In the Name of Nature: The Path to Sai Rung Waterfall in Ban Sawang

Today, I am meeting local people in Ban Sawang, a village in Mae Charim District. One of them is Mr Shin, a young man who grew up here and tells me that his family has Tai Lue ancestry.

Ban Sawang is Village No. 10 in Nong Daeng Subdistrict. It lies near the Thai–Lao border in the eastern part of Nan Province, roughly 100 kilometres by road from Nan Town.

A published account from Border Patrol Police School Pheerayanukroh 3 describes Ban Sawang as a Lua community whose ancestors migrated from Ban Sop Mang in Bo Kluea District. Local people also share an oral history that the village was established around 70 years ago by a group of about 100 people who crossed the mountains from Bo Kluea. They walked for around three days and two nights in search of new land.

The Journey to Ban Sawang

The road from Nan Town to Mae Charim District runs beneath the shade of teak trees before climbing into the mountains. When I arrive in Mae Charim, I pick up a member of my Nan Adventure Tour crew. He is also a local person and knows how to keep me safe on this unfamiliar trail.

From Mae Charim, we continue along a remote mountain road with very few other vehicles. Massive mountains rise on both sides, and at different elevations I see deciduous and mixed forests.

As we pass a Hmong community, I notice its houses and the clothing worn by local people. Eight kilometres before Ban Sawang, we turn onto a narrow road that climbs beneath a dense forest canopy. To my right are the high mountains along the border between Thailand and Laos. Ban Sawang lies at the end of this road.

Life in Ban Sawang

Ban Sawang is a small community of around 60 households. Local livelihoods include growing upland rice and coffee, gathering forest products and cultivating other crops.

Since 2017, the Highland Research and Development Institute and its partner agencies have worked with Ban Sawang through a highland development programme based on Royal Project knowledge. The programme has supported occupational development, knowledge transfer and forms of agriculture that are more environmentally friendly. During my visit, I also see crops such as cacao and cool-climate vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots and cabbage.

It is now time to meet the local team who will take us towards the waterfalls.

Meeting Our Local Hiking Team

Mr Shin is around 23 years old, and his close friend is Mr J. They have spent their entire lives in this village and have explored the surrounding forest since childhood.

Their experience comes from a way of life connected with the forest—gathering forest products, fishing and hunting, just as the older generations did.

Their local knowledge is important because this is a new trail for me, but it is part of the landscape in which they grew up.

Reaching the Starting Point

The terrain between the village and the starting point is in very poor condition. We travel there by motorcycle, and the motorcycles need chains fitted to their wheels throughout the journey.

The hiking starting point is quite far from the village. Our first plan is to climb the mountain. On the way back, we will follow the stream downstream.

Much of the forest feels cool, dense and humid. Large trees and their branches cover us almost all the time as we hike. Mosses and ferns are always visible along the trail.

The route is not very steep, but I find it difficult because the trail is slippery and rough, with grass and branches covering parts of the way. At some points, we have to descend, cross the river and climb again. We do this to take a shorter route because the river has many curves.

Where Nature Needs No Decoration

At many points along the trail, I feel as though I have returned to something I had been searching for but could never find in a city. The natural world around me—the sound of the water, the sound of the forest and the sounds of everything around me—makes me forget my exhaustion. The reward I receive from nature cannot be measured in words.

I spend time watching the flowing water, the ferns and the moss clinging to the large trees. The longer I look, the more deeply I fall under nature's spell. Nature arranges itself without any artificial embellishment. The colours of the wildflowers blend harmoniously with the surrounding ecosystem. They are not vivid or showy; they seem mysterious, yet beautiful.

Vines hang from the trees, covered with lichens. They look like giant green swings that I could continue watching without ever growing tired of them.

During the rainy season, leeches are difficult to avoid on mountain trails. They are less troublesome on our return journey because we follow the river.

The First View of Sai Rung Waterfall

After hiking for about one hour and thirty minutes, we begin to hear the powerful sound of Sai Rung Waterfall—its Thai name meaning “Rainbow Waterfall.”

By my estimation, the waterfall is around 16 metres high and 20 metres wide. Everything about it amazes me. Ferns and mosses cling to every small ledge of the waterfall, and yellow flowers grow in some parts of the cliff.

We enjoy swimming and taking photographs. For a while, we allow our emotions to flow with the rainbow in the curtain of rain, where the falling water reflects the sunlight.

I stop and think about how beautiful it is.

Rain Changes Our Lunch Plan

Afterwards, we pack our equipment and look for a place to make a fire and cook. However, the weather does not bring us good luck. Rain begins to fall, so we have to eat the meal from our second plan instead.

Following the Stream to the Second Waterfall

For the return journey, we choose to follow the stream because there is another place where we want to take photographs.

Hiking over the rocks is quite difficult and requires great care in some sections. At certain points, we also have to climb the cliff.

After about another hour, we reach a second waterfall surrounded by walls of massive rock. Finding such an amazing and beautiful place is a wonderful experience.

From there, it takes approximately another 40 minutes to return to the place where we parked the motorcycles.

Returning to Ban Sawang

My crew and I ride back towards the village. Along the way, we stop to take photographs and visit agricultural plots developed by villagers with support from the highland development programme.

We taste fresh fruit, including avocado and passion fruit. After the long hike, the fruit makes me feel refreshed.

A Shared Hope for the Future

It is time to say goodbye to Mr Shin and Mr J. Before leaving, we talk about our hope that the Sai Rung Waterfall hiking trail may one day become an experience for travellers who love nature and want to learn about the local way of life.

I recognise that both young men are capable hikers. They love their home village and, as members of a new generation, have a vision of creating better opportunities by bringing tourism into the community. I can feel the strength of their determination.

After the trip, we exchange our perspectives on several areas that I believe need to be improved: how to organise the hiking group when visitors from outside the area join us, how to put safety measures in place at dangerous points and how to choose routes that are accessible to people who do not yet have hiking experience.

These are the details we discuss so that the mission we share can become a reality.

We share the same philosophy: we want to be a bridge that helps people connect with nature through sustainable tourism.

That is our mission.