Readme before you journey
Hello everyone, my name is Mimi.
I like to spend my holidays on (budget) travel, as I haven't been able to earn any income yet.
No snacks - tempting temptations, let's go. This trip of ours happened in less than 5 minutes.
There was no plan at all, no review, so to speak, it was a big mistake.
My friend and I wanted to go to both Chiang Khan and Phu Kradueng.
So we put the 2 places together within 3 days and 2 nights.
Many people ask if it's worth it, if we've seen everything.
This is our mistake.
We booked our accommodation from Agoda about a week before our trip, which was very last minute. Many accommodations were already fully booked.
After booking, we couldn't wait to see the bus.
I don't think it's a tourist season, so there shouldn't be many people.
But I was wrong. When we booked the Vip bus from the bus terminal, it was already full.
I was so shocked! I rushed to check and there were only a few seats left for the outbound trip. The return trip was even worse!
Only 3 seats left. Click to book without knowing. If anyone is sure to go.
Please don't be complacent. Book in advance and choose your seat first.
Our journey began on Thursday, November 5, 2015.
By Bus No. 1 Bangkok-Muang Loei-Chiang Khan at 21.30
Get on the bus at Mo Chit 2.
The bus arrived a little late, leaving around 10 pm. On the way, there was a stop at a bus station rest stop around midnight or 1 am.
I'm not sure either, haha. I arrived at Pha Nok Aew around 5 am. (Pha Nok Aew is the place where you transfer to Phu Kradueng)
There were so many fellow travelers getting off at this stop that the train was almost empty.
The car arrived in Chiang Khan at 7.30 am. When I got off the car, I walked into Chiang Khan. Chiang Khan at this time is like a deserted city. There are very few shops open.
My friends and I were going to leave our stuff at the accommodation, wash our faces, brush our teeth, and take care of personal business first.
Then I went out for breakfast and rented a bike. It turned out that the accommodation was still not open.
This is the guesthouse: River Rapids, that we booked.
Oh no, what should I do? My luggage is so heavy. I want to wash my face, brush my teeth, and use the bathroom. So I called the accommodation's number.
The owner is very kind. They answered the phone (sounding very sleepy, we were so sorry).
We stopped by Luk Pochana for breakfast (my friend ate the fried egg, but I was so hungry that I only managed to take one photo).
This bowl is Khao Piek Sen: The noodles are chewy like Sen Lek but not quite. Delicious!!
I wanted to buy some yarn to take home, but I'm going to Phu Kradueng next, so I'd better not.
The check-in time was 2:00 PM, so we decided to rent bicycles and go for a ride to enjoy the atmosphere.
Chiang Khan Map
We got our favorite bike today for 50 baht per day.
(The bicycle rental price is 40-50 baht.)
Our destination was Kaeng Kut Ku. We cycled and asked for directions. They said it wasn't far, so we believed them.
Ride out onto the main road, let's go!
Pedal, pedal, let's ride our bikes, sing this song to cheer us up all the way.
The gravel road also comes all the way to Kaeng Kut Ku. There are many coconut shops along the way.
If I had to guess, I would say it's probably a famous dish (pure guess).
"I didn't come here just to play around, you know. I cycled a long way, about 5 kilometers from Chiang Khan. Honestly,
But in reality, we've already arrived after 3 kilometers.
Keng Kut Ku Due to the high water level when I went, I didn't see much.
We love looking at the view from the Lao side. It's so green and beautiful.
We sat and watched the view until we were sleepy. It was almost eleven o'clock then. We didn't want to cycle at noon.
Feeling the sun beating down on their heads, they decided to turn back.
Did you see that group of kids? They bowed to me and smiled. At first, I was very confused. Do I look so old that they thought I was there to pick up their child? TT
But when we passed by other groups, they bowed to us. We were speechless. If I had a shield of good manners like a Thai person, I would give it to you.
The wind is cooler than Kaeng Kut Ku now, so comfortable that I don't want to ride my bike back. I'll just lie down here.
Finally, at around noon, I couldn't take it anymore and had to find something to fill my stomach. For lunch, I decided to trust this restaurant with my hunger.
Tom yum glass noodles and salted egg som tam. We love som tam, it's delicious.
We checked in to our accommodation at almost two in the afternoon.
The place was a bit messy when we went downstairs because it was under construction. It will probably be beautiful when it's finished. We like staying here.
Beautifully decorated, the owner is kind, it has everything, the bathroom is a shared bathroom, clean
The bathroom has shampoo and soap dispensers. In the common area, there is coffee and Ovaltine available for brewing. The only requirement is that you wash your own cup.
My room has Captain America in front of it. I'm so excited.
The view from the balcony of the accommodation, emphasizing that the balcony is not the room. There are small chairs and tables to sit and enjoy the atmosphere of Chiang Khan.
We sat here a lot while we were staying here. We loved it.
After arriving at the accommodation, I slept for a long time. I woke up again at around 4 pm.
This evening, I want to watch the sunset over the Mekong River, followed by a walk along the walking street.
Having already rented the bikes, the two-member cycling gang continued their ride.
We've heard rumors that 7-11 Chiang Khan is beautiful, so we decided to check it out.
How is it with Seven Chiang Khan?
One more picture. After that, we just cycled around without a destination.
When it was time, we cycled to the Mekong River as planned.
Meander along the wooden bridge
Seeing sunflowers reminds me of Hamtaro.
I told you, I'm not here to play around. I'm serious about cycling, morning and evening.
When we were there, our hearts were at peace. Everything seemed to slow down, and our minds were calm.
Before jumping, I hesitated, fearing that I would break the bridge.
We did the same as usual, taking photos and walking around until the sun set. But we didn't fall into the water, we fell on the other side. It was a bit of a shame.
The sunset was absolutely stunning, the light was perfect and it really set the scene for the riverside and the wooden houses. It was truly unforgettable.
Wherever you look, it's beautiful.
Whispering to Dot, he said that if she was looking for a romantic place to take her boyfriend,
The last light of the day, throughout the Chiang Khan trip, we like this place the most now (:
After admiring the beauty of the Mekong River, it's time for the walking street.
First and foremost, Mimi and her friends need to find something to eat.
Let's start with the first shop: Jiggo stuffed with 2 fillings: pork and banana.
Sweet banana with condensed milk, as always. I'm the kind of person who can eat anything and still enjoy it. You can tell from my figure. 555 (There are tears hidden in the number five.)
The papaya salad restaurant I ate at lunchtime.
The atmosphere in Chiang Khan at night is completely different from the morning. Now, Chiang Khan is bustling with a peaceful vibe.
Passing by a shrimp stall, I grabbed a skewer. It was salty, but the long shrimp whiskers poked my mouth, which I didn't like very much.
We love the decor of this shop. We always catch our eyes whenever we walk past it.
We wanted to stay here, but it's full.
Cartoon-shaped steamed buns
I want to eat grilled rice, but it's dark now. I don't really want to eat rice. I'm thinking of eating it in the morning.
But I haven't eaten yet. What a pity.
Walking Street is a center for cute souvenirs from Chiang Khan.
The little musical instruments were played by children, but no photos were taken.
For postcard lovers, this is paradise. There are many shops, each with different designs, all beautiful.
Wooden postcards can be sent.
Your uncle's postcard is ready to be sent with a stamp already attached.
This restaurant is called Phu Chiangkhan. The owner, an old uncle, used to have a cinema in Chiangkhan, but now it has become a parking lot (not sure, but it's gone).
The uncle is very cute. He invited us to talk about movies, but we didn't know much about it, so we changed the subject. If anyone likes old movies,
It would be fun to talk to him, we seem to get along well. I told him that I went to Kaeng Kut Ku today. He said that if you go to Kaeng Kut Ku, you must eat Som Tum, it's the best.
When I was young, I used this machine all the time. We bought a postcard, it was the movie Wall-E. I've never seen it.
We continue walking, this shop also sells postcards.
Mom's Sangkaya, a famous shop in Chiang Khan. We have pinned it in our hearts. We will eat it tomorrow.
Krungthai Bank in Thai style
We got another postcard from this shop.
Is anyone interested in going back to eating lunch on a tray like in elementary school? We would like to suggest this restaurant for your consideration.
Pork leg rice .. my friend's.
We walked around for a while before returning to our accommodation to prepare for tomorrow.
We're sitting here writing postcards to send to our friends. It's classic, writing while looking out at the walking street.
It can't get any better than this.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
This morning we had two choices: to offer sticky rice to monks or to watch the sea of fog at Phu Thok.
Both happened at the same time, we had to choose. It was a real economic principle.
My friends and I chose to watch the sea of fog. Last night we contacted the accommodation. The owner gave us a business card of a car that would go to Phu Thok.
We called to contact them. They charged 100 baht for a round trip, the price was not fixed. We were okay with that. We made an appointment with them to meet at the accommodation at 5:30 AM.
While we were waiting for the car, a Skylab drove by and asked if we were going to Phu Thok. We said yes.
They let us get in. We asked their name if they were the ones we made an appointment with. But the driver said to get in.
Our driver must have gone with someone else. Any car would be the same. But my friends and I didn't get in. After that, we called the number we had contacted.
Luckily, we didn't get in because they were different people. If anyone goes and contacts a car, make a good appointment. Don't get in the wrong car.
Today we had to be on time because we were going to Phu Kradueng next. We didn't want to leave Chiang Khan after 9:00 AM.
The car to Phu Kradueng took about 2 hours. Honestly, at that time, I hadn't thought about how to get to Phu Kradueng.
I just knew that there was a Nakhon Chai Air bus, but I didn't know the schedule or where to get on (I wanted to hit my head ten times).
This is the car we contacted. Sitting in the back of the pickup truck, braving the wind. I forgot to mention that the weather on the day we went was cool, not cold.
However, because we assumed that November would definitely be cold, we only packed long-sleeved shirts, thinking it would be a winter collection.
Every picture I wear long sleeves .. I'm sweating all over. It's not cold at all. I'm just imagining things. (TT)
It didn't take long to reach Phu Tok. We bought tickets for 40 baht, which included a shuttle service to the top of the hill.
Oh, fog, I have high hopes for you. Please appear before me.
Sea of fog? It's already here. We're trying to tell ourselves that it'll be there soon, just wait.
But in the end, the same old fog appeared, nothing more. It only showed up for a moment, and then the sky closed over and it started raining again. Sigh...
We arrived back at our accommodation at around 7:00 PM. We asked the driver about the bus schedule to Phu Kradueng. He told us that there are buses to Chiang Khan every 30 minutes from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
We asked for details on everything, we didn't want to miss anything. He also said that the Nakhon Chai garage is not close, he can deliver it.
We looked at each other, turned to ask the price. The guy said he would deliver it to us without charging us! He asked for a time to meet and said he would pick us up.
"Wow, you're so brave! But I want to check the bus schedule before I tell you the time. He agreed."
We called Nakhonchai Air. Nakhonchai Transport said that there are only two rounds of buses to Phan Ngok Khao, which are 8.00 and 9.00. There is no ticket reservation.
We're freaking out! It's already past 7 am and we haven't packed, showered, or eaten (we're still worried about eating). Will we make it?
The answer is... yes, there's still time to have breakfast and enjoy the beautiful view before heading back (act like you're not in a hurry).
We arranged for the driver to pick us up at Nakhon Chai Transport at 8:30 am at Chiang Khan Market because we wanted to buy some food first.
But the event was very thrilling. We came down at eight o'clock, the guesthouse owner was still not awake. What to do!! We had to call to wake him up urgently.
I would like to leave a message that if you want to check out much earlier than the scheduled time, please inform us in advance. This is for the benefit and peace of mind of both parties.
We then rushed to buy food to stock up on.
The same shop as last night, but with pork filling. It's more delicious than the banana filling and not greasy. We also bought some custard for mom, but we didn't have time to take a picture because we were a little hungry.
The kind driver sent us to Nakhon Chai Air.
Let me subtly promote this a little. The driver was very kind. We hadn't even reached the market yet, and he arrived early. He was worried we might miss the bus, so he drove to pick us up at our place.
To Nakhon Chai Transport is not very far, but if you walk, your legs will probably be sore.
Ticket from Chiang Khan to Pha Nok Khao 104 baht
Next stop: Phukradung
Okay, that's it for the Chiang Khan part.
Let's move on to Phu Kradueng. Does anyone wonder what
the word "P L A D" that we've been typing since the beginning of the thread means?
The story after this is what we call "P L A D".
Translation:
Along the way, the car stopped at many places, plus it was raining.
We prayed silently that it wouldn't rain on Phu Kradueng. Amen.
We arrived at Pha Nok Khao at 11:30 am. When we went down to Je Kim's shop, it was very quiet and there were no people. It was a stark contrast to the first day when we passed by in the early morning and it was bustling with activity.
We're dead. What should we do? Most people will rent a songthaew to go to Phu Kradueng. 10 people for 300 baht, which is 30 baht per person.
But here we have us and our friends, friends and us, us and friends, and friends and us, a total of 2 people, no more, no less.
We want to wait to find more members, but on second thought, most of them have already gone up in the morning. By now, they must have reached the top. Phu Kradueng is open for climbing until 2 pm.
The only remaining songthaew had an uncle driver who said he had been waiting here for a long time. There were only two of us, so in the end, we went!
These two lanes are ours (we can only accept the pain). This is the starting point of our time travel story.
Translation:
We haven't been able to take many photos lately because it's been raining in Athithan. We decided to buy studded shoes (80 baht) and leech socks (60 baht) to protect ourselves from the rain and leeches.
Carrying myself up the mountain in the rain would be quite a challenge, so I hired a porter. My backpack weighed 6 kg (30 baht per kg). At that time, I didn't think much of it, I just wanted to get to the top of Phu Kradueng quickly. Now it's very late.
(After regaining consciousness, I was shocked to find that the porter's fee was so low. I would like to suggest that if you have any unnecessary items in your bag for use on the mountain, you can leave them at the luggage storage area below. I saw it. I just thought of it when I went up.)
Translation:
The distance we will conquer is approximately 5.5 kilometers.
When we signed up, we were listed as the 100th person. The person before us who went up was at 11:30.
しておくのは、緊急事態に備えてのことです。
We started climbing at 12.30 pm. From what I've heard from others, it usually takes 4 hours or more.
We haven't reached Sam Haek yet, but we've already been panting for a while. But at that time, our hearts were racing, knowing that we didn't want to reach darkness.
When we saw the Sum Hae, we almost screamed, as if we had reached the top of Phu Kradueng Mountain!!!!
We took many photos with this sign. The first time we were still full of energy. Two more groups came up after us. The first group was a family, and the other group was two men carrying guitars. They chased after us and were probably the last group of the day.
While waiting for my friend to finish eating, I took a walk and talked to the older people who had come down. They told me to find a stick to support myself, so I asked a shop for one. The auntie was very kind and found one for me.
We're feeling the time pressure, it took us almost an hour to reach Sam Haek. But we're not giving up, we're not backing down, we'll make it to the mountain no matter what!
After resting and eating, it was time to continue. We did some exercise (running), but my friend doesn't exercise much, so he got tired more easily.
Before conquering the mountain, it is recommended to prepare your body by exercising beforehand!!
Soaked in sweat, but still energetic, able to chat.
From Sam Haek to Sam Kok, I didn't feel tired, or maybe my body is starting to get used to it.
We stopped at every "sam" that had accommodation, perhaps by chance. Every time we stopped at a "sam", it rained. We waited for the rain to stop before continuing our walk.
I would like to thank the aunt who gave me the wood many times. The wood helped a lot.
Due to the rain, the walkway is very foggy. There is nothing but fog, fog, fog, fog. I can't see much in front of me.
Even though it was raining, we didn't put on our raincoats. It was just a drizzle, Sri could handle it.
When someone comes down and walks past the two of us.
Only clones. We think that studded shoes are worth it if it rains. Invest a little... Comfortable to walk in.
My friend and I walked quickly, as I mentioned, every time we stopped at a hut, it rained.
Translation:
When we reached Sam Krae, it was raining heavily. Many groups of fellow travelers were stuck in the rain. The raindrops were large. We stayed at that shelter at four o'clock.
But it wasn't until half past four that we left the swamp. The rain hadn't stopped yet, but the others had already left, so we went too, afraid of getting caught in the dark.
This image reminds us of the scene in the Disney cartoon, The Little House in the Big Woods, with the princess singing along. It's so cute.
We didn't take any pictures after this point because it was raining heavily. The path from Sam Krae was extremely challenging, with mostly rocks and stairs.
Around 5 pm, where there is effort, there is success. Oops, I mean success. When we saw this sign, we ran into it.
I'm so happy, it's like I got into university (exaggerated). All the tiredness from walking all day disappeared in a blink of an eye.
We happily jumped and danced with the sign.
You haven't reached it yet. You can continue. From the back of the sign, you need to walk another 300 meters to the Tourist Service Center - Camping Area.
We didn't type it wrong. We were just confused at that time and saw it like that. 555555 But the truth is, it's 3176 meters. We were almost shocked. Do we still have to walk further?
Translation:
After this, the path is flat. We joked with each other that it didn't feel like we were on a mountain, but rather like we were walking around below.
The moment I saw this person walking past the trees, it was a beautiful image in my memory, but I didn't have time to take a picture.
The last picture of the day before it gets dark
We arrived at the tourist service point and tent site at 6:30 pm.
The park ranger must have been shocked by the state we were in. 5555
They asked us a lot of questions, the ones I remember are how many people are in your group and did you get overtaken?
Did anyone come after that? We were so confused at that time that we couldn't answer the questions properly.
We rented 3 sleeping mats and a tent because we brought our sleeping bags.
I feel like I missed out again. I should have rented a sleeping bag from here (TT)
After that, we went to get our bags from the porters and then went to choose a tent to sleep in.
We didn't have a flashlight, and it was raining. It was quite difficult, and it was already dark so we couldn't see.
It was very difficult for us to choose an empty tent. Many tents that no one was sleeping in had their zippers left open.
We would like to inform everyone that if you go in and don't like it, please come out and close the zipper.
For the sake of those who come after us, we don't know what kind of slugs or insects there are in the tent. It's not trustworthy.
Finally, we found a tent with a zippered back, but the front of the tent was flooded and very humid.
I couldn't pull it out. At that time, I felt like a strong woman. Normally, I go with a male friend and ask him to take it out.
But this time, our friend was scared, so we had to fight the slugs ourselves. 55555 It rained lightly all night long.
Translation:
Sunday, November 8, 2258
I woke up at 4:30 am to watch the sunrise at Pha Nok Aen, but it was still raining lightly.
Everyone must be hoping for the same thing as us, that the sun will rise.
But I was disappointed, hahahahahahahahahahahahaha, laughing with tears.
Another picture to see clearly.
Mourn the setting sun and the fate of one's own life
Bare face, messy hair, haven't washed my hair. I'm really worried that I might get sick.
After a serious conversation with my friend, we're wondering what to do next. It's raining so hard we can't see anything. The bus back home doesn't leave until 7:30 pm.
If it gets cold later, we'll have to hire a car to go to Pha Nok Aew. No way. Everyone is anxious.
After that, I went to find something to eat to relieve stress. I was near the camping area. The price of food up there is according to the cost of carrying it up.
Some restaurants offer free mobile phone charging, and the tourist service center offers charging services for 20 baht per device.
The souvenir shop sells at prices comparable to those below. I couldn't resist writing myself a postcard.
The shop also has a stamp that says "Conquered Phu Kradueng Once in a Lifetime." We had fun stamping it before leaving the shop.
We asked the saleswoman where we could go today. She gave us a map.
We decided to go to Pha Mak Du and then went through the back of the cave to the bottom.
We started walking at nine o'clock. The view from Pha Mak Duak was beautiful and peaceful, but as usual, we didn't see anything.
We sat for almost half an hour, gradually watching the fog roll in.
Translation:
Phung feels very good. She doesn't want to go back. She wants to stay longer and enjoy the trip to the fullest. However, she has to submit her work at the university tomorrow, which cannot be postponed.
The sky is starting to clear now. I feel so sorry for my own fate 55555 I won't be taking any more pictures after this.
As I walked down from the back of the parade, to the bottom, wow, there were a lot of people. I just saw the same thing.
We think everyone is ready to help - asking if we're okay, smiling at each other all the time. We really like it.
We were very proud. If you want to carry it yourself, you can do it. When we came down, P'Luk asked us and our friends, "Did the older brother carry the stuff down for you? How are you? Are you all bruised?" We met the older brothers on the way to the bus station on the same bus. After taking a shower and eating, we went to Je Kim's shop together while waiting for the bus back to Bangkok.
We met a lot of friends and seniors from the backpacking group. Everyone chatted and exchanged stories about traveling and visiting different places. They showed us pictures of the view on Phu Kradueng that we didn't get to see. We were very impressed. The memories there are meaningful to us. We are grateful for the good experiences that happened. We don't regret even a little bit that we only went to Phu Kradueng for one day, even though many people told us it wasn't worth it.
With the words we will meet again ... Phu Kradueng
Things we felt were wrong and wanted to tell each other.
Phu Kradueng should be visited for more than 2 days and 1 night because you won't be able to do anything but conquer Phu Kradueng. You should stay at least 3 days and 2 nights.
You should go up to the accommodation before dark. If it's dark, it's not as convenient as when it's light. Choosing a tent and a place to sleep is very difficult.
Especially when it rains like us... it's brutal.
Bring a flashlight. If you think your mobile phone has a flashlight like us, I want to tell you that you're wrong. Bring it, it's a hundred times more convenient than a mobile phone.
You shouldn't conquer the leech with your bare hands. Use your eyes to aim and your hands to pick up the leech spray-lotion and spray it on the leech. Some people wonder why I'm typing this. Everyone knows.
Just in case anyone is like us when the leech comes, there's no sense. Just grab the leech and pull it out. Blood everywhere!!
If anyone is taking the bus from Bangkok-Loei-Chiang Khan like us, take out your ticket and look at it now. Even though the ticket says the bus leaves at 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, or whatever, that's the time it leaves Chiang Khan, not the time we wait for the bus at Pha Nok Khao. The journey from Chiang Khan - Pha Nok Khao is about 2-3 hours.
It's around 9:30 pm before we can get on the bus from Pha Nok Khao. Talking to the other people waiting for the bus, almost no one knows this. This is very important!!
Bring muscle relaxants and massage oil. Our friend took muscle relaxants from the first day, but we were hardcore and didn't take any. When we came back, our legs were destroyed.
Walking up and down the stairs was very painful.
Full of energy - New, fresh, full of everything, I can't think of anything else.
Disadvantages:
If you like to buy souvenirs, think twice before carrying them up to Phu Kradueng. How much weight will it be, and what condition will the items be in?
For example, we want to buy rice noodles, but by the time we get home, they will be crushed into instant noodles when they break.
There are two rounds of buses from Nakhon Chai Transport to Pha Nok Khao, which are at 8.00 and 9.00.
Translation:
If you climb Phu Kradueng in the morning, you will reach the bottom in the afternoon. If you book a car like us, you will have plenty of time to relax.
The time is not too late, it's just a bit off at other waiting points.
However, this is just our personal opinion.
From Chiang Khan to Phu Kradueng, or from Phu Kradueng to Chiang Khan.
I think there are pros and cons to both, because in the end, the destination is not as important as what we encounter along the way.
Past reviews
[CR]Why does everyone forbid me? Just going to Photharam myself .. One day trip to clear the doubts of the two girls (:
[Spoiler] Click to reveal hidden texthttp://pantip.com/topic/33941342
[CR]Three people | 5 hours | On Koh Sichang Island
[CR]Freelife | Want to travel | Want to rest | Want to love Khao Laem Ya
Our travel diary page (:
[Spoiler] Click to reveal hidden texthttps://www.facebook.com/foundmethere
Miasmii Pn
Friday, September 27, 2024 10:07 AM
