Than Sadet

The double booking was a challenge for me, but in the end I found a solution that everyone could live with. The next morning, I went straight to Chaloklum to postpone the booking there by 14 days. The lady of the house wasn't thrilled, but she made the change in her booking book without complaining.

I was relieved and happy, that covered the whole of February and the constant search for accommodation finally came to an end. That's not a situation I like, I need to know where I belong.

I took the opportunity to have breakfast right there. This time I was prepared and brought extra tea bags, which I secretly hung in the teapot. I not only enjoyed the breakfast, but also the wonderful place, only the family's television in the background bothered me, where the younger generation was watching some Thai children's show with a lot of loud squealing and excited high-pitched voices, so I moved to one of the small pavilions outside. There, I could enjoy my breakfast and tea in peace and rest a bit before going on the tour to Than Sadet, which I had postponed from the previous day, where a great waterfall awaited me, at least that's what I had been told.

The drive went through the green hinterland of Koh Phangan. Compared to India, the roads are in fantastic condition, with a few exceptions. To my greatest surprise, they are even illuminated at night. There is very little traffic, even in the island's capital, Thongsala. However, you always have to be alert, because you can still be surprised by suddenly appearing potholes or cracks in the mostly used concrete road surface, albeit very rarely. But the most dangerous thing is the sand washed or blown onto the road by rain or wind, on which you can easily slip. Really dangerous!

I had studied the map beforehand - I'm old-fashioned - and knew that there had to be some smaller connecting roads to the east before reaching Thongsala, which I obviously wanted to avoid. But finding these connections was not easy at all, as there was not a single sign anywhere. I had no choice but to follow my inner compass and intuition, and with the help of helpful Thai residents, I actually found the right road and bypassed Thongsala.

I went up into the mountains again, I had already driven the same road a few days ago with Darshi when we wanted to go to Thong Nai Phan and turned back due to the weak engine of our scooter.

But this time I was riding a stronger machine, which only had to carry half the weight, so the uphill sections were easy to handle. Unfortunately, I had to keep my attention focused on the road, so I only got a glimpse of the magnificent nature around me, dense green forest with mighty trees. This time, I didn't stop at the Viewpoint Bar and not at the elephants either. I had set off late and, if time allowed, I might visit Thong Nai Pan after the waterfalls.

After a pompous roundabout in this completely uninhabited area, I was prompted to turn off by large signs. After a few kilometers, I came across a small hut with a makeshift sign announcing the way to the waterfall. I stopped and doubted whether the small path through the forest could actually be the way to the most famous and largest waterfall on Koh Phangan. Nevertheless, I parked the scooter and started walking. Before that, a friendly old man in the hut had tried to sell me a banana. It dawned on me that he was the one who made and hung up this sign to earn some baht at the famous waterfall, and this certainly was not the normal way there. Of course, I couldn't be sure, so despite my doubts, I ventured onto the path, which was only supposed to be 100 meters. After just a few steps, I could already hear the sound of rushing water. I had to climb over rocks and tree roots to reach the water. What I saw confirmed my suspicion, this was not the famous waterfall. I must have been far above the falls. Here, a mountain stream simply rushed down the slope between rocks, which is why I quickly made my way back.

The road continued downhill to a suddenly appearing barrier that restricted access to the Than Sadet National Park. The entrance fee was 100 baht, about 3 €. I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest that for a waterfall that possibly had hardly any water, which was likely at this time of year. But when I heard that there should also be a beach there, I reached into my pocket and paid the money. A beach always sounds tempting.

The road continued downhill towards the sea, I ignored a sign for another waterfall and soon reached the lower level. I parked the scooter at the end of the road, although an unpaved path led further into the unknown, but the waterfall must be here. I took a few steps down the path and saw the flowing water just a few meters to my right in a clearing. I continued and realized that the water collected in a small lake before continuing towards the sea. I only saw the actual waterfall when I was almost at the lake. It wasn't really impressive, although the water rushed loudly over mighty rocks but barely dropped 2 meters in height. It was similar to further up, more like a mountain stream flowing down a rocky riverbed, but here at the bottom, the river, if I may call it that, cascaded over a few rocks one last time before flowing into the lake. It was a beautiful sight, beautiful nature, but not a waterfall in my understanding. I watched a young tourist next to me, the only one here, who had positioned his camera with a tripod on a rock at the lower lake and now posed for selfies on the rocks further upstream. He triggered the shutter with his mobile phone, a remote control!

I also took a few photos, but quickly, because the place didn't inspire me much, exchanged a few words with the young man as fellow hobby photographers, and made my way back to my scooter when I saw other tourists coming from the sea and asked them if the beach was beautiful, which they confirmed enthusiastically.

After the somewhat disappointing waterfall, I got back on my scooter and continued on the unpaved road towards the sea. A path that I wouldn't regret.

After just a few meters, I reached the end of the road, parked the scooter and walked from the back into a creepy and dark beach bar. It was almost entirely made of naturally twisted branches, which at first glance looked makeshift and not very trustworthy, but on the other hand required a lot of skill. The branches probably beat here on site also explained the low ceiling of the hut, which is why very little light fell into the dining area, which was open on 3 sides. Room is actually the wrong term, as there were no walls, only uncut branches that supported a roof. Tables and chairs were simply placed in the sand, and in the farthest corner, there was a huge pile of meat, regularly breathing calmly. A black-pink pig of enormous dimensions!

I walked through the darkness out into the light, where a beautiful beach revealed itself to me. It wasn't very big, maybe 200-250 meters, slightly curved and framed by wooded rocks that flowed into the sea like outstretched arms, as if the beach wanted to lovingly receive the regularly and calmly arriving shallow waves.

If it wasn't for the coarse-grained sand like in Mae Haad and a large sign warning of poisonous jellyfish, this would be the perfect beach. I hadn't expected that here. I walked past the sign, which also gave first aid instructions in case of contact with such a jellyfish. I was drawn to the huts and bungalows built in an adventurous way on the steep slope. They overlooked both the beach and the sea and must offer a fantastic view. Long stilts made of branches supported the far-reaching verandas, breathtaking construction. A narrow opening between two large rocks opened a narrow and low passage to a path paved with natural stone further back. But first, I had to let a few Thai or Myanmar women go first. The cleaning crew naturally had the right of way, and the three of them thanked me with a friendly smile for my patience.

Bent over, I slipped through the low opening between the rocks and came out onto the really elaborate path between the rocks, which continued between the sea and the slope. Bungalow after bungalow lined the slope side. Each one daringly stretched out towards the sea over the slope. It must be adventurous to live here, with a fantastic view of the open sea, but also very secluded and lonely.

I was amazed by the many bungalows here and the enormous effort put in by the builder, but I didn't continue along the path, ignored the sign pointing to a higher-lying restaurant, and made my way back to the beach. I also decided against exploring the other corner of the beach or taking a swim - I didn't feel like making acquaintance with these jellyfish. Instead, I got back on my scooter and continued my journey towards Thong Nai Pan. It was already quite late, but I still wanted to take a look at this beautifully titled beach now that I was in this very remote area.

The road there was only completed relatively recently, before that the beach could only be reached by boat. After a few kilometers, I could already see the place, but just before that, I turned off to the neighboring beach Thong Nai Pan Noi, so to speak a small offshoot. The place was quickly reached and wasn't that unsympathetic. The only fairly narrow street wound its way through the town in several curves, dotted with restaurants, cafes, and shops, all close together. The passage through the town reminded me a little of Agonda in Goa, but not quite as simple and straightforward, but more elaborate and modern. However, most of the shops were closed and I couldn't find much signs of life. I only briefly looked at the beach itself. It was relatively large, but didn't leave a special impression on me, everything was built up.

Without spending much time here, I hurried to catch a glimpse of the main beach. It was slightly larger, wide, and several modern motorboats were anchored here, suggesting a lot of money and expensive resorts. I didn't like the place at all, so I immediately made my way back to Mae Haad. I was already running late, I could already feel the coolness on the scooter, so I didn't let myself be distracted or held back and drove straight home. Despite the rush, I still made sure not to rush, because that leads to accidents quickly. It was already dusk when I finally arrived back in Mae Haad, tired but with many lasting impressions.