"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."

This Thai proverb emphasizes the importance of travel in broadening one's horizons and understanding the world. Just as reading a single page of a book provides only a limited perspective, so too does staying in one place limit one's knowledge and experiences. By traveling to different places and cultures, individuals can gain new insights, learn about different ways of life, and develop a deeper appreciation for the world's diversity.

"Phu Bak Dai" is located in Phu Ruea District, within the Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary. It borders three sub-districts of Phu Ruea District: San Tom Sub-district, Tha Sala Sub-district, and Pla Ba Sub-district. The recommended route today is the Ban Nam Thob route in Pla Ba Sub-district. Travel from Phu Ruea towards the agricultural highlands, passing Pla Ba Waterfall and Song Kon Waterfall, approximately 20 km from Phu Ruea District. Tourists can access the service point from two routes: Ban Klang and Ban Nam Thob.

Misfortune always strikes whenever I go on a trip. This time was no different, haha. At first, I planned to go up the mountain from Ban Klang. I had booked a reservation and called to confirm before arriving. However, when I arrived, I was unexpectedly turned away by the service center at Ban Klang. We were left standing there, dumbfounded. What should we do? We had already prepared everything.

At that moment, we started to think about what to do next. But one thing was for sure, we had to get to the top. Because even when we were unlucky, there was always some luck involved. Before we went to the village headman's house, a villager suddenly asked us if anyone had already gone up. If not, he said we could contact him later. We were so excited! At that moment, we realized that there were two ways to get to the top and we learned about the "Nam Tob" house. We would like to thank P'Tum and P'La again for asking us. Without them, we would have definitely wasted our trip.

The route to Ban Namthop is the same as the route to Ban Klang, but you will reach Ban Namthop first. When you arrive at Ban Namthop, call Mr. Tum at 0955018786. His house is right next to the road. If anyone is interested in going this way, it is another interesting option. I can guarantee that Mr. Tum's service is of premium quality. He even provides food after you come down from the mountain. Once everything is agreed upon, time will pass quickly, so hurry up! This trip will not be complete without traveling at night. Get on the car and let's go!

The Isuzu will drive through the village towards the mountain peak, passing by numerous small hills.

This is the road we take, with its share of smooth stretches and challenging sections, making for a unique and enjoyable journey.

The view is breathtaking, even from down here. Imagine how stunning it must be from above! Let's go see for ourselves.

The afternoon sun shines down, I want to say that it is very beautiful. Or maybe it's just me who likes to look at the sunlight.

The scenery along the way was beautiful, making the ride on the e-taek enjoyable and free from boredom.

I took some photos and ran along the way, haha, acting cool as if the finish line was near. But for the sake of beautiful photos, we did it.

The distance is approximately 5 kilometers, but it feels like 50 kilometers. The travel time is about 1 hour.

The journey was so long and uncomfortable that my backside is sore.

Upon reaching the designated parking area, everyone wasted no time in grabbing their belongings and heading off.

This route is steeper and longer than the main trail. The incline of this mountain is approximately 60 degrees, and the path is narrow, allowing only one person to walk at a time. Unlike Phu Kradueng, there are no shops along the way, so everyone must bring their own water. As for me, I brought beer. No matter how heavy it is, I'm willing to carry it.

The path is roughly like this, with some sections requiring you to push through grass and brush.

One thing to be careful of besides the fear of falling off the cliff is the elephant thorn. It is very itchy and painful when you get pricked by it. I got pricked myself, haha.

The journey offers stunning views throughout.

We walked and rested along the way. Our initial intention was to watch the sunset from the top of the mountain, but judging from the time, it was already 5 pm and we were still at the foot of the mountain. Haha, we might as well go stargazing instead.

After a short walk, we reached a resting point on a cliff face with a clear view of the sun. Although we didn't make it to the top, the view along the way was breathtaking.

As the light began to fade and the path grew darker, Tum distributed three lights to illuminate the way. While the atmosphere was undeniably unique, everyone had to be twice as cautious due to the darkness and the occasional cliffside path. We walked slowly, playing music to indirectly comfort ourselves and convince ourselves that we weren't tired. However, we barely had time to turn off the music before encountering elephant dung. We barely managed to turn off the speaker in time. Although Tum tried to reassure us that it wasn't elephant dung, from what I know, it was clearly elephant dung. He then walked ahead of us to scout the path, which is when misfortune struck. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, I wouldn't recommend ascending after dark. I believe it's quite dangerous.

After reaching the flat ground, we walked for a while and arrived at the campsite. The cold air made my hair stand on end, not because I needed to use the restroom, but because it was extremely cold. We quickly set up our tents and unpacked our belongings. Meanwhile, Tum went to gather firewood and prepare the dining area. I also got busy, arranging the beers in my bag to make them look appealing and ready to drink. Up there, the beers would automatically cool down, so no worries.

This is what our dinner looks like.

Delicious grilled chicken, prepared by a professional griller.

We continued eating and chatting, playing music and gossiping until the food was gone. The women went to bed, while the men continued drinking. The beer was not finished, but it was too heavy to carry downstairs. I had already carried 12 kg, and there was no way I could carry it down. "No, I'll drink it," I said. "Drink it, drink it."

Time flies as we eat. It's already midnight. I originally planned to take pictures of the Milky Way at night, but looking at the current situation, haha, let's just take pictures of the stars. Let's go. Since we're already here, let's take two, three, or four pictures as a souvenir.

The moonlight steals the show in this image.

After taking photos, I went to sleep and fell asleep automatically when my head touched the pillow. Then I heard people chattering, so I checked my watch. What? It's so early! I realized that the other tents had gone to watch the sunrise. Haha, Brother Tum and Brother La also woke us up. At first, I didn't want to wake up, but then I thought, "Oh well, I'm awake now." I opened the tent with sleepy eyes and walked around taking photos.

Initially, I thought I was the only one who came out, but when I turned around, I saw another one of my brothers come out too, haha. It seems that our bodies are still holding up. We went out with six people, but only two of us woke up. I wonder if they sent a representative to secretly film us.

The forest is quite dense. If you want to see a beautiful view, I think you should walk further, but I'll sacrifice and not go. I'll just look at it from here, haha. It's about 20 meters away from the dance floor, but it's beautiful in a different way.

We then headed to the landmark of Phu Hin Rong Kla, a protruding rock formation known as the "Deceptive Cliff".

While taking photos, I came across a group from the "เที่ยวสิวะ" page. I wondered what they were doing there, so I borrowed their flag for a photo. It looked cool when they were holding it.

After finishing this angle, I moved to another one and coincidentally bumped into the admin of the "Travel Now, Wait for What?" page. He was incredibly cool.

I couldn't help but stand there and watch, feeling a thrill of fear as my legs trembled.

"Do you see the smoke over there? That's the two villages at the top of our climb. The left side is Ban Klang, and the right side is Ban Nam Tob. Looking down from here, I don't really feel like going down."

After taking photos, I started to feel hungry. Let's go back to dancing now. Let's go, I'm very hungry.

This is our kettle.

After finishing our meal, we had to return to the cliff for another round of photos, as the rest of the group hadn't had their turn yet. Without hesitation, we jumped back into action, capturing individual and group shots.

This photo is the absolute highlight. The confident aura of the brave househusband is simply irresistible.

As for me, it's dizzying. I can't just take a normal photo. I have to hang on until I'm exhausted.

Individual photo: I have already swung many times. Group photo: Set up the camera and run to swing.

After taking photos to our satisfaction, we returned to collect our belongings and prepared for our journey back. The scenery on the way back was breathtaking. It was quite exciting, as we hadn't seen this view on our arrival due to the darkness.

Walk, walk, and walk.

In this photo, my brother is not posing, but rather looking into the distance. He said it was good for his heart and legs.

Strolling and taking photos, keeping it chill as we haven't reached the downhill section yet. Anything goes, haha!

The view is so beautiful that I want to wrap it up and take it home.

Do you see that hill over there? That's where we came from.

Walk carefully, as the right side is a steep cliff.

As we descended the mountain, we rapidly lost altitude. The downhill path was steep and required constant braking to maintain control. The descent was significantly faster than the ascent, and the cool mountain air provided a welcome respite from the heat. We eagerly continued our journey.

Descending is impossible without a break.

We soon arrived at the E-Tek parking lot. At that time, there were no trees to block the sun, and it was very hot. It would be a good idea to bring an umbrella, as the sun on the way back was so hot that it burned.

We then hopped on a songthaew to head back. On the way back, we barely took any photos. Everyone looked like they had just been in a battle, haha. But before we reached the main road, we came across a rubber plantation with no leaves. Without hesitation, we started snapping photos like crazy.

After that, we returned to Tum's house to shower and change clothes. What was truly impressive was that Tum's mother had cooked a meal for us. Wow, she took such good care of us! She even saw us off when we left. The meal was amazing, and we want to express our gratitude once again. Thank you for everything you did for us. Without Tum and Lada, we would never have been able to make it up there. After finishing our meal,

The party must come to an end, and we must return to work. The journey has ended, and everyone in the trip returns to reality. We go back to our duties, studies, and daily routines. Of course, when we return, the environment remains the same; nothing has changed or appears unfamiliar.

However, what has changed is my mindset. I feel that my world has expanded. Every time I travel, it's as if I receive a surge of energy.

It's as if my perspective has shifted since returning. For me, venturing out to new places is a way of rewarding myself. Some might consider it frivolous or wasteful, but I believe that in our one life, we should make the most of our 20,000 days on Earth. Do what makes you happy, as long as it doesn't harm others.

This concludes my review for this trip.

Thank you very much for reading every line of mine.

Thank you to my five fellow travelers.

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for viewing all of our photos.

See you on the next trip. Thank you.