Erawan National Park is one of the most visited parks in Thailand, attracting crowds of domestic and overseas tourists each year. Located close to Kanchanaburi, it’s an easy day trip from town and an excellent option for families who fancy some exercise, swimming and jungle-time.
Famous for its seven-tiered limestone waterfalls, it’s an ideal place for kids to explore. At each level you can splash around in the waterfalls before deciding whether to continue, so it offers a flexible visit for families. The footpath around the lower section is fairly easy, but the trail becomes steeper the higher you climb.
How to get to Erawan National Park
Erawan National Park is 70km northwest of Kanchanaburi, just over an hour’s drive away. Every hotel and travel agency in town will try to sell you a day trip, but they’re usually in a group, squeezed into a minivan.
A better option for families is to arrange your own private songthaew (a large tuk-tuk), then you’re more in control of your itinerary, plus it’s way more fun this way. Every songthaew driver in town can offer you the tour, and you should expect to pay around THB900 for the entire trip.
At the park gates, you pay the entry fee (adults THB300, kids aged 3-14 THB150), plus TH30 for the vehicle. All of this is done from the comfort of the songthaew.
From there, you continue to the enormous main car park, giving an indication of how popular and busy this national park can be at peak times.
What to bring with you
There are a few shops selling essential items near the entrance gate, but it’s best to bring everything you might need with you. Our driver kindly brought an ice-box and cold drinks from Kanchanaburi for us to have, but this might not always be the case.
You should bring with you:
- swim costume / trunks
- aqua shoes
- travel towel
- water (there are no food and drink stalls after waterfalls 1 and 2)
- mosquito repellent
- hats and sunglasses
- some cash
The Seven Waterfalls hike
After entering the park gates, you’ll cross a couple of service roads and begin the walking trail. At this point, it’s still flat but there is the option to hire a golf buggy up to the first two waterfalls (THB20), which is about 700m.
As this is the start of the walk though, assuming you all have a decent level of fitness, we’d suggest ignoring the golf carts and get the kids walking. You’ll all appreciate the chance to stretch your legs after the drive, and there’s plenty of chance to relax and chill out at the first four waterfalls.
Most visitors stay at the lower tiers, with waterfalls 1 and 2 the most popular. From this point, a series of well-maintained steps winds up through the jungle towards the higher waterfalls. You’ll need to judge the fitness of your family to decide how high to climb. The trail is well-signposted throughout and easy to follow, but you’ll need a moderate level of fitness, and there’s nowhere to buy food or drink.
We split into two groups: the youngest (aged 10) was happy exploring the lower pools, while our older one (aged 12) climbed to the very top and was still full of energy when we got back to the lower tiers.
Don’t forget the lifejackets
Almost everyone takes at least a quick dip in the waterfalls and surrounding pools, so remember to collect lifejackets near waterfalls 1 and 2. You must wear a lifejacket and the rules are strictly enforced at levels 1 – 4 (less so higher up, but the pools are shallower here).
There’s a THB20 fee per lifejacket, operated by an overly-complicated coupon system (queue at one desk to pay and receive a coupon, then queue again to exchange coupon for lifejacket).
Technically there’s a two-hour rental period, but this wasn’t enforced (nor was it clear how it could be, as you just return your lifejacket to the hangers after use with no-one checking how long you rented for).
Swimming at the waterfalls
We were visiting on a weekend, so the first two waterfalls were exceptionally busy, full of local families with mats spread across the rocks, picnics laid out, and kids filling every inch of the water. These are also busier as they’re the ones that can be accessed by the golf buggies.
The local families looked to be having a brilliant time, but we continued on to the next tiers in the hope of finding a bit more space.
Waterfall 4 was the highlight for our boys, with two large boulders providing natural slides into the pool. Lifeguards are on duty but they didn’t look overly engaged: parents should stay close to the water and keep an eye on the kids. If they’re anything like ours, huge amounts of time and energy will be expended sliding into the water, swimming back to the exit point, climb over the boulders, and repeat.
Waterfall 3 was also great fun, where you can stand beneath the falling water and splash in the shallow pool.
The higher levels were less suited to swimming as the pools are shallower and slightly difficult to access in places. More a case of dipping your toes in and cooling down than having a long swim.
Do note there are fish in the pools and they’ll sometimes nibble your feet. It’s very gentle, more of a kiss than a bite, but if you keep moving they’ll take the hint and leave you alone.
How much time you should allow
It’s a hot day at Erawan National Park and your kids might get tired after a while, especially as (apart from the rocks) there isn’t really anywhere comfortable to recuperate.
We spent around three to four hours here and were happy to head back to Kanchanaburi by that stage.
Eating and drinking
There is no food or water beyond the Waterfalls 1 and 2 area, so take enough supplies with you, especially if heading to Level 7. Afterwards, there are food stalls outside the main gate by the car park, but you’re better off waiting to eat back in Kanchanaburi if possible.
Final thoughts on visiting Erawan Waterfall
Erawan is a beautiful national park, and its proximity to the ever-popular Kanchanaburi makes it a highly recommended day trip for families.
The hiking trail is enough of a challenge for older kids, allowing them to explore the rainforest and get a sense of achievement. For younger kids, the waterfalls are hugely enjoyable and make a brilliant natural theme park.
It can get very busy here, especially at weekends or on public holidays. If possible, get an early start from Kanchanaburi and visit on a weekday, when you’ll find the whole park noticeably quieter and more relaxing.
