Waterfalls below the Khao Yai hills
Nakhon Nayok is a small province northeast of Bangkok, sitting below the southern edge of the Khao Yai range. It has long been a weekend escape for people from the capital: green, quieter than the coast, with rivers running down from the mountains. The best-known stops are the waterfalls, Sarika and Nang Rong among them, and the Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam, whose wide reservoir and long dam wall are popular for photos and a slow walk. Along the rivers you find garden cafés, riverside restaurants and small resorts. Some visitors come for river rafting or a picnic by the water, others simply for the cooler air and the green.
Coming from the beach towns, it feels like a different country, which is the point. A Van Pattaya to Nakhon Nayok trip trades sea views for forest and cool fresh water for a day or two.
Choosing two or three stops, not six
Expect around three hours on the road each way, depending on your route and stops. That makes a same-day return a long day, so it helps to pick two or three places rather than trying to see everything. A night at a riverside resort turns it into a much gentler trip, and you get to see the river early in the morning, when it is cool and quiet. Either way, list the stops in order in our trip planner or simply send them on WhatsApp, and we quote the whole plan, including any waiting time, in chat before you go.
- Pack swimwear, a towel and shoes with grip for wet rocks
- Bring a change of clothes for the ride home
- Start early so the falls come before the afternoon heat or rain
- Check that the places you want are open on your date before you set off
Wet towels, picnic boxes and room for everyone
Nature days come with gear. The Toyota Commuter van has nine seats and space for eight bags, so the cool box, the picnic bags and a stroller go in the back without anyone holding them on their lap. For two to four people a sedan or SUV is plenty, and an SUV handles the hill roads up to the dam comfortably. Whatever you choose, the price covers the whole vehicle with tolls and fuel, and the van Pattaya to Nakhon Nayok fare is agreed in chat before you leave, so there is nothing to work out at the end of a long, muddy, happy day. You pay the driver in cash afterwards, with no deposit.
Going in the rainy season? The waterfalls are at their fullest then, but paths get slippery and some areas can close after heavy rain. In the dry months the falls are gentler and the dam and the cafés take centre stage. Whatever the season, it is easy to change the order of the stops on the day once you see the weather.