Good things come in small packages
Discover the uniqueness of Chalerm Rattanakosin National Park in Kanchanaburi
Covering less than 60km2, Chalerm Rattanakosin National Park in Kanchanaburi province is one of the Kingdom's tiniest. Yet, this is a case where the term "small is beautiful" is obviously an understatement. Small can be awesome.
No other national park offers such a unique nature trail. Imagine a trip that begins with an exciting walk through a dark and winding natural tunnel with a shallow stream running through it, then continues along a 2.5km forest path that goes up the steep mountain to another cave, which is completely different from the first one. It's an adventurous journey that is eye-opening, magnificent and mysterious.
From the start, despite the fact that there are no written instructions, every visitor entering Tham Than Lot Noi, the cave that makes up the first section of the park's amazing trail, knows instinctively that he or she, big shots and nobodies alike, are compelled to lower themselves before following the emerging creek upstream into a realm of darkness.
The only dry part of the cave entrance, which serves as the exit for the water, is chest high from the ground to the top. Unless you crouch and carefully inch your way in, those sharp rocks pointing down from the low ceiling will definitely gash your head.
It's a short crawl though. The next moment, as you have passed that awkward entrance point, you'll be able to stand upright again, greeted by a world that just a few steps further is completely off-limits to sunlight. Without the electric lights positioned at strategic corners, the cave would have been pitch black.
The illumination is barely enough for you to see the path, some of the stalactites and stalagmites and other features of the cave, including countless piles of huge rocks _ many of them two or three times the size of a restaurant refrigerator _ that have fallen off the cave ceiling. Nobody knows how often rocks break off from above. But gravity and erosion are known to do their jobs 24/7 so that rock falls can happen again at any moment. Just be alert and hope that you do not happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Most of the tunnel is hidden in deep shadow. In the dark, apart from the sound of the running stream, you are likely to also hear the croaks of chong khrong (the Asian giant toad) and, of course, the "chitchat" of numerous bats hanging on the roof of the cave with their heads down.
Thanks to good ventilation and the continually flowing stream that washes away the guano, the air within Tham Than Lot Noi is not as foul as in other caves inhabited by colonies of bats.
With lots of available prey, snakes come to hunt in this cave. But don't worry; you are not likely to catch sight of them. These slithering creatures are not keen to mess with humans. I've been to this cave almost 10 times and so far have spotted only two snakes. Bring a flashlight and watch your step though.
The tunnel of Tham Than Lot Noi is about 300m long, ending with another opening that is larger than the entrance. After having spent time in the dark, one can't help feeling delighted to be able to see sunlight again.
Take your time to enjoy the sight of the lush forest in the sunshine and fill your lungs with fresh air. But make sure you steer clear of the mouth of the cave to avoid having your skull cracked by falling rocks.
From this point on it's a pretty long walk on the trail that continues to run alongside the course of the creek, crisscrossing it at a couple of points, through the dry evergreen forest blessed with a diversity of trees and plants, as well as small wildlife. The wilderness trail leads to a three-tier waterfall, Trai Trueng, about 1.5km away before going another kilometre further to Tham Than Lot Yai, aka the Big Cave.
Please note that the last 1km is the toughest part of the trail because 90% of it is very steep. But trust me, you'll find that the grandeur of the big cave, the brightest highlight of the trail, makes all your effort more than worthwhile.
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