With limited time and budget, a budget-friendly trip was planned. The goal was to camp and enjoy the scenery with minimal crowds, especially during the holiday season. Based on a recommendation, Tad Mok National Park was chosen as it is less crowded. The trip expenses included only gas and minimal food costs.

This trip will take place on December 10-11, 2016.

Rough trip schedule

Day 1: Visit the sunflower field and set up camp at the Stargazing Platform. In the morning, go swimming at Tad Morakot Waterfall. On the way back, stop by the Kok Slung Floating Train Station in Lopburi. Then, everyone goes their separate ways.

All photos were taken with a Nikon D5300 18-140 and a GoPro Hero 4 Silver.

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I set off on my journey early Saturday morning. I attended a wedding first, and by the time I was able to leave, it was almost 11 am. However, the other members of the group had already set up camp at Takhian Ngoh the previous night, so we arranged to meet at Tad Mok.

Due to the three-day long weekend, it was already 1 pm by the time we braved the traffic to reach Lopburi. Since we were already running late, we decided to make a quick stop. The sunflowers were starting to wilt.

Leaving the sunflower field, we headed straight to Tad Mok National Park. Many people may not know this, but there are many camping spots in Phetchabun. However, most people tend to flock to Khao Kho and Thap Berk. Of course, I've been there four times already (haha). So this time, I decided to change things up. This park is located on the right side if you're coming from Bangkok, before the entrance to the city center. It's easy to get to.

Upon arrival, we paid the entrance and camping fees and rushed to the stargazing platform. Initially, the staff was hesitant to allow us entry due to the large crowd and a planned cycling event scheduled for the following day. Fortunately, we had arrived from the campsite in the afternoon, enabling us to access the platform.

We have arrived at the parking lot next to the camping ground. It's just a short walk. The number of tents, as mentioned by the staff, is not more than 20. Most of them seem to be groups.

The space is quite spacious. Today's tents are not crowded at all compared to other long weekends. However, there is still plenty of room to pitch tents, but no one is coming and the groups are just choosing the edges.

We arrived at the first set in the afternoon, but we were able to get a spot on the edge of the cliff. At night, the wind was strong and the street lights were beautiful. Unfortunately, on the day we went, there was a lot of white fog, so the view might be a bit blurry.

The sun will set soon after arriving.

This is the activity area. There will be a cycling event tomorrow to welcome the cool weather. Even though there is an event, there are not many people yet. My friend who came here before on a normal Saturday or Sunday said that he didn't dare to sleep here because there was no one around. 555

The bathroom is located right next to the parking lot. I forgot to take a picture, but it was in good condition and even had a bidet. However, I'm not sure if it was clean because of the event the next day. My brother said that there might not be any water on some days if it's not a holiday with tourists. But on the day I went, there was water available all the time, which was great.

After setting up the tent and building a fire, it was time for a delicious hotpot on the mountain. The cool, crisp air and the steaming hotpot were a perfect combination, enjoyed with stunning views.

As dusk settles, the streetlights illuminate the surroundings.

At 8 p.m., everyone had to put on a jacket because the wind was strong and it was very cold. We talked until after 10 p.m. and then went to sleep. This time, we met all good-natured tourists, and there were no loud groups. Many groups were still awake but talking quietly. That night, we slept very comfortably. The atmosphere was perfect, and it was cold enough to snuggle up in our sleeping bags and stay warm.

Woke up early at 6 am to watch the sunrise.

No sign of the sea of mist, but I knew last night that with such strong winds, we wouldn't see it.

Wash your face and brush your teeth, or don't brush your teeth, and get ready to eat breakfast. This morning, I can finally see the view clearly.

This morning's breakfast will consist of instant noodles with leftover bacon from last night's hotpot.

"Delicious! 555 I don't know why, but whenever I go hiking in the forest or mountains in the morning, I always crave instant noodles. The hot steam battling the cold air is just perfect."

The view is beautiful and the air is cool.

Today is a busy day for cycling. Those who start late will have to ride until the end of the event, like me. 555 No worries, let's wait and see how the other cyclists do first.

Relaxing vibes.

Or crush each other until the end.

The announcer's commentary was incredibly entertaining, resembling the lively atmosphere of a long-tail boat race.

After waiting for all the cyclists to arrive, it was finally time for us to descend. It was almost noon, so we took a group photo.

Sign in before entering the waterfall.

There is a beautiful and large waterfall inside, but it takes a long time to walk there. We arrived at noon, so we didn't go in to take pictures around here.

Uh-huh.

As we arrived late and wanted to take it easy on this trip, we decided not to venture far and instead played in the waterfall near the entrance. Let me tell you, the water was freezing! Even just dipping my feet in while squatting sent shivers down my spine.

The eel is slowly being speared.

To cool down, you need to immerse yourself in cold water.

This is an artificial waterfall. The water flows down and they used cement to create the waterfall layers. There are visible iron rods, so children should be careful when playing.

Guaranteed to keep you cool.

Sleep comfortably in your chest.

It's late afternoon, time to go home.

Capturing a final photo with the black Vios in Loei before parting ways. Three other cars will be making the journey back to Bangkok. These are performance-oriented vehicles with minimal tire wear, primarily driven on forest roads and mountain passes. The urge to switch from a Vios to a V-Cross is strong, enabling more adventurous off-road explorations.

On the way back, stop by the sunflower field, which can be found along the Lopburi road.

The final destination of this trip was the sunset at the Kok Sung floating train station. We arrived at around 5:30 pm, just as the light was perfect.

Exquisitely beautiful in the evening light.

There is still some light on this side.

A tale of a love triangle.

The train is coming.

Waiting for the train.

The light is really beautiful.

It arrived around 6 pm.

The sound of a loud horn.

This train is incredibly fast! It arrived so quickly that I barely had time to take a picture before it sped past.

Gone in a blink of an eye.

They're gone.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, we departed from Khok Salung just as darkness fell. We made a quick journey home, arriving before it got too late. It was a fun and enjoyable getaway, and most importantly, it was very affordable.

This trip only cost 800 baht for gas.

The cost of dinner, breakfast, and lunch for two people was 300 baht each, and then there was another dinner. Everyone had a happy trip.

Stay tuned for our next travel adventure! We'll let you know where we're headed soon.