Khun Korn Waterfall

Khun Korn falls about seventy metres in a single thin column into a pool, and it is the tallest waterfall in Chiang Rai province. The approach is the other half of it: a trail of roughly 1.4 kilometres from the car park through dense bamboo and forest, crossing the stream several times on bamboo and log bridges, with the sound of the fall arriving well before the sight of it. It takes thirty to forty minutes each way at an easy pace, is mostly shaded, and is muddy and slippery in the wet season when the crossings can be awkward. The pool at the base is cold and the spray from the fall covers a wide area, so anyone standing near it gets wet regardless of intention. Entry is free, which is unusual, and the site is a forest park rather than a national park. Leeches are present on the trail during the rains.

What you actually see

• The column - about seventy metres in a single thin fall.
• The bamboo trail - 1.4 kilometres with stream crossings on log bridges.
• The spray - reaching well back from the base of the fall.
• The free entry - a forest park rather than a ticketed national park.

When to go

July to November for full flow, which is also when the trail is muddiest. The dry season leaves a much thinner fall but an easier walk.

Honest expectations

A 1.4 kilometre walk each way with stream crossings - not a roadside stop. Muddy and slippery in the rains, with leeches on the trail. The pool is cold and the spray soaks anyone close.

Nearby

Chiang Rai city is north-east; Doi Tung and the Mae Fah Luang garden are north.