Lalu Earth Pillars

Lalu is a badlands formation: soft orange and grey soils cut by rain into pillars, ridges and gullies, some of the spires several metres tall with a harder cap of laterite protecting the column beneath until it too erodes away. The Khmer-derived name means pierced, and the site, more than 2,000 rai of it, is billed as the Grand Canyon of Thailand - the formations are actively eroding, so the shapes change from year to year and photographs from a decade ago show pillars that no longer exist. It sits in dry savanna scrub in Ta Phraya district near the Cambodian border, a long way from anywhere in tourist terms, and the site has a small entry charge with local guides and electric carts to reach the further formations. Walking on the pillars accelerates their destruction and is discouraged. The site is best in the dry season; after rain the paths are slippery clay and the formations are muddy.

Highlights

• The earth pillars - soft orange soils cut into spires and gullies.
• The laterite caps - the harder stone protecting each column until it goes.
• The change - formations visibly different from year to year.
• The setting - dry savanna scrub near the Cambodian border.

When to go

November to February, in the dry cool season. After rain the clay paths are slippery and the formations muddy. Early or late light shows the colour best; midday is harsh and hot.

What to expect

Remote - a long drive from Bangkok with little else nearby. The formations are eroding and are smaller than older photographs suggest. Do not climb on them. Almost no shade and very hot in the middle of the day.

Nearby

Aranyaprathet and the Cambodian border are south; Pang Sida National Park is west.

Key facts