Erawan Waterfalls in Thailand - What to Expect, Bring, Wear!

I was debating whether or not to put this under my "Unexpected Gems" or not because it's kind of on the main tourist track. But you think you're just visiting a waterfall and it's way more than just that.

Then if you read up about it, you think you're visiting seven waterfalls but it's way more than just that.

As you walk between each of the seven marked waterfalls, you are walking through the beautiful jungle, along the river that connects it all, with more waterfalls and pools in between, beautiful picturesque works of nature, tropical birds calling throughout. Add to that swimming in pools beneath gorgeous cascading waterfalls with tons of fish nibbling at your legs. If you consider the big picture of what this park consists of it's really quite unique.

The park is very clean too. They dissuade you from bringing in outside food so there's no trash.

This was my second visit to the falls. But seriously all I remember is that it was a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall. Did I go somewhere else? The vision I have of it in my head isn't of one of the falls we visited.

Quick Facts

Erawan Waterfalls lies within Erawan National Park, in the Kanchanaburi province which was founded in 1975 as Thailand's 12th National Park. The park is 550 m², is most known for its seven distinct tiered waterfalls, and features limestone hills, four caves, and is over 80% forested. The waterfalls themselves from top to bottom run about 1.5 km.

What's it Like to Visit Erawan Waterfalls?

It's about an hour drive from Kanchanaburi up to the falls. The park opens at 8:00 a.m. and it's a good idea to get there early before most of the crowds. So if you're doing a tour, I personally think it's a good idea to do the falls before elephants sort of thing.

We had 3 hours there which seemed about right. We were tired, satisfied, and ready to go by then.

From the car park to where you pick up your life jacket is about a 10 minute walk on a paved path. Unfortunately, wearing a life jacket is compulsory if you want to go in the water. And yes, it is dreadful trying to swim with one of those things on.

Not all the falls have a guard, but if they do, they will blow their whistle at you if you aren't wearing your life vest. Not only that, you must rent the life jacket for 20 baht. So rent it at the entry or you will have to walk all the way back down to get one.

The Paths

I read so much about how treacherous and slippery the paths were before I went. I was quite built up for a rugged hike.

Unless the paths up to #6 and #7 are drastically different, they really aren't that bad! Maybe when it rains it might get more slippery, but otherwise everything is paved or wood plank. The only difficult parts were some of the steep stairs and rugged entries into the pools themselves.

The Waterfalls

Each waterfall and pool is very different than the others. At the entry there is a sign that has a photo of the seven waterfalls and the distance to each one. The first four are pretty close together, with a substantial jump between 4 and 5. Two of the people in our group (one of them being myself) are really out of shape. I didn't think I would make it past #3, but if the lady with the cane could do it .... We made it all the way to #5! I knew that was my last one no matter what anybody else thought. ;)

Level 2 is large and probably the most crowded because it's the closest most swimmable one and really quite stunning. #3 is also easy to get to and was our other favorite. A tall beautiful waterfall with a big pool. There's a very long steep staircase to get to #4. That one has two natural water slides, so it's sort of fun. The entry is a little more steep and difficult into this one. There was a guard on site here which is a good thing. #5 was quite far to get to. It was so crowded and not very appealing so we didn't even go in. Unfortunately, #6 and #7 were a little too far for our group.

From the photos, it looks like we were perhaps in dry season, but we didn't feel like we were lacking! The falls, including everything along the way, were all gorgeous!

Do the Fish Really Nibble On You?

Yes! Okay, I'll write more than that but that's really all I need to say. You know you've wanted to try one of those fish spa pedicures were you immerse your feet in the aquarium full of little fish that nibble all the dead skin off your feet. Okay maybe not. LoL Well anyway, here's the natural version of it.

It doesn't take very long after you get in for the fish to start coming around especially if you stand still. It's mostly the fish that are about four to six inches long that nibble on you rather than the larger ones (thank goodness). It doesn't hurt. Feels kind of cool I guess. I'm happy for the free spa treatment! Ha ha

What Should You Wear / Bring?

I brought in a small beach bag but I didn't bring much in. Just a towel and my phone. It felt safe leaving the bag on the side of the waterfall pool. We didn't need any money until we got out to the restaurant outside the park. Oh, except for 20 baht for the life jacket.

I would say definitely wear reef shoes or water sandals. The trails themselves are paved or wooden plank, but entering the pools there's a small rugged area and then some rocks or roots into the water and I can't imagine trying to do that barefoot. I'm usually a bit more modest in Thailand and don't wear a bikini other than at the beach. I put shorts and a top over my suit but there were plenty of girls walking around in a bikini, even on the path. Men are fine in whatever.

There's a lot of shade because of all the trees. I didn't feel the need to wear a hat.

There are bathrooms in the car park that you can get changed in.

Storage

At #2, there's locker storage but it's only for food and drink. They don't want you bringing anything into the park that could create garbage, so that's kind of cool. You pay 20 baht for the storage, then you get your 20 baht back when you reclaim your food items.

Wildlife

We didn't see any monkeys when we were there but saw signs that they might be around. We saw one medium monitor lizard. Oh and of course tons of fish. ;)

Food

See the section on storage as far is bringing food into the park.

There are plenty of restaurants outside the park in the car park. I'm not going to recommend one over the other because we only ate at the one our guide took us to, #7.