Erawan Falls is a seven-tier waterfall, and a very popular tourist destination, even among Thais. Located about two hours outside of Kanchanaburi, Erawan Falls is well worth the trip, even in a rickety local bus, plunging up, down and around winding mountain roads. You have to go early, as around four o’clock the park starts closing up and the last bus pulls out of the parking lot to make its way back to Kanchanaburi. But, even in Thailand, one can get up early every now and then.
It is about a two-hour hike to get to the top, allowing time for stopping frequently to let people pass in the opposite direction on the narrow trail. The trail follows relatively confusing signs from tier to tier, leading you on over rocks, up wooden staircases, and trudging through water.
The farther up the falls you go, the more the crowd thins out, leaving the small and elderly toward the lower levels. It is hot, sweaty, and at times slippery work to get all the way to tier seven, but a lovely pool awaits you. Monkeys relax, lazy in the trees, waiting for munching tourists to let their guard down and allow the snatching of snacks. Fish swim, languid in the shadows.
At each of the tiers you can stop to swim in the clear blue pools, as tiny fish nibble at your heels. A free fish massage. Climbing up the various falls is easier in many places than one would believe, thanks to the mineral buildup, giving the rock faces their off-white hue and an almost sandpapery finish.
The trek back to the lower levels takes less time, but we were thankful for the various snack and drink stands that precede the parking lot. Hiking, swimming and climbing, when combined into a full-day activity will leave you parched and starving. Not to mention, ready for a beer and one helluva nap when you finally make it back to the guesthouse.