Huai Mae Khamin Waterfall

Huai Mae Khamin runs down seven tiers of travertine in Srinagarind National Park, on the far side of the reservoir from Kanchanaburi town. The chemistry is the same as Erawan's, calcium carbonate turning the pools that opaque blue-green, but the scale is larger, the drops are wider and, because the drive is long, the crowds are a fraction of it. A stepped path links the tiers, with the upper levels the broadest and the best for swimming. Most people arrive by road on a three-hour drive around the lake, while a few come across by boat from the dam. Park bungalows and a campsite sit at the bottom, which is the way to have the falls to yourself at first light.

What you actually see

• The upper tiers - the widest curtains, and the deepest swimming pools.
• The linking path - a stepped route through dry dipterocarp forest between levels.
• Srinagarind reservoir - the long lake you drive or boat across to get here.
• Camping at the base - park tents and bungalows, close to empty on weekdays.

When to go

Water is fullest from July into November at the end of the rainy season, when the tiers actually roar; the dry months leave thinner flow but clearer, bluer pools. Weekdays are close to deserted. Start early, because the drive from Kanchanaburi takes about three hours each way and the park gates close in the late afternoon regardless of where you are.

Honest expectations

Getting here is the cost: a long, winding road with almost no public transport, so most visitors need a car or a tour seat. Foreigners pay the higher park fee. Facilities are thin, food at the base is basic, and the linking path turns slick in the wet season. After heavy rain, rangers close the upper tiers without notice or refund.

Nearby

Srinagarind dam, Erawan's tiers on the near shore and Kanchanaburi town.