the park entrance you are in the jungle, baby!



(above) Road through the rubber trees to Bang Pae

The forest is thick and full of sounds from the chirping of insects to the song of the gibbons. The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project is found here. For more information see Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Project and worth a stop for sure.



If you walk past the Gibbon Project you see a big sign saying "Bang Pae Waterfall". A winding and (in some parts) quite steep path heads up into the forest following the river. At the bottom there are some picnic tables and a few cheap restaurants too. At several points on the way up there are sections of river where you can jump in - on Saturday it was (as usual) quite busy with locals.







At the very top is a waterfall of about 15m in height... wow! I wouldn't base your trip to Phuket on a visit to this waterfall, but in combination with the gibbons, a walk in the forest and a drive around this area of Phuket, Bang Pae makes a very nice day out. Also good for getting your kids tired - take them for a walk up the path to the falls and they'll sleep like logs that night!

Note - I have written a brand new page all about the Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Project and also a page about Waterfalls in the Phuket Area.

Bang Pae Waterfall & Gibbon Project - Location Map


View Bang Pae Waterfall and Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in a larger map