Looking for some place not so far away where you can enjoy the upcoming New Year holiday without the crowd? Well, I've got a route for you to consider.
Whatever your interest - be it religion, history, anthropology, nature or offroad adventure - this week's route has them all. And it's not somewhere far away but in Suphan Buri Province!
Starting from Suphan Buri town, take Highway 322 towards Don Chedi. On the way, you can drop by at Wat Pa Laylai, our Point A. As for the once famous bird sanctuary at Tha Sadet, which is also along the way, just forget it - the place has for some time been deserted because of the avian flu.
At Don Chedi, drive onto Highway 3264 towards Sa Krachom, 17 kilometres up the road, where you'll have to shift to Highway 333 and head to Dan Chang.
After 32 kilometres on the 333, you'll reach Dan Chang's main intersection with a clock tower standing in the middle. There, if you turn left, you can visit Kraseao reservoir. But, let me be frank, don't waste your time. So, let's just go straight north.
About 16.5 kilometres from Dan Chang's clock tower, you'll see a minor road (Rural Highway 3008) on the left-hand side with a sign saying that it's the way to Phu Toey National Park. Yes, turn left.
Six kilometres and a half along the small road, there's an intersection. Turn right, continue for three kilometres or so and you'll reach the checkpoint of the national park's first substation (Phu Toey). They have a couple of beds for visitors here but plenty of space for your tent(s).
From the substation, there's an offroad trail. After seven kilometres along this rough road, you'll find a Y-intersection. Here, turn right and the pine forest is six kilometres up the hill.
To get to the Karen village of Ta Poen Khi and its namesake waterfall, you have to come back to the Y-intersection and take the other way. It will lead you to the park's headquarters from where you can go on to Ta Poen Khi and Phu Wai Cave, another of the park's attractions. From Phu Wai, you can drive back to Bangkok via Ban Rai of Uthai Thani Province.
By the way, at the park substation there's a sign with a detailed map of the roadways in and around the park. If you have a digital camera, snap a shot of the map for reference.
Bangkok Post December 2005 www.bangkokpost.com
