Ob Luang Gorge

Ob Luang is a slot the Mae Chaem river has cut through hard rock, narrow enough at the top that a footbridge crosses it in a few paces while the water runs some tens of metres below - the local description as Thailand's Grand Canyon overstates the scale considerably, but the constriction itself is striking, particularly when the river is high and forcing through it. The national park around it covers about 550 square kilometres of hill forest. What is less advertised and more interesting is the archaeology: rock paintings and burial sites in the surrounding area date to somewhere around three thousand years ago, with figures and animals in red ochre on cliff faces, and a small site museum covers the excavations. There are hot springs in the park and camping beside the river. The rocks around the gorge are smooth and slippery, the drop is unfenced in places, and people have fallen in.

What you actually see

• The gorge - the river forced through a narrow rock slot below the bridge.
• The rock paintings - red ochre figures around three thousand years old.
• The site museum - covering the burials and excavation nearby.
• The park - hill forest, hot springs and riverside camping.

When to go

November to February for weather. The gorge is most dramatic when the river is high at the end of the rains, though the rocks are then more dangerous. Two to three hours covers the gorge and the paintings.

Honest expectations

Much smaller than the Grand Canyon comparison suggests. Smooth rock around the gorge is slippery and the drop is unfenced in places - falls have happened. Interpretation at the archaeological sites is limited in English.

Nearby

Doi Inthanon is north; Mae Chaem and Ban Pa Bong Piang are north-west.