Pom Pee, Khao Laem National Park, Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi has been renowned as a paradise of the west. And when a friend of mine decided to take a trip to my hometown, I definitely agree to show them what is the real paradise of the west look like. Our destination in the mean time is the place where they get a reputation of one of the best viewpoint to watch the beautiful sunset view in the western part of Thailand, and this location is called "Pom Pee". We take it easy on the travelling and no need to spend much money on the trip. Moreover, we will try to collect a lot of happiness back home.


Get to know "Pom Pee"



Pom Pee viewpoint is located in Khao Laem National Park, Thong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi province. Its name is transformed from the word "Per Pee" which means "Reed" in Karen language. Since the place is located by the reservoir in the area of Vajiralongkorn Dam, thus, there are many reed plantation grow scattered in many spots by the river and eventually become to be the name of this place.

"Pom Pee viewpoint", the area around is surrounding by river, mountains and green nature. During the ebb tide season, there are the sticks emerge from the water to bee seen, which is the different kind of beauty that nature creates. Hence, there are a lot of tourists who love to relax among the real nature travel here and spend the night in the tent throughout the year.


How to get there..

(Bangkok - Kanchanaburi downtown - Sai Yok district - Thong Pha Phum district - Pom Pee viewpoint)



Where is Pom Pee viewpoint located? Put it simple, it is just as same route as going to Sangkhlaburi district, yet we will reach Pom Pee first. Well, if you guys never been to Sangkhlaburi before? In that case, I would suggest you guys to start the journey from Kanchanaburi downtown, heading on Highway no.323 (Sai Yok - Thong Pha Phum), then Pom Pee viewpoint will be located between kilometer stone no. 40-41.


The distance from Bangkok to Pom Pee is around 310 kilometers which takes approximately 4-6 hours, depend on the vehicle that you use for traveling. For our journey throughout the trip, we choose to use the mass transportation as usual by starting the journey from Bangkok then get off at downtown Kanchanaburi, and then connect to ride on the bus to Pom Pee.


I would summarize the details for the bus route from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi downtown for you guys once again as I used to write this kind of details once in my previous review of the trip to Sangkhlaburi. Nowadays, getting to Kanchanaburi, there are many kinds of mass transportation in service whether a bus, a van or a train which the main terminals to get on the rides are


The Southern Bus Terminal (Taling Chan): there are air-conditioned bus and van no.81 of Happy company for service, the destination is Kanchanaburi downtown and it will use the route of Borommaratchachonnani road - Nakhon Pathom province - Ban Pong district - Kanchanaburi downtown.


Bangkok Bus Terminal (Mochit): there are buses and vans in service, the destination would be Sangkhlaburi District and Three Pagodas Pass. It will use the route of Bang Bua Thong Road - Kamphaengsaen District - Phanom Thuan District - stop at Kanchanaburi bus terminal and then bound to Sangkhalburi District.


Namtok line train: There are trains depart from Bangkok Noi station every day, 2 times per day. As for Saturday, Sunday and holidays, the State Railway of Thailand has arranged travelling route by train for free. And for more information please contact telephone number 1690.



Itinerary

DAY 1

05.00 am.


Meet at the meeting point at Southern Bus Terminal (Talingchan), we will use the service of public van of Happy company. It is kind of we are starting our journey with happiness. We take a 05.30am van, it takes approximately 2 hours from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi bus terminal.


08.00 am.


After we reach Kanchanaburi bus terminal, we then seek for the ticket booth to buy a ticket to Pom Pee. We use the non air-conditioned bus service Kanchanaburi - Sangkhlaburi route and choose the departure time around 10.20am. as we arrive at Kanchanaburi downtown right now and we would like to wonder around the downtown a little bit. Hence, we walk to "Pak Praek road" which is not far away from bus terminal, it takes us only around 10 minutes. This road is the great area to show us the local way of life and the building in old town of Kanchanaburi. Moreover, we can see city pillar shrine, city wall, classic coffee shop, beautiful buildings and we also are filled with the tasty food.


10.00 am.

Walk back to take a bus and get ready to head to Pom Pee. We take a ride on a bus for quite sometimes and we take a nap many many times, yet this route on a bus ride has a beautiful scenery along the way. Thus, all we do are taking some photos, sleeping and chatting.


03.30 pm.


We finally reach the entrance of "Pom Pee viewpoint" which need to walk by foot to the deeper area around approximately 700 meters. However, for those who visit by your own private car, you could drive straight away to inside area. When walking inside for a while, you will see the checkpoint and ticket booth selling the entrance ticket to National Park. The detail for the entrance fee of National Park is:

Thai, adult 40 baht - children 20 baht / Foreigner, adult 200 baht - children 100 baht.

Vehicle: bicycle free/ motorbike 20 baht/ 4wheels car 30 baht/ 6wheels car 100baht.

Tent service: in case you take your own tent, the area fee for tent is 30 baht per tent.


At the entrance area, we have to put off our baggage and stuff right here, then carry and walk inside by foot, which there is a free trolley for service as well. We go to find a nice location for setting up a tent for our tonight camping. For those who don't like to stay in a tent, there are accommodations in the national park for service. And for those that would like to do the camping, there are tents and staffs to help setting up as well. Moreover, there is bedding for rent and the clean shared bathroom in service. As for the electricity, you could use it at the administration center which there is an area for charging.




We walk around searching for the suitable area to set up the tent to watch the beautiful sunset scenery. At that time, when we look around the area, there are some tents set up in line and in the first picture below, you will see the awesome tent, I think it's pretty cool!.

Now, we start setting up our tent, we use our tent that we carry with us and use some of the tents that we rent from the national park.


Details of service charges within the national park.

Tent fee (can accommodate 2-3 persons) costs 225 baht per tent

Sleeping bag costs 30 baht per set

Bedding sheet costs 20 baht per set

Pillow costs 10 baht per set

Grill set costs 100 baht per set


06.00pm


We sit back and wait to watch the sunset scenery among the romantic atmosphere and beautiful scenery of the water area, it is a tranquil moment that could not find from a city life.


At this moment, we are busy preparing food for tonight camping. Actually, there are food to order selling at the administration center for those who don't want to be busy preparing stuff, you also could eat there. As for those who would like to dine in a really camping atmosphere, you could buy the stuff and carry it from the downtown.


We sit back and talk with each other among million of stars that surrounding us. The weather during tonight is quite pleasant, not too cold and not too hot. Well, there is a regulation not allow to take the alcohol inside the national park area.



DAY 2

06.00 am.

We wake up early in the morning to take a breathe in pure fresh ozone and walk around the area for exercising. At the Pom Pee viewpoint, we hardly see the sun rise scenery here as there are mountains cover up the sunrise side, yet there is a spectacular river bend scenery during the morning time to be seen.


There is an old rope bridge connects to another zone of the viewpoint where the children come to play around and couples come to take a romantic time together during the morning time, everyone seems to be happy among the natural atmosphere.


At another side, there is a swimming area that National Park has set the area for tourist to swim among the mountain view that surround the area. It is pretty awesome.


As I have notice that there are many people do the biking this morning as well as the biker from outside area also do the biking here to watch the scenery during the morning time. Everyone is having a bless and happy.


11.00 am.


We bid farewell to the happiness by taking an impressive picture of "Pom Pee" and then head back to Kanchanaburi downtown. We go and wait for the bus Sangkhlaburi - Kanchanaburi route at the entrance area where we get off here yesterday.


05.30 pm.


We arrive at Kanchanaburi bus terminal, then we go to buy a van ticket to head back to Bangkok with smiles and happiness in our faces and we will not forget that once "we have been to Pom Pee"


All expenses for the trip:

(7 Travel Companions, average expense 925baht per person)


Van round trip Bangkok - Kanchanaburi costs 100baht per route, which costs 200 per person.

Non air-conditioned bus round trip Kanchanaburi - Pom Pee costs 145 baht per route, which costs 290 baht per person.

Renting tent fee (can accommodate 3 persons) costs 225 baht per tent, average price costs 75 per person.

Sleeping bag, bedding sheet and blanket cost 60 baht per person.

Shared budget 300 baht per person


At last, if you guys love to travel in our style, you could follow our page at "Baanchan Kanchanaburi" which I create it to present beautiful places and telling story in every aspects of our hometown, Kanchanaburi, you could follow the page at:

www.facebook.com/baanchan.kanchanaburi/

#kanchanaburi#khao laem national park
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