Following a previous review of Doi Mon Jong, I found myself yearning for the mountains again within a month. Initially, I had planned to conquer Khao Chang Puak, but the park announced its closure on January 11-12, 2017. Consequently, I opted for San Nok Wua instead. However, just 2-3 days after booking San Nok Wua, the park reopened Khao Chang Puak. Oh well, I thought, San Nok Wua it is.

General Information on San Nok Wua

Khao San Nok Wua is the highest peak within Khao Laem National Park, Sangkhla Buri District, Kanchanaburi Province, with an elevation of approximately 1,767 meters above sea level. The summit of this mountain resembles a hump on the back of a cow, hence the name "Khao San Nok Wua," which translates to "Cow Hump Mountain."

For further inquiries and to book a trip to Khao San Nok Wua, please contact Khao Laem National Park at 034510431 or 0892287612. You can also follow their Facebook page for updates: Khao Laem National Park.

Expenses per person (5 people)

  • Accommodation at Baan Kering Kiewia, Khao Laem National Park: 1200 baht (240 baht per person)
  • Guide fee: 1000 baht (200 baht per person)
  • Porter fee (1 porter for 30 kg): 1400 baht (280 baht per person)
  • Transportation to and from the trailhead: 1000 baht (200 baht per person)
  • National park entrance fee: 40 baht per person
  • Camping fee on the mountain: 30 baht per person
  • Food for 3 meals (lunch/dinner/breakfast): 240 baht per person
  • Fuel and gas: 1200 baht (240 baht per person)
  • Other meal expenses not included in the mountain ascent/descent days: 530 baht

A total of 2,000 baht exactly.

Day One

We traveled from Bangkok to stay at Baan Kering Kraweea in Khao Laem National Park (book park accommodation at http://nps.dnp.go.th/).

Approximately 12 kilometers from the Pi Fort and the Khao Laem National Park headquarters, we arrived at our accommodation around 5 pm. After contacting the park rangers and settling into our lodgings, we informed them of our intention to hike to the San Nok Wua ridge the following day. In response, the rangers offered to take our breakfast and lunch orders for the trek, which they would deliver the next morning. Initially, we had planned to purchase food at the Pi Fort, but we found the rangers' service to be very convenient.

Before anything else, let's greet the homeowner first. They welcomed us warmly. 55+

Following the activity, the group headed out for dinner. The staff recommended Krua Lung Lek restaurant, which was about 2 kilometers back on the road they had come from.

The food is quite flavorful.

Then return home to rest and prepare for tomorrow's challenges.

Day Two

Waking up to the fresh air outside, it's not quite cold, just a little chilly.

Encountered the owner's mischievous little child.

After showering, packing, and having breakfast at 7:30, the staff delivered rice to our accommodation. With our energy replenished, we headed to Pom Pi (tourists who want to climb San Nok Wua must register at Pom Pi, not at Khao Laem National Park).

Please contact the officer and register at Pom Pi.

Carrying our luggage to be weighed, for this trip we hired 1 porter.

Tourists who have not prepared lunch can purchase or prepare food at the Phi fortress. Don't forget to bring a bottle of water each.

The porter is tying up the luggage. In fact, there is another tent, a large throw-type tent. It will be a bit difficult for the porter to carry.

It was time. The officers called them to get in the car, and the officers led the way.

Our guide for this trip was a volunteer named P'Ek, also known as Kru Ek. He took care of us throughout the 2-day, 1-night trip. P'Ek was more than just a guide; he was like a fellow traveler, taking excellent care of us. Many people who met P'Ek commented that he looked like P'Toon from Bodyslam. 55+

As we were nearing the starting point of our hike, everyone started asking about the pop-up tent. It turned out that we had forgotten it at the ranger station. We were worried about where we would sleep that night. Ek, our guide, assured us that he would have a ranger deliver it to us at the campsite. He made it sound easy, but we wondered how long it would take the ranger to hike up to us. Ek suggested that we offer the ranger a small tip as a gesture of appreciation. We agreed, relieved that we wouldn't have to sleep under the stars.

And here we are at the starting point of the hike. Let's take a quick picture.

Our trek began around 9:15 AM. The initial section of the trail traversed through dense forest, obscuring views of the surrounding landscape. The dense canopy provided welcome shade, mitigating the heat. Cellular reception varied across the trail, with different carriers experiencing signal strength in different sections.

"Don't worry, it's not too tiring at the beginning," Ek said. "It's mostly downhill with a few short uphill sections. I'll let you know when we're nearing the peak so you can prepare yourself."

The first rest stop was reached shortly after.

We continued walking. P'Ek told us that there would be cameras following the lives of wild animals along the way. If we saw any, we should just walk past them, but we couldn't help but smile at the cameras. Haha. And this is P'Ek's face.

At the second rest stop, we were already panting and thirsty. P'Ek said we would have lunch at the fifth rest stop.

Keep walking.

After passing the third rest stop, you will encounter a tree with what appears to be vines wrapped around it, creating an unusual sight.

We arrived at the rest stop before ascending the "Dog Retreat Slope," the peak of the hike according to Ek. We took a moment to gather ourselves before continuing. Ek advised us to secure our backpacks to prevent them from swinging, as it could hinder our progress on this section of the trail.

We barely made it over the steep hill, feeling utterly exhausted. After a short break, we reached our lunch spot around noon. We refueled with the sticky rice and pork we had brought along.

Continuing on, after this lunch break point, the trail will follow the mountain ridge, where it may be sunny and hot.

Let's continue walking.

It didn't take long to reach the campsite, a total of 5 hours of walking. Upon arrival, P'Ek had to walk back to find the officer who was carrying the tent for us, almost all the way back to the lunch spot. Thank you so much, P'Ek!

There were many campsites to choose from, so we asked the owner, Mr. Ek, for a spot with minimal wind. We were worried about the cold and the wind blowing against the tent, which would make it difficult to sleep. Mr. Ek kindly accommodated our request and helped us set up our tents and camp.

Taking a walk around to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The view is stunning, with a view of the Vajiralongkorn Dam. P'Ek also said that you can see Sangkhla Buri as well.

Melt after each other.

Let's take a group photo.

He said that on the ridge of the mountain, there is a spring with drinkable water. The porters will be the ones to fetch it for us. So, I followed the porters to see it. It is about 500 meters away from the campsite. This is the spring that they have collected for us to drink.

In the evening, the peddler would prepare dinner and light a fire to cook rice.

After watching the sunset, we sat down to skewer mushrooms with bacon and pork marinated in garlic and pepper, preparing to grill and fry them.

It's time to watch the sunset. Today, we will watch the sunset at Nok Lek, and tomorrow we will watch the sunrise at Nok Yai. The walking distance from the tent to Nok Lek is not far, just a short and relaxing walk.

Arrived.

Strong wind, cool too

Unable to resist an empty sign, we called over Brother Ek to take a picture with us.


Capturing the atmosphere as the sun gradually sets, waiting for the twilight glow. But as I sat there taking photos, I couldn't help but shiver from the strong, cool wind.

After the sun sets, let's capture some twilight light.

Time to head back to the accommodation and get cooking!

We ate together and it was delicious. Even if it wasn't delicious, we still had to eat it. Haha.

"The older sibling who carries the basket told us to finish our rice, and we truly ate everything clean."

Then, I went to take pictures of the stars. It seems like I saw the Milky Way in the middle of the sky.

I returned to the tent to sleep. Tonight, I felt the roar with 55+

Day Three

I had an appointment with Ek at 6:00 am to watch the sunrise. The sunrise here is slow. Today, I had to walk to a large hill. It took about half an hour to get there.

The large hill offers a 360-degree view. The sun has started to rise.

Despite the lack of rain and the absence of a sea of mist, we returned to our tents to cook instant noodles, sausages, and meatballs. We also made coffee to recharge our energy before heading down. Remember to collect your garbage and dispose of it properly below to maintain cleanliness.

Let's go down.

Ek, thank you so much for holding the tent for us.

On the downhill section, our team achieved an excellent time, completing it in just two and a half hours.

Tears of joy streamed down our faces as we saw the pickup truck waiting for us. We're finally going home!

Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed our journey. Please like, share, and care for us.

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# Kanchanaburi # Khao San Nok Wua
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