Five days in Umphang, where I enjoyed a very scenic cruise along the Mae Klong River and an overnight trekking tour to Thee Lor Su Waterfall, Thailand’s most majestic waterfall.

Itinerary Overview

Travel date — 2012

Itinerary Notes & Tips

Day 1

• 10:00am – check out

Chiang Mai to Mae Sot

• Charter Rod Daeng (Red Truck) to Arcade Bus Terminal – B50

• Arrival at Arcade Bus Terminal
• Breakfast food shop
  • Hainanese chicken rice – B40
  • Iced coffee at “Miracle Coffee” stall – B35
•  Buy bus ticket to Mae Sot via “Green Bus” – B257

• 12:00nn – Bus arrived at the terminal. Departure from Chiang Mai
  • 1:37pm – Short stop over at Lamphan bus terminal

• 6:00pm – Arrival at Mae Sot (New) Bus Terminal
  • Ask information office about transport to Mae Sot Town Center
• Walk from Mae Sot (New) Bus Terminal to Mae Sot Town Center
  • Motorcycle taxi was B50 but I decided to walk since the town center seemed very close looking at my map.

Mae Sot hostel search

• Check-in at Ban Thai Guest House. single fan room – B150

Around Mae Sot

• Buy plastic rain coat – B97

• Dinner
  • Big breaded chicken leg, rice (2 cups) – B60

Day 2

• 8:00am – Breakfast at food shop near Ban Thai Guest House
  • Pork curry with rice and egg – B25
    • Delicious and cheap!

• 9:15am – check-out

Mae Sot to Umphang

• Ride tuktuk to Umphang songtaew parking area – B40

• Board Umphang-bound songthaew. Wait for more passengers.

• 11am to 3:30pm (4 hours and 30 minutes) – Ride Mae Sot to Umphang songtaew – B120
  • 11am – Departure from Mae Sot
  • 3:30pm – Arrival at Umphang

Umphang hostel search

• Check-in at Umphang House
  • Fan bungalow with double bed (Private TB; Free WIFI) – B500

Thee Lor Su camping tour search

• Book a river raft cruise, trek, and camping tour to Thee Lor Su Waterfall with Umphang House for the next day.
  • Fortunately, there was a group of 5 who also had the same plan as me.
  • I checked one other tour operator aside from Umphang House. The other one did not have a tour planned and it would’ve been a lot more expensive if I went on with the tour by myself.

• Visit Buddhist Temple

• Early dinner at Paula’s Corner Pizza and more (beside the temple)
  • Schnitzel with mashed potatoes – B150

Day 3

Thee Lor Su Camping Tour

• All transportation, food, water, camping equipment and guides were provided by the tour operator.

• Ride pick-up from hostel to riverside for the river raft cruise
• Rafting cruise along the Klong River
  • The river was mostly calm with very few weak rapids and no moderate or strong ones.
  • Sai Rung Waterfall
  • Picnic lunch beside a limestone cliff / cave found deep within the jungle
• Trek from riverside to Thee Lor Su visitor center
• Overnight camping at Thee Lor Su visitor center
  • Picnic dinner
  • Sleep at Thee Lor Su visitor center

Day 4

Thee Lor Su Camping Tour

• Short trek from Thee Lor Su visitor center to Thee Lor Su Waterfall

• Stopover at Thee Lor Su Waterfall

• Ride pick-up from visitor center to riverside
  • Not provided by the tour operator. We had to convince another group, which rented the pick-up, to let us hitch so we don’t have to trek our way back.
• Rafting cruise along the Klong River to another point that was more accessible to the main road
• Pick-up ride back to Umphang village center

Umphang Village

• Stroll around Umphang village

• Sleep at Umphang House

Day 5

Umphang to Mae Sot to Tak

• 6:30am – Check-out at Umphang House

• Ride songthaew from Umphang to Mae Sot – B120
• Drop off at Mae Sot City Center
  • Should’ve dropped off at the terminal beside the market, where shuttle vans to Tak were stationed. Unfortunately, I didn’t know and dropped way past, so I had to ride a tuktuk back – B30

• Ride shuttle van from Mae Sot to Tak – B88

• Arrival at Tak Bus Terminal
• Lunch at Tak Bus Terminal
  • Fried rice with chicken – B30