Phu Kradueng

Phu Kradueng, named for a silhouette like a kradueng, a bell, is a flat-topped sandstone mountain in Loei, roughly thirteen hundred metres up, and the only way onto it is on foot. The ascent runs about five and a half kilometres of steep trail and rock ladders, after which the ground levels into something that does not look like Thailand at all: pine and oak over open grassland, streams, small waterfalls and cliff edges on every side. Another few kilometres of walking gets you from the rim to the campsite at Wang Kwang. Sunrise is watched from Pha Nok An on the eastern edge, sunset from Pha Lom Sak, where a flat rock ledge juts over the drop. Porters carry heavy loads up by shoulder pole, charged by weight. The plateau alone covers about sixty square kilometres, and in 1962 the mountain became Thailand's second national park, after Khao Yai; the whole park takes in about 348 square kilometres.

Highlights

• The climb to the rim - five and a half kilometres of steps, roots and ladders.
• Pha Lom Sak - the flat rock ledge over the western drop, for sunset.
• Pha Nok An - the eastern cliff where the sun comes up over the plain.
• The pine grassland - open plateau with maples turning red in the cool months.

When to go

The park shuts for the rainy season, generally from June to the end of September, and reopens in October. October and November give a green plateau and waterfalls with water in them; December and January are cold at night, with red maple leaves and the heaviest crowds. Tents and blankets are rented at the top, but booking ahead matters in the peak weeks.

What to expect

This is a real climb, four to six hours with a pack, and the plateau walk afterwards is longer than anyone expects. Nights drop close to freezing in December. New Year and long weekends fill the top with hundreds of tents and put queues at the cliff edges. Facilities are camp grade, water is limited, and the only way down is the way you came up.

Nearby

Loei town, the Phu Ruea highlands and the Mekong at Chiang Khan.

Key facts