Pha Taem National Park

A thirty-minute drive northwards up the Mekong river from Khong Chiam town will bring you to the Tourist Information Centre at the spectacular Pha Taem National Park. The information centre of this little known but remarkable park is located on a high cliff overlooking the Mekong River, which offers a get a bird's-eye view down across the river into Laos. An accessible trail leads you down the cliff face where you will see amazing rock paintings that are estimated to be up to 3,000 years old. They depict giant Mekong catfish, elephants, human hands, geometric designs and fish traps that look much like the huge ones still used today. A 19km drive northwards from the cliff will bring you to Nam Tok Soi Sawan. After parking up, a 500-metre hike leads you to the 25-metre waterfall. Nearby is Thailand's so-called largest flower field, where a multitude of wildflowers bloom from November to February. Two more waterfalls are located in the northern half of the park together with more ancient art and more spectacular views. One of the waterfalls, Pha Cha Na Dai cliff, serves as Thailand's first sunrise view, and the amazing Nam Tok Saeng Chan waterfall flows through a hole cut naturally into the overhanging rock. The waterfalls usually flow from June to December. If that wasn't enough, in four locations across the 340 square kilometre park are sites known as Sao Chaliang, where massive ancient rock formations have taken on the appearance of huge stone mushrooms. Inside the park, there are campsites and five bungalows available for rent, and Thai food snacks can be bought from vendors until sunset. Outside there are a few resorts located near the park entrance. Entry: 400B/200B (Adults/Children) Open: Daily from 6:00am - 6:00pm Tel: +66 45318026 Address: Pha Taem National Park, T. Huai Phai, A. Khong Chiam, Ubon Ratchathani. Getting Here: Pha Taem is 18km from Khong Jiam along Route 2112. There is no public transport, so the best way to get here is to hire a taxi in Khong Chiam, 600B should get you a return to the start of the park, but this will increase as you go to the other attractions in the park. Your guesthouse should be able to arrange something a trip for you. They can also arrange for you to visit via a longtail boat up the Mekong River.