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Bang Pae and Ton Sai waterfalls are located in the
Khao Phra Thaeo National Park
in the east of Phuket. The park itself is the last
vestige of virgin tropical forest on the island and
is home to many exotic animals such as barking deer
and various types of monkeys as well as many tropical
birds.
Bang Pae
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| Bang
Pae Waterfall |
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Bang Pae is Phuket's biggest waterfall. To get there,
take the east turn off the Heroine's Monument roundabout
on the island's main artery, Thepkasattri Road, and
head towards the national park. Follow this road for
about nine kilometres until you reach an elephant
camp then turn left.
The park is signposted and from there you drive through
rubber plantations that frame the road perfectly to
a parking lot that is also used by the Gibbon Rehabilitation
centre (also worth a visit). The sound of the gibbons
through the jungle is eerie.
Even though they are kept in cages, humans are not
allowed to go very close to them. Just by the rehabilitation
centre is a sign saying "No Food and Drink allowed
around the Waterfall Please." Pass the restaurants
and food stalls and follow the trail for 10 minutes
and you will soon come to the waterfall. Entrance
to the National Park for foreigners is 200 baht.
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| Fun
for the whole family |
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Keep the ticket; you may need it later if you visit
the other waterfall at the park. The trail heading
through the jungle is 'helped along' by some concrete
reinforcements but you still have to duck under fallen
tree trunks and although you don't have to swing like
Tarzan from creeper-to-creeper, it still is physically
demanding.
By international standards, Bang Pae is quite a small
affair, but visitors appreciate the cool water and
shade and use the site as a picnic place, as well
as enjoying a meal at the restaurants near the car
park and by the lake, as well as outside the gates.
In the rainy season this 10-metre high waterfall is
quite precipitous but if you visit from December to
May it slows down a little yet you still can 'go native'
and take a refreshing dip in one of its drop pools
or at the main drop itself. It's best to wear good
shoes as the path can be slippery and if you expect
to be there late afternoon take mosquito repellent
as the jungle is quite dense.
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