Buatong Falls near Chiang Mai - picnic and relaxation spot

Coming back from the coolest spot in the north of Thailand Doi ang khang I didn’t want to follow the same road and decided to make a small circle. Along the way, there was a national park and Buatong Waterfall, which is very few mentions on the net..

The waterfall is located near Chiang Mai and can serve as a good place for a day's rest. Mostly locals come here, or farangs with Thais. The place is not massively visited by ordinary tourists, therefore it has retained a certain charm. And even though it's a national park, admission is free!

If you want to visit this place, you can go here from Chiang Mai. For those who want to book their accommodation in advance, I recommend the hotel booking service. RoomGuru and our overview of guesthouses in the historic center of Chiang Mai (squared).

The roads in the north are very beautiful

The roads in the north are very beautiful

There is such a beautiful fence on the track

There is such a beautiful fence on the track

Wat buatong - either under construction, or here initially field conditions

Wat buatong - either under construction, or here initially field conditions

Buatong waterfall

The waterfall itself is not remarkable for its height or width. That is, it is relatively high, but it is divided into at least 3 separate cascades, and each of these cascades is also stepped, so a high water drop should not be expected. So what's so interesting then?

The answer is - calcite deposits that form a non-sliding surface, which makes it possible to walk up and down the river bed without much chance of slipping. This is what adults and children do: they walk, climb, frolic, laugh, splash. In general, it's fun there at the waterfall! Sometimes they almost arrange a race. Well, in addition to games, the very appearance of the waterfall is not very familiar to the Russian eye..

Admission to Buatong is conditionally free

Free admission to Buatong Falls, donation

Hippos :)

Hippos 🙂

Why not a place for family picnics?

Why not a place for family picnics?

Upper Cascade Buatong Waterfall

Upper Cascade Buatong Waterfall

Surface allows walking up and down

Surface allows walking up and down

Some run and splash

Some run and splash

Climbers here and there

Climbers here and there

This is how the river bed and waterfall look like when zoomed in.

This is how the river bed and waterfall look like when zoomed in.

Lower Buatong Falls

Lower Buatong Falls

One of the Buatong Waterfall cascades

One of the Buatong Waterfall cascades

How not to get out of hand for the sake of a photo

How not to get out of hand for the sake of a photo

If you walk along the path to the other side of the waterfall, then there is a holy spring revered by the locals. There is a house for spirits near it, and before drinking fresh water, you need to pray. Water is obtained with a scoop with a long handle, otherwise you simply cannot get it.

Path to the holy spring

Path to the holy spring

Water bucket

Water bucket

The source may be holy, but it has a peculiar appearance.

The source may be holy, but it has a peculiar appearance.

This strange youth fashion))

This strange youth fashion))

Where is Buatong Falls

Getting there is not difficult, there is even nothing to tell. A point on the map will tell you everything. It's north of Chiang Mai.

Buatong Waterfall

Buatong Waterfall
Located in a national park, admission is free. Interesting in calcite deposits, not popular with tourists.
Read about the waterfall

Buatong Falls near Chiang Mai - picnic and relaxation spot

Located in a national park, admission is free. Interesting in calcite deposits, not popular among tourists Read about the waterfall