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Phu Langka - Phu Thok In last week's Road Map there was a photo of Khong Long Lake and there was one thing about it that I forgot to tell you. In that picture (If you're among those who keep clippings of this column, quick ... go get your file!) you'd see, other than the vast expanse of water, a red mountain standing in the distance - that's Phu Langka of Ban Phaeng, Nakhon Phanom's northernmost district. And that's where we'll begin our journey today. The two waterfalls marked as Point A and Point B on the map are part of Phu Langka National Park, which, of course, got its name from the mountain. To get to the first one, Tat Kham Waterfall, drive northward out of Ban Phaeng along Highway 212 for less than a kilometre then turn left onto Rural Highway 3001. The fall is about six kilometres down that road. Tat Pho is not far away. As you drive out of the checkpoint at Tat Kham, take the small road on your left. After almost four kilometres you'll run into a T-intersection, turn left and Point B is just half a kilometre that way. After you've visited Tat Kham, drive back out to the T-intersection and go straight until you re-emerge on Highway 212 where you should go left. Chok Amnuay Arts and Crafts Centre is a few kilometres up the highway. About 36 kilometres further from the crafts centre you'll see on your left a small road to Tham Foon Waterfall which is about three and a half kilometres off the 212. Once you're done with Tham Foon, get back to the highway, continue for just over a kilometre and turn left onto a sandy road. After about six kilometres there is a three-way junction, go left for almost four kilometres and you'll reach the "rock bridge" from where you can walk to Cha-nan Waterfall. To go further to Point F, Phu Thok, continue along the same unpaved road. After almost three kilometres you'll find a small T-intersection. Go right onto the road less travelled (the better-looking one on the left just leads to a forest protection unit nearby). After three kilometres along the rough road, you'll get to Wat Ang Thong at Ban Phu Ngoen. Just 500 metres from the wat, you'll finally find asphalt, Rural Highway 3024. Go left and soon you'll see the easily recognisable Phu Thok in the distance. Now with the vision cue and polite asking, you'll have no problem finding your way to Phu Thok. |