UMPHANG & TEE LOR SU WATERFALL

So it was a case of déjà vu today as we rode back to Tee Lor Su Waterfall headquarters, determined to at least get the 4WD trip out to the actual falls for only 1500 baht, after being quoted a firm 1600 yesterday.  Before we could even begin a bargaining process, a guy that had seen us yesterday came straight over and offered us a 1400bt fare, after seeing us walk away from a deal the day before! 

There was still the 200bt entrance fee for farang, only 20bt for Thai, but we quickly agreed and jumped in his ute, even scoring berths in the cab as we were the only ones going.  This may sound trivial, but it was a rough, rough road in and we were so thankful to be comfortable up front as opposed to being hurled around violently in the steel cage on the back!   After doing it, I'm actually really glad we couldn’t take the bike!

The trip through mountainous jungle took around an hour, and it’s only a 26km journey, before we arrived at the basic ‘grounds’ to start our 2km walk to the falls.  A very easy walk though as it was a concrete path all the way with no major up or downhill sections and we were soon greeted by the sight of the mighty Tee Lor Su falls.

Full credit to the marketing committee, this place did not disappoint and really is an amazing set of falls - misty, thundering, clean water, cascading over a huge mountain peak, splitting into many different sections and smaller yet equally impressive falls, with various ledges and pools all the way up through the lush jungle. The best?  Who knows..  but it is most certainly an amazing place to behold.

From the base we then hiked up the mountain trails to the numerous pools and minor falls, precariously tip toeing across the lip of a few along the way, before finally reaching the ‘main event’ at the top. 

This would have been an incredible spot for a swim – and I honestly tried, going in up to my waist and over ‘my boys’, but it really was just too ridiculously fucken cold to go further.  I would have loved to swim over to where the massive falls were hitting the lagoon, which was literally a pool perched on the side of a  mountain, but I seriously feared I might get hypothermia.

We hung around for a while and only then were there more people starting to show up, we had pretty much the whole place to ourselves since arriving, aside from another Thai couple and their guide..?? (or leery old man peeking through the bushes…??).  We had only arrived in the afternoon too, around 12.30pm, so it pays to get there early/ish I’m guessing.

Same again in reverse, we hiked back down, walked the concrete path, took the rugged jungle ride and were back on the bike, seeking a temple made completely from wood - though never found that and ended up just riding around the mountains until giving up and heading for beer… I mean home!

We  have loved our time here in Umphang, seriously a place you could just hang out in for weeks, and Tee Lor Su is definitely a highlight, but tomorrow we are back on the road, heading to Mae Sot once again for a night and then making our way north along the border, with Chiang Mai roughly in our sights.