Phu Sang National Park is situated in Phayao Province of northern Thailand, about 20 km south of the renown Phu Chi Fa National Park. It is a part of the Phi Pan Nam Mountain Range defining Thailand’s border with Laos. It features lush mountains; scenic lakes and rivers sources; caves with stalactites and stalagmites; picturesque villages and temples; and the unique warm-water Phu Sang Waterfall. We chose this place as the first destination on our 3-day motorbike-camping trip around Phayao Province.
We arrived in Phu Sang National Park early in the afternoon, after an 80 km ride from Chiang Rai via Ban Don and Thoeng. We stopped briefly in the village of Ban Nong Lao to get food and water supplies for our upcoming night camping in the mountains. It was the time of the 2020 Coronavirus lockdown and the village felt rather deserted. There were no restaurants open; several of the shops were, however, under-operating. We stopped at one of them and got water and some comestibles.
We drove further and, about 3 km after the village, we reached the Phu Sang Waterfall. This is located right beside the road at 19.6632, 100.3766. Not surprisingly, we found the place closed. The office was shut and the site of the waterfall fenced. A group of folks were present, ruling out the possibility of trespassing. The good thing: we could at least take a glimpse and some pictures of the falls over the fence.
We continued, following the road 1093 up the mountain. Far-fledged views of valleys and mountaintops began stretching out in the distance. We drove past the village of Ban Huak and headed further up close to the ridge in search of a good camping spot. It proved a little hard at first, given that the vegetation was pretty dense and the ground inclined allover, but we finally found our ideal spot. This was situated right on the east-to-west ridge defining the border between Phayao and Chiang Rai provinces. Off a sharp right curve (coordinates: 19.7099, 100.3842), we turned left on a narrow trail moving uphills along the ridge: not the kind of path one should drive on a scooter, but showing some will and a little persistence…
We drove about 200 meters until we reached our ideal spot: a narrow, open patch of meadow right on the ridge. We found a reasonably smooth piece of ground, right beside a bamboo cluster that would shelter us from the sun in the morning, and pitched our tent. The sky had been overcast throughout the whole day so far, but right on cue, the west cleared up briefly and the sun bathed our little spot with warmth and light. After a long pleasant afternoon of doing little, it was then dark. We perched inside the tent, well sheltered from the mosquito armies, and, relieved from the sweltering heat of the lowlands, indulged in a long sleep.
We got up late next morning to witness a lovely sunny day. We packed slowly and headed back down the same way we’d come up. We remained on road 1093 for about 8 km after Ban Nong Lao. Shortly before the village of Ban Sa, we took a left on a small straight road (cooridnates: 19.6042, 100.4035) leading to Wat Phrathat Khun Bong Temple. This is a pretty graceful hilltop temple roosted amid thick greenery: a nice place for a peaceful stroll and some good views of the plains below.
Next, we headed down, right below the temple hill, where a scenic lake is located. We sat on a little kiosk erected beside the shore and got to enjoy the serenity of the place for a bit.
By noontime, we were on our way to Doi Phu Nang National Park.
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