Cheow Lan Lake

After a breakfast with a view at our hotel (Rai Eingpu),

we packed up and headed to Ratchaprapha Marina (ท่าเรือเทศบาล เขื่อนเชี่ยวหลาน) to begin the day’s adventures.

Our boat ride across a relatively small part of Cheow Lan Lake (เขื่อนเชี่ยวหลาน) was a constant stream of stunning views.

We were happy to find ourselves arriving at our morning’s destination: Phutawan Raft House (แพภูตะวัน). We were happily surprised when our family of four was given two pods to occupy.

After a delicious lunch, we had a few minutes to enjoy the lake (my daughter and I swam, and my son and wife kayaked), before hopping on the boat again to make our way to the next section of the lake for more spectacular views, a hike, and a cave.

It was good to get out of the boat and onto solid land and we enjoyed the steep 1.2 km hike through the jungle. We saw evidence elephants frequent the area!

At the other end of the hike we stepped onto a bamboo raft to be transported across a much smaller lake to Coral Cave.

The cave was breathtaking!

Cave done, it was back to the bamboo raft, and back through the jungle to our bigger boat on the bigger lake.

On our way back to our raft house, we made a slight detour to see Khao Sam Kloe (เขาสามเกลอ).

Then it was back to Phutawan Raft House for another delicious Thai meal.

In the evening we enjoyed the stars we don’t get to see in Bangkok.

Next morning we boarded the boat for what was billed as a safari. The lack of animals spotted might have been disappointing if our kids hadn’t had the opportunity to pilot the boat. The lighting also coaxed out still more glory from our surroundings.

Upon return, we breakfasted then climbed into a kayak for a quick paddle before the journey back to the Marina.

Worth considering:

• All the transportation by boat can get old for little people. Even for big people, as breathtaking as the views are, you can reach a point of satiation.
• Safety features in Coral Cave are on the primitive side. If you have balance issues or fear of falling issues, be warned.
• Hot water and air conditioning were absent at Phutawan.
• The bathrooms were almost always full (not quite enough stalls per occupants; though admittedly the place was at capacity).