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The pale limestone terraces of the Bua Thong sticky waterfall, water running over them under the forest canopy

Small group, half day

Sticky Falls and Dantewada in a small group, in half a day

The shortest, calmest and most expensive way to the same waterfall. All three of those are the same decision.

Half dayDan Tewadafrom €44
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Duration

Half day

Stops

3 on the route

Starts in

Dan Tewada

Price

From €44

The experience

Best for
Half park, half waterfall, in five hours
Not for you if
You want a full day out. This is about 5 hours door to door in a small group, split between the Dantewada park and the barefoot climb at Bua Thong falls

Three trips on this site go to the Bua Thong sticky waterfall. This is the one that costs the most and lasts the least, and it is worth explaining why anyone would choose that. Forty-four euros for five hours buys a small vehicle instead of a coach, a group small enough to move as a group, and a schedule with slack in it. The other two are longer, cheaper and busier. If you have ever stood at a viewpoint waiting for forty strangers to reboard a bus, you already know which side of that trade you are on.

The waterfall itself is identical in all three, and it is the reason to come. Bua Thong runs over limestone, and the mineral crust the water lays down is rough and porous rather than slick, so you can climb straight up the face of the falls barefoot, against the current, without rope or technique. It grips. Nobody believes it until they are standing halfway up a waterfall wondering why they are not falling off it. Entry is free, and the falls sit about sixty kilometres north of Chiang Mai in Si Lanna National Park.

Read the rest

The second stop is Dantewada, the landscaped angel park, whose gardens and ornamental buildings are the flat, dry, photogenic counterweight to an hour of climbing wet rock. Five hours door to door means you are back in Chiang Mai in the early afternoon with the rest of the day intact, which is the second thing you are paying for and the one people underrate. A cheap eight-hour day that ends at six in the evening has quietly cost you a night out.

A cheap eight-hour day that ends at six in the evening has quietly cost you a night out.

The route

  1. A hairpin bend of tarmac road seen from above, cut through the dense forest of the north

    North in a small vehicle

    Sixty kilometres up towards Si Lanna National Park, in something that turns around on a mountain road without a three-point manoeuvre.

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

    Bua Thong, the sticky waterfall

    Barefoot up the face, against the current, on limestone that grips like coarse sandpaper. Free to enter, and unlike anything else in the province.

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

    Dantewada Land of Angels

    Landscaped gardens and ornamental buildings: flat, dry and photogenic, which is exactly what an hour of wet rock earns you.

Why this one

01

A small group, not a coach

The whole premise. A vehicle that turns around on a mountain road, and a group that arrives and leaves together instead of in waves.

02

The barefoot waterfall

Limestone crust that grips like coarse sandpaper. Straight up the face, against the current, no rope and no skill required.

03

Back by early afternoon

Five hours door to door. The rest of the day is still yours, which the eight-hour versions quietly take from you.

04

The Dantewada gardens

Landscaped grounds, ornamental buildings and somewhere flat and dry to walk after an hour on wet rock.

05

A relaxed pace, on purpose

Fewer people means less waiting, and the schedule is built with slack rather than with a stopwatch.

What is included

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Chiang Mai
  • Transport in a small vehicle for the whole trip
  • A guide for both stops
  • Time at the falls that does not depend on forty other people

Not included

  • Entry to the Dantewada park
  • Lunch and drinks: five hours is short enough that most people eat afterwards
  • A towel and dry clothes
  • Tips, welcome but never expected

Practical detail

Duration
About 5 hours door to door, the shortest of the three Sticky Waterfall trips here
Group
Small group, in a small vehicle. This is the reason the price is what it is
Where
Bua Thong falls, about 60 km north in Si Lanna National Park, and the Dantewada park
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 used
Wear
A swimsuit under quick-drying clothes. Bare feet grip better than any shoe
Bring
A towel, dry clothes and a sealed bag for anything electronic
Booking window
At least 10 hours ahead
Cancellation
Free cancellation applies; the exact terms for your booking are shown before you pay

Read the guide page: where to stay ▸

Common questions

Why does the shortest trip cost the most?

Because the price is not for the hours, it is for the vehicle. A small group means fewer people paying for the same driver and the same fuel, and the arithmetic ends where it ends. What you get for the difference is no queue to reboard, no waiting at the meeting point, and a schedule that can absorb someone wanting ten more minutes at the top of the falls.

Which of the three Sticky Waterfall days is right for me?

This one if you value the pace and want your afternoon back: five hours, small group, forty-four euros. The bamboo rafting day if you want the most in it: eight hours, a river at the end, thirty-two euros. The Angel park day if you want flower gardens and animals, or a private vehicle: six to eight hours, thirty-four euros. The waterfall is the same in all three.

Is the waterfall really climbable barefoot?

Yes, and it is the whole reason this place is famous. The water deposits limestone as it flows, building a rough porous crust that grips skin and stops algae taking hold. Shoes make it worse. Go barefoot, take it a tier at a time, and expect to laugh at some point on the way up.

Is five hours enough at the falls?

Yes, and this is the format that makes it so. The climb is a few tiers and most people do it twice; the limiting factor is your feet, not the clock. What five hours does not leave room for is a long lunch, which is why most people eat once they are back.

Do I need to be fit?

Reasonably steady on your feet, rather than fit. It is a climb up an uneven wet surface with drops beside it in places, not a hike. If wet uneven ground is a problem for you, this day will be a lot of sitting at the bottom watching.

Is the waterfall free?

Yes. Bua Thong charges nothing at the gate. Dantewada has its own admission, which is not included here. The price of this booking is the transport, the small group and the guiding.

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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