Trekking and rafting in Umphang on the Burmese border is fit for adventure buffs who relish a challenge or two.
Umphang is a small district of Tak bordering Burma. Set among mountains, it has fascinating streams, waterfalls, village homes and rustic resorts in its midst. Umphang has not changed much over the years, even after a 150-km-long road was built recently connecting it to Mae Sot town.
The road certainly improved accessibility. Umphang now attracts local tourists who come to raft in unspoilt natural settings along the Meklong stream that is the origin of the Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi rivers in Kanchanaburi.
There are 48 resorts in Umphang. Most of them are fully booked in the cool season. But during the rainy months, they also see a number of guests, mostly local tourists, who arrive there to test their skills against the swollen rapids that feed the Meklong.
Several raft operators cater to tourists. One of them is Suchart Chanhormhual who began his tour business six years ago. His rafting trips begin from a spot that requires three hours trek uphill and then gliding down a bulging stream.
''In the rainy season we have nothing better to do,'' he said.
The district has several streams that pour their contents into the Meklong. Thi Lo Su Waterfall and rafting on the Meklong are its more popular tourist attractions, but the one Suchart prefers is the Umphang Key which opened to tourists only recently.
At the peak of the rainy season it boasts of some 77 rapids rated three to four on the difficulty scale. The first hour or so of rafting is truly challenging and exciting when the rapids are strong and you barely find time to catch your breath, but thereafter the current is more gentle and you can sit back and take stock of the lush green mountain scenery.
Getting to the starting point is a challenge in itself. It involves trekking up a slippery trail for three hours and wading through chest-deep water at several points to get to the remote ethnic Karen village of Umphang Key. This follows a 20-minute ride in a 4x4 up and down a steep dirt strip that's preceded by a minibus ride from Umphang town.
Since the hike and rafting is a whole day affair, it's advisable to get to the village well before dusk to give yourself sufficient time to explore the surroundings and sample the lifestyle of local residents.
I traded my slippers for a new pair of shoes. Carrying no dry bags, I decided to leave my camera and other valuables behind. Suchart had told us to wear long-sleeved shirts to avoid scratches and insect bites. In the wet season, the iftua khoon nf, which looks like a fruit fly, abound the area. Its bite can cause blisters and itching and if you're allergic, it can lead to serious infections. He also asked us to carry gloves to protect our palms and fingers from blisters. At certain points we would be crossing the raging stream by grasping rope for support.
I checked into a grocery store and bought everything there, including an insect repellent.
Before heading to the Karen village, we spent the first half of the day riding rubber rafts on the Meklong to a waterfall named Thi Lo Jo. It's a soft introduction for those who haven't rafted before. For an hour, we glided smoothly admiring Umphang's green natural beauty. If you arrive there after the rainy season, you will miss the sight of water cascading down limestone cliffs on both sides of the stream.
Not long after passing Thi Lo Jo, we came to a stop. Normally, the ride continues to Tha Sai where people get off and embark on a 11-km trek to the more famous Thi Lo Su Waterfall. In the dry season, a four-wheel drive can deliver tourists closer to the waterfall. Alternatively, you can raft all the way to Pa La Tha, a Karen village 26 kilometres from Umphang town.
We got off the raft and walked on a jungle trail past groves of ferns, head-tall grass and undulating corn farmland for over an hour to a highway where a pick-up truck stood waiting to drive us back to our resort for lunch.
After lunch we boarded the same pick-up and headed for Umphang Key where we would be spending the night. Half an hour down the road we transferred to a 4x4 for the last leg of our journey to the Karen village.
It rain and drizzled all day which triggered among some of us concerns about the possibility of flash flood the following day, but Suchart calmed our frayed nerves by explaining that the rain water drained out quickly here as the terrain was hilly. Besides, the area had no history of flash floods, he reaffirmed.
We arrived at the village late in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day bathing in the stream that flowed next to it, admiring Karen houses built on stilts and the sight of buffaloes lazing. Dark clouds hung low caressing the mountain and the village. After a delicious dinner, we repaired for the night.
I was awakened by the sound of some thing moving in my room. I looked up and saw a dog. All that separated us was the mosquito net. Others got up us well and we managed to shoo the dog away.
It rained all night. In the morning we packed light, leaving whatever wasn't needed for our minders to carry for us for they would be meeting us at the end of our rafting excursion later in the day.
I put on my new shoes and set out from the village past a primary school on a hill and then cut through corn farms. The shoes came in handy as we got deeper. The trail was steep and slippery. We had to wade through chest-deep water 11 times to cross the swollen stream to get to the starting point, assisted by our able Karen crew.
Seeing me wearing shorts, Suchart advised me to beware of the ifTon Chang Rong nf, a shrub that can cause acute inflammation of the skin.
While I managed to avoid contact with the poisonous shrub, my colleague wasn't as lucky. She slipped and accidentally touched its leaf. Immediately, a bright red spot appeared at the point of contact. Fortunately, she was carrying an antidote and was able to control damage.
For over three hours we trekked until we reached a spot by the stream where four rubber rafts, hauled by elephants, were waiting for us. I was glad the trek was over for my new shoes were hurting me.
We rested briefly, had lunch and then boarded the rafts helmed by two oarsmen in front and one in the rear. A series of strong rapids awaited us ahead. The first few tested our our frayed nerves as we clung to each other for support, but after a while we breathed more easily feeling more relaxed and confident.
The stream was riddled with dense undergrowth and we had to be on the watch all the time. The rafts spun and wobbled as they passed the rapids. We drifted quickly downstream.
Our crew in the meantime helped themselves to locally-brewed alcohol. They were clearly enjoying it.
Every time we hit an undergrowth insects and small spiders rained down on the rafts. After the first such encounter my arachnophobia got the better of me, but soon I was in control of myself and took upon myself the task of cleaning the deck of my uninvited guests.
After three hours of an exciting and testing ride we arrived at the village where we had spent the previous night, Umphang Key.
Some members of the crew, who lived in the village, took our leave and left us to our own devices.
Well! We didn't really need them because from there on the rapids were more gentle and we could surely look after ourselves.
INFO
Rafting in Umphang Key is only available from July to October. Call Tukasu Resort for more details, tel: 01-825-8238, 01-819-0303, or visit www.tukasu.com.
Buses depart Bangkok daily for Umphang. Phuket Air (02-679-8999, www.phuketairlines.com) flies four times a week to Mae Sot. From there you can drive or take a bus to Umphang.
- Other Places To Go:
Visiting Umphang, you're bound to pass by Mae Sot and Phrop Phra.
pf pi086 th The district of Phrop Phra is famous for its orange curcuma flowers that grow around a waterfall by the same name and carpet the forest floor during the rainy season. The curcuma is a plant of the ginger family.
- Mae Usa Cave in Mae Sot is famous for its stalactite and stalagmite rocks. It takes an hour-long trek up and down a slippery terrain to get to the cave's entrance. Inside the cave there are various chambers, one of which is as large as a football field where bats dwell. It has limestone formations in shapes ranging from pagodas and elephant head to other exciting structures. Go with a guide.
At the cave's exit you can bathe in a hotspring for a nominal fee.
- The Thep Phitak Orchard offers visitors a fine selection of pomegranate and custard apple.
- A rose farm on Highway No. 1090 that runs through Phrop Phra.
- The hilltribe market at Phra Wo selling fresh fruits and vegetables.
Bangkok Post September 2005 www.bangkokpost.com
