It is that time of the year again, when the weather gets so hot that all we want is a refreshing and relaxing place to escape the heat! Mae Sa Waterfall is the place to go to. So, this month, Chang Puak Magazine is taking you to this big, fresh and quiet place, surrounded by nature and yet, at very close distance to center town Chiang Mai.
The Mae Sa Waterfall (Nam Tok Mae Sa) is located in the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. This waterfall is actually a series of 9 or 10 small waterfalls and cascades spaced anywhere between 100m to 500m, apart from each other.
You can reach this beautiful place by driving to Mae Rim and then turning left onto Mae Rim-Samoeng Old Road, on the way to the Botanical Garden. The sign on the road is very well done and you won’t miss this place on your left hand side. You will first drive through a green and refreshing road that will take you to the parking space, then you can walk about 150 meters to the entry of the waterfall.
As you enter the gates leading to the waterfall, you will be able to spot a big signboard with Mae Sae Waterfall written on it. There are huge rocks surrounding the waterfall where you can sit and get yourself soaked in the natural beauty.
The water is very clear plus the place is surrounded by cooling trees so it is the perfect place for a relaxing afternoon. At Mae Sa Waterfall, there are 10 levels and the most interesting ones that we counted were identified as 4-8 as they seemed more photographable as well as possessing some interesting shapes. The different level are called as follow:
1. Pa Lad Waterfall
2. Wang Yao Waterfall
3. Pa Thak Waterfall
4. Wang Sam Muen Waterfall
5. Wang Tao Phrom Ma Waterfall
6. Tad Mei Waterfall
7. Phana Rom Waterfall
8. Pha Ngoeb Waterfall
9. Wat Hang Waterfall
10. Lan Tae Waterfall
Choose your path, take time and cool off in the water when you need to and don’t worry about the walking up, it is definitely doable no matter what shape you are in (about 1.5 kilometer to the top). Just remember that the mud on the path can get slippery when it has rained recently, so walk slowly and be careful on the way up.
Mae Sa Waterfall is popular both among tourists as well as locals, the best time is to go during week days, as it is often more quiet.
On the way back from the waterfall, you can stop at Siam Insect Zoo which includes a large exhibition of insects ranging from caterpillars to beetles and live butterflies. You can also stop at Elephant POOPOOPAPER Park which is a great eco-friendly, naturally built, outdoor museum park that introduces and explains the unique steps involved in making their much talked about paper products from elephant poop fibers! They also have a great coffee place overlooking the park, where we ove to stop by for a drink.
