Khao Koobp, a high cliff on the Soi Dao mountain range in Chanthaburi. I first heard its name a couple of years ago. Later, I saw more reviews on various websites. The more I saw the pictures, the more I wanted to go. The more I heard the name, the more I trembled. How beautiful it was, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. But as a self-indulgent traveler, a solo traveler who is used to traveling alone, I am afraid to travel with others because I don't want to lose my freedom. This has made me put my hiking plans on hold all the time.


As days turned into weeks, I felt an overwhelming urge to break free from my solitary routine. Coincidentally, while scrolling through social media, I stumbled upon a post inviting people to join a trip to Pha Hin Goob in early April. I took a deep breath and decided to overcome my introverted nature. I quickly replied to the post with a simple yet enthusiastic message: "I'd love to join!" That was the beginning of an unforgettable adventure.

As I mentioned, this trip was a gathering of people who connected through social media. Most of us were strangers, but we were all eager to embark on this adventure together. A group of nine men and seven women, a total of sixteen, were divided into two groups. The first group met at Mo Chit and traveled by van to Chanthaburi. We met up with the other group, who had driven their own cars, at the Ban Tung Phel Forest Protection Unit in the Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary. This was the starting point of our climb to conquer the summit of Pha Hin Goob.

Getting to the Ban Tung Phel Forest Protection Unit is not difficult. If you have a car, you can drive there directly. It is located in Chaman Subdistrict, Makham District, about 40 kilometers from Chanthaburi city. The last section of the road is a dirt road, but it is still passable. If you don't have a car, you can do what our group did: go to the Chanthaburi Bus Terminal. There are two-wheeled vehicles for hire there, which the locals call "Mazda" cars. You can hire one to take you to the Forest Protection Unit. The round-trip fare (from the Bus Terminal to the Unit and back) is 1,400 baht for up to seven people. For more than seven people, there is an additional charge of 200 baht per person. If you don't want to spend that much, you can take a bus to the entrance of Ban Tung Phel village and then try to hitch a ride for another 10 kilometers. However, this is not recommended because there are not many cars passing by. If you're unlucky, you might not be able to get up the mountain at all.

Our group, who traveled by songthaew, arrived at the ranger station at half past nine. It was quite late for a hike. We joined a group of sixteen people who were already waiting. There were experts who could survive in the forest with ease, people who had never been hiking before, and a nineteen-year-old foreigner who had already conquered Everest. As for me, my skills were probably somewhere in the middle.

That wasn't the main concern. What worried me was whether I would have fun, whether I would get along with the others, and whether my strange habits and thoughts would be a problem. However, those fears vanished as soon as I met my fellow travelers. In the end, even though each of us may have had different personalities, habits, preferences, and personal thoughts, when it came to travel, it meant that we all had at least one thing in common. And that was what bound us together so well.

We agreed not to hire porters, each of us carrying our own belongings and sharing our food supplies. After weighing our backpacks, we felt a little discouraged, wondering if we would make it to the destination (laughs...).

This trip has a maintenance fee for the unit and guides. The price is calculated as follows: 1,000 baht per guide for five tourists. If it is necessary to take care of more than five people, an additional 200 baht per person will be charged (similar to the cost of a Mazda car). The number of staff will be allocated by the unit itself according to the appropriateness of each trip. For porters, they charge 1,000 baht per 30 kilograms of weight.


Oh... Pha Hin Goob can be visited all year round, but it is only allowed to go up on Saturdays (even during festivals, it is not allowed to go up if it is not a Saturday). Stay overnight on Saturday and come down on Sunday. This is a fixed program. The number of tourists in all groups is limited to about 30-40 people per time because there is limited accommodation. If you are going with only a few people, it is not difficult to find a group to join. And you should contact to book a quota at least two weeks in advance.

On the day we went, besides our group of sixteen, there was another group from Channel 3 TV. At first, the officials were going to let us go up together, but we waited and waited until we were afraid that it would be too late, so we started walking up first. We started walking up a little after ten o'clock, which was quite late. The officials recommended that we should start walking up around eight or nine in the morning.

Okay, everything is ready, so let's carry our luggage on our backs and go... But why is it so heavy (huh!)

The distance of the trail may vary depending on the information you find on the internet. I will provide the distances based on the signs. The first section is from the ranger station to Ang Beng Waterfall, which is 1.4 km. The second section is from Ang Beng Waterfall to Hin Phai, which is 1.1 km. The third section is from Hin Phai to Hin Paed Liam, which is 1.3 km. The fourth section is from Hin Paed Liam to Hin Laem, which is 1.1 km. The fifth section is from Hin Laem to the cave entrance, which is 1.4 km. And finally, from the cave entrance to Pha Hin Kub, it is no more than 300 meters. In total, the trail is approximately 6.5 kilometers long and is 920 meters above sea level. Along the way, there are three natural water sources where you can refill your water bottles: Hin Phai, Hin Paed Liam, and Pha Hin Kub. Therefore, you don't need to carry a lot of water. One large bottle is enough, and you can refill it along the way. If you are concerned about hygiene, you can bring a portable water filter. If you don't have one, you can use a handkerchief to filter the water.


The first section, from the Ranger Station to Ang Beng Waterfall, is not too challenging, with a gentle incline. You can walk with long strides and laugh with your companions. However, be careful of the thorny rambutan trees. Their spikes are as sharp as fingers, and if you get pricked, you'll definitely scream. Many of us have already bled from them.

After walking for a while, my legs started to feel heavy and my backpack felt like it was going to break my shoulders. The long line of people started to break up into smaller groups: the leaders, the middle group, and the stragglers. I decided to stay in the middle group. No matter how fast I walked, I couldn't catch up to the leaders, but I was still too fast to be in the last group. As I walked, sweat dripped down my face.

After about an hour and twenty minutes, we reached the first major rest stop at Hin Phae. As soon as I took off my backpack, I felt like the world had lifted off my shoulders. The leaders, who had been waiting for a while, immediately continued on their way. From this point, it was another 1.3 kilometers to Hin Paed Luang, and the path started to get steeper. My pace slowed down, and my backpack felt even heavier. We talked less and took more breaks. (Haha...)

The distance was only 1.3 kilometers, but it took me more than two hours to reach the octagonal rock. The leading group was resting and having lunch, waiting for me. The food was simple, things we bought together: sticky rice with pork, grilled chicken, chili paste, bread, and instant noodles. We just ate enough to have energy to continue walking.


During the break at the octagonal rock, the park rangers were talking about how one of the members in the group behind us had gotten a bad case of cramps. We, being our usual mischievous selves, instead of being concerned, burst out laughing until we were in tears. But it was okay because the park rangers were taking care of it.

This octagonal rock is the real highlight, making the previous challenges seem like a mere warm-up. Beyond the octagonal rock, the path ascends and ascends, with many sections exceeding a 45-degree incline. It's no wonder it's so steep, as we were only 300 meters above sea level at the octagonal rock, while the summit is 920 meters above sea level. That means we had to climb over 600 meters in just 3 kilometers. I kept stopping to rest, adopting the "slow and steady" approach of ten steps, then stop, twenty steps, then stop. (laughs) Our clothes were soaked with sweat, and we were all too exhausted to talk. We just focused on breathing!

We stopped at the sharp rock a little after three in the afternoon. Even though we were very tired, it seemed like our bodies were starting to get used to it. We were getting used to this kind of tiredness and heaviness. An hour later, we reached the mouth of the cave, the last stretch before the Goob Cliff. My heart felt inexplicably light. We stopped to take a group photo, all eight of us. Three people had gone ahead, and five were yet to arrive.

From here on, it's just a short distance, the steepest path, but it's like the final curve of a marathon, the last push before the finish line that everyone must have.

And finally, at 4:48 p.m., I stood here taking pictures and shouting out loud that I had arrived. From the last shutter click before walking up at the sign below at 10:12 a.m., it took a total of 6 hours and 36 minutes for me to conquer the Goob Rock. As for the last person who arrived, it was almost dark, taking a new record time according to the officials, which is 8 hours and 20 minutes (lol…). But whether it's slow or fast, in the end, we all made it, including the member who had a cramp.

Camping on the Goob cliffs is not suitable because there is not enough space and it will encroach on the villagers' land. It is more convenient to spread a sheet and sleep in a sleeping bag or tie a hammock. As for the bathroom, there is none, of course. There are only kind officials who have extended the water pipes from the source for drinking and cleaning purposes.

To see the origin of the name "Pha Hin Kup," you have to hike a little further up the hill behind the campsite. The word "Kup" refers to a seat on the back of an elephant (try searching for images on Google). However, it is sometimes used to mean the back of an elephant itself. The "Hin Kup" in question is therefore a rock that resembles the back of an elephant, sloping down on both sides. There are also many other large rocks here. Feel free to climb them wherever you can.

The sky was so beautiful in the late afternoon that we had a great time taking pictures.

We played around taking photos until it got dark, then we all helped to cook dinner. The chefs in this group were all men, haha. I have absolutely no skills in this area, so the best I could do was help shine the light as instructed. We ended up with a simple but special meal: stir-fried vegetables, stir-fried meatballs, omelet, canned fish tom yum, instant noodles, and fried Chinese sausage. Sometimes, enjoying a meal doesn't depend on what we eat, but rather who we eat with and where we eat it. Don't you think so?

Taking turns, we each had two scoops of ice cream, and we were all satisfied with the deliciousness and laughter. We joked and chatted, forgetting that we had only met this morning. As for the fatigue from the climb? It was gone. There was only pure joy and appreciation for everything around us.

As night fell, some gathered around to chat and sip on drinks, while others went to lie down and gaze at the stars. Some, like me, fell fast asleep (haha...). There's a reason I slept so soundly: I was gathering energy before waking up at two in the morning to photograph the Milky Way. It wasn't very clear, but the camera managed to capture it. The lights below on the left are from the Pong Nam Ron district, and on the right is the Makham district.

In the morning, I didn't miss waking up to take pictures of the sunrise. The light wasn't too strong, but it was beautiful. It rose right in front of the side where we were sleeping. Plus, if we waited a little longer, there was a beautiful thin mist floating around for us to enjoy.

Then it was time for breakfast. We made it simple. Luckily, we had a chef in our group. If not, I would recommend instant dried food. After we finished eating, I climbed around looking for beautiful angles to take pictures. The white mist began to float up with the wind, covering the mountain peaks. Our group was in no hurry, taking our time to appreciate the effort it took to get here.

We were satisfied with the trip, so we packed our belongings, cleaned up, collected garbage, extinguished the campfire, cleared the area, and started descending at 10:00 am. The descent was not tiring, but our legs and knees were quite sore. We stopped for lunch and waited for the last person at Hin Phai for almost two hours before finally arriving back at the ranger station at 3:00 pm, marking the end of our trip to conquer Pha Hin Goob.

For me, both the destination and the journey are important. On this trip, I was lucky enough to reach my desired destination, and even luckier to encounter many impressive stories along the way. When I left home, I was alone, but when I returned, I had a large group of fifteen friends. We talked as if we had known each other for years, and I believe that we will have the opportunity to join another trip together in the near future.


My fear of traveling and living among crowds has vanished. Thanks to the fifteen new friends who helped open my heart to realize how wonderful it is to have companions on the journey sometimes...


A Little Knowledge Before Conquering Khao Kooba

  • Khao Kooba is located at the Tung Phel Forest Protection Unit, Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Makham District, Chanthaburi Province. Contact the unit at Tel. 084 864 9357
  • To get to the unit, there are non-scheduled buses available at Chanthaburi Bus Terminal. The round-trip fare (return from the unit to the bus terminal or nearby area) is 1,400 baht for up to seven passengers. For more than seven passengers, an additional 200 baht per person will be charged. For private cars, you can drive directly to the unit.
  • There is a fee of 1,000 baht per officer for the unit and officers to guide you up the mountain. One officer can take care of up to five tourists. If it is necessary to take care of more tourists, an additional 200 baht per person will be charged. Hiring a porter costs 1,000 baht per person, with a weight limit of 30 kilograms.
  • The unit allows tourists to climb the mountain only on Saturdays. Tourists will stay overnight on Saturday and return on Sunday. You can climb the mountain every Saturday throughout the year. The maximum number of tourists allowed to climb at a time is 30. It is recommended to contact the unit in advance to book a climbing date.
  • The trail to the top of the mountain is approximately 6.5 kilometers long and 920 meters above sea level. The trail becomes very steep after the halfway point. It usually takes about 5-7 hours to walk.
  • On Khao Kooba, there is limited accommodation and the strong wind makes it unsuitable for camping. Sleeping in a sleeping bag or hammock is more convenient.
  • Along the trail to the top of Khao Kooba, there are three natural water sources for refilling, including one near the accommodation. It is not necessary to bring a lot of drinking water, but you must prepare all your own food and equipment.

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