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A boatman poling a bamboo raft down a shallow river between walls of jungle, a second raft ahead

Full day, three stops

Dan Tewada Land, a bamboo raft and the Bua Tong sticky waterfall

The longest of the three Sticky Waterfall days, and the only one that puts you on a river at the end of it.

Full dayDan Tewadafrom €32
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Duration

Full day

Stops

3 on the route

Starts in

Dan Tewada

Price

From €32

The experience

Best for
A river raft and a waterfall in the same day
Not for you if
You want a short day. This is about 8 hours door to door, with the barefoot waterfall climb and a raft on the river to finish

Three trips on this site go to the same waterfall, and the only real question is what you want beside it. This one answers with a bamboo raft. Eight hours, three stops: the Bua Tong sticky falls, the Dantewada gardens, and a river at the end of the afternoon when your legs have had enough of climbing. It is the newest of the three and the second cheapest, which is a combination that usually goes the other way round.

The waterfall is the reason all three exist. The water at Bua Tong runs over limestone and lays down a mineral crust as it goes, and that crust is rough and porous instead of slick. You walk up the face of the falls barefoot, against the current, with no rope and no technique, and every single person doing it for the first time stops halfway up to check that it is really happening. Ropes are bolted along some sections; almost nobody uses them. The falls are free to enter and sit about sixty kilometres north of the city.

Read the rest

Dantewada is the ornamental half: landscaped gardens, decorative buildings, a place built to be walked through slowly and photographed constantly. Then the raft. A bamboo raft is a platform of lashed poles that floats a few centimetres clear of the surface and is pushed along with a pole, which means it is slow, quiet, and gets your feet wet the whole way. After a morning of scrambling up wet rock, sitting still on a river is the correct order of operations, and it is the reason to pick this one over the other two.

Climb wet rock in the morning, sit still on a river in the afternoon. That is the right order.

The route

  1. Water running over the pale limestone terraces of the Bua Thong sticky waterfall, between the roots of tall trees

    Bua Tong, the sticky waterfall

    Sixty kilometres north, barefoot up the face against the current, on limestone that grips like coarse sandpaper. Free to enter and unlike anything else nearby.

  2. A wide ornamental waterfall over a mossy rock wall, planted terraces at its foot

    Dan Tewada Land

    Landscaped gardens and ornamental buildings, walked slowly. The half of the day that asks nothing of your legs and everything of your camera.

  3. A boatman in a straw hat poling a bamboo raft down a green river between forested hills

    The bamboo raft

    A platform of lashed poles pushed along with a pole, floating a few centimetres above the river. Slow, quiet, and wet from the knees down.

Why this one

01

A waterfall you climb barefoot

Limestone deposits give the rock a grip like coarse sandpaper. Up the face, against the current, no rope and no skill needed.

02

A bamboo raft to finish

Poled, slow, a few centimetres above the water. The only one of the three Sticky Waterfall days that puts a river at the end.

03

The Dantewada gardens

Landscaped grounds and ornamental buildings, walked slowly. The half of the day that asks nothing of your legs.

04

Eight hours, three stops

The longest of the three, which is what makes room for a river without cutting the waterfall short.

05

Thirty-two euros

The second cheapest of the three despite being the longest and having the most in it.

What is included

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Chiang Mai
  • Transport for the whole day between the three stops
  • A driver and guide throughout
  • The bamboo raft

Not included

  • Entry to the Dantewada park
  • Lunch and drinks
  • A towel and dry clothes, needed twice over on this itinerary
  • Tips, welcome but never expected

Practical detail

Duration
About 8 hours door to door, the longest of the three Sticky Waterfall days here
Where
Bua Tong falls about 60 km north, the Dantewada park, and a river for the raft
Pickup
From your hotel in Chiang Mai. Time and point are confirmed when you book
The climb
Barefoot, up several tiers, against the current. Ropes are fitted in places and rarely needed
The raft
Poled, slow, and level with the water. Your feet will be in it the whole way
Wear
A swimsuit under quick-drying clothes, and nothing you mind soaking twice
Bring
A towel, a full change of clothes, and a sealed bag for anything electronic
Booking window
No minimum notice is listed, which makes it the most flexible of the three
Cancellation
Free cancellation applies; the exact terms for your booking are shown before you pay

Read the guide page: travel info ▸

Common questions

Which of the three Sticky Waterfall days should I book?

They share a waterfall and differ in everything else. This one is eight hours and ends on a bamboo raft, at thirty-two euros. The Angel park day is six to eight hours, thirty-four euros, adds flower gardens and animals, and offers a private version. The small group day is five hours and forty-four euros, and what you are buying there is a small vehicle and an unhurried pace. Longest and wettest: this one. Most relaxed: the small group. Most varied on land: the Angel park.

Is the waterfall genuinely not slippery?

Genuinely. Dissolved limestone precipitates out of the water and builds a rough, porous crust that grips bare skin, and it stops algae getting established, which is what makes ordinary wet rock dangerous. Climb barefoot. Shoes reduce your grip rather than improving it.

What is a bamboo raft actually like?

A platform of poles lashed together, floating a few centimetres above the surface and pushed along with a long pole. It is slow, it is quiet, and water runs over the deck and your feet continuously. Nobody books a day for this part and a lot of people describe it first afterwards.

Is the waterfall free to enter?

Yes. Bua Tong sits in a national park area and charges nothing at the gate. Dantewada has its own admission and it is not included here. Your money buys the driving, the day and the raft, not the waterfall.

How much walking is there?

Less than the day sounds. The waterfall is a climb rather than a hike, in tiers, and you choose how many of them you do. Dantewada is flat and landscaped. The raft is sitting down. Eight hours here is mostly three stops and a vehicle, not eight hours on your feet.

How wet will I be at the end of the day?

Wet twice. Soaked at the falls in the morning, then wet from the knees down on the raft in the afternoon. Bring more dry clothes than you think you need, and put your phone somewhere sealed rather than somewhere hopeful.

Book it

Ready when you are

Dates, times and live prices come up at the next step. Booking takes two minutes, and the cancellation terms are shown before you pay.

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From €32

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