"Erawan National Park Adventure #1: Getting There by Bus!"
This is a travel report from my recent trip to Kanchanaburi, where I visited Erawan National Park, the main purpose of my visit.
To get to the park by public transportation, you need to take a bus from the Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal. The journey takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Note: The Kanchanaburi Train Station and the Bus Terminal are located in completely different directions, so make sure you head to the right place.
I departed in the morning, and the roads were relatively quiet.
Since the terminal is located in the city center, it was easier to find than expected.
There are several buses heading to different destinations, but the one going to Erawan was easy to identify — it was clearly marked and very obvious that it was heading to the national park.
P.S.: Perhaps due to the high number of foreign tourists visiting Erawan, the bus is parked right in front of the Tourist Police Office.
When I looked a bit confused, a staff member came out to assist me and guided me to the correct bus.
There was a posted bus timetable for Erawan.
The “Back” column shows the return times from the park, but since we were departing, I only had to check the “Go” schedule.
There was a small ticket booth located directly in front of the bus, and I purchased my ticket there.
The fare was 60 THB per person.
On the Bus
The bus itself looked quite old.
Only ceiling fans were working, and even those were only used briefly. They were turned off once the bus picked up speed or when climbing uphill.
Still, opening the windows allowed enough fresh air in, so it wasn’t too hot or uncomfortable.
As we drove out of the city and into the countryside, the scenery became increasingly beautiful and natural.
Eventually, the bus stopped near the entrance to Erawan National Park.
At the entrance, there was a sign, likely informing visitors that the park closes at 3:30 PM and that everyone must descend before that time.
One interesting detail: instead of lining up at a booth, a ticket officer came directly onto the bus to sell entry tickets.
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Foreigners: 300 THB
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Thai citizens: 80 THB
There is a noticeable price difference between foreigners and locals.
Inside the Park
From there, the path splits into two: one for walking and another for taking a shuttle cart.
I decided to take the cart on the way up.
The cart takes visitors up to the first level of Erawan Falls and the ride lasted less than 5 minutes.
You’ll also see a national park sign along the way, located between the cart route and the hiking trail.
The ticket booths for the hiking trail and the cart are located right across from each other.
Cart Details
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Fare:
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Adults: 20 THB
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Children: 10 THB
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The carts are similar to golf carts.
After paying, you can immediately board one of the waiting carts.
Since there were plenty available, there was no wait time.
While I took the cart up, other tourists were hiking along the trail.
Although the cart ride was under 5 minutes, I tried walking down the trail on my way back, which took about 10 to 15 minutes.
Life Jacket Rentals
At the first tier of the waterfall, life jackets are available for rent.
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Rental Fee: 20 THB per person
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Rental Duration: 2 hours (but no one actually checks the time)
One inconvenience: the ticket booth for life jackets and the pickup station are located separately, which made the process a bit awkward.
Returning to Kanchanaburi
The return bus to Kanchanaburi waits in the same spot where visitors are dropped off.
There was a return timetable posted, and with some help from the driver, I got off a little before the bus terminal, closer to my accommodation.
(Local passengers frequently get on and off at unofficial stops along the way.)
The return bus was in a similar condition to the one we took in the morning.
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