Erawan Falls: exhausting, humid and completely worth it
I had done my homework before visiting Erawan Falls. I had read the practical information, looked at the photos and listened carefully to my daughter, who had done it a few years earlier as a twenty-something backpacker. Her review had been less “gentle tropical stroll” and more “beautiful but weirdly exhausting.”
When someone in their twenties, armed with youth, functioning knees and backpacker energy, describes something as sweaty and tiring, you pay attention. I arrived mentally prepared for humidity, stairs and a certain amount of suffering in exchange for scenic rewards and swims at different levels.
And yet, as with many things in travel, reading about Erawan Falls and actually climbing Erawan Falls turned out to be two very different experiences. The photos focus on the turquoise water. The photos do not focus nearly enough on the part where you climb upwards in aggressively tropical heat wondering whether your lungs are about to file a formal complaint.
What Erawan Falls is actually like
We arrived at Erawan Falls after spending the night on a raft on the River Kwai. The lodge did not have air-conditioning and my previous attempt at swimming in the river had not exactly been one of my better travel decisions. (If you’re curious how that particular adventure unfolded, you can read about our stay at River Kwai Jungle Rafts here.) So I was very much looking forward to cooling down in the waterfalls. It turned out there was quite a lot of climbing to do before we got to the swimming part.
Everyone had advised us to climb all the way to the highest level (there’s seven of them) first and then work our way back down, rewarding ourselves with swims at whichever pools took our fancy. This sounded like a good plan. Then again, most hare-brained ideas do at first.
Our guide walked us to the entrance of the park, pointed us firmly in the right direction and then made a tactical retreat to a quiet little restaurant with ceiling fans and iced tea. Looking back, I should perhaps have considered this a clue.
We started walking along the first stretch: an easy, well-maintained path with only a gentle incline. Soon we reached the first waterfall. It was turquoise. It looked like paradise. People were swimming in it.
We walked straight past it on our way to level two. This, as it turned out, was only the beginning.
Erawan Falls level-by-level guide
Level 1: Paradise appears suspiciously early
The first level arrives quickly, after an easy 500 meters’ walk from the car park. This gives a dangerously misleading impression of the day ahead. The path is easy, the water is turquoise and people are happily swimming around looking relaxed and hydrated. At this point you may think, Well this is lovely. What was everyone complaining about? Keep walking. This is going to be a breeze.
Level 2: fish and practical things
Level two is only 150 meters from the first level. The second level is larger and one of the more popular swimming areas. This is also where practical things happen: changing rooms, toilets and bottle checks. You can rent a life vest here too and if you plan on doing any swimming, it’s easiest to get one straight away. Nobody checked anything when we were there, but my daughter once got whistled out of knee-deep water for not wearing one. She swims like a fish, but apparently this did not influence policy decisions.
Talking about fish: if you dip your feet in the water you will probably discover the local residents, who provide complimentary spa treatments whether you requested one or not.
Level 3: still manageable, still optimistic
By level three I was still feeling fairly cheerful about life choices and future prospects. 50 meters from the previous one, level three is where Erawan starts showing off. The waterfall becomes more dramatic and many people stop here because it already looks like the tropical screensaver you imagined before coming. If you only climb part of the route, many people would probably be perfectly happy ending here. Good to know: swimming in the pool under this waterfall is no longer allowed.
I could have stopped there.
I didn’t.
Level 4: things become more serious
Level four is known for its smooth limestone rocks that formed natural water slides. In the past people apparently treated this as nature’s answer to a water park, although things seem more controlled now. By this point we were also beginning to discover that the walk was becoming less “pleasant waterfall stroll” and more “active participation required”. This waterfall is 300 meters from level three and these 300 meters contained steps and inclines.
Level 5: beautiful enough to make you forget your legs briefly
The route between levels four and five was the moment Erawan really stopped pretending to be a pleasant tropical walk. The paths became steeper and the wooden crossings and staircases got serious. There was climbing, balancing and a growing awareness that humidity had become an active participant in the day. Level 5 is 600 meters from level 4 and if you’ve been keeping track: 1600 meters from the entrance.
Level five itself felt like a reward for making it that far. Multiple streams of water tumbled over pale limestone into clear turquoise pools below, surrounded by jungle and shaded areas to sit and recover. It looked exactly like the kind of place where sensible people stop for a swim and enjoy the scenery. And the fish spa.
Marc looked at the remaining climb and saw challenge and adventure. I looked at it and saw more stairs. I never actually made it beyond level five. By then my phone informed me that I had climbed the equivalent of 46 staircases, which I thought was overdoing things already. I stayed behind, swam in the cool water and became better acquainted with the local fish population.
Level 6 – according to Marc, things escalated
At this point our journeys separated. I remained behind at level five making excellent decisions involving cool water, while Marc continued heroically upwards. 300 meters upwards, to be precise.
According to his report, the route became more challenging, with more wooden stairs, uneven sections and the sort of climbing that occasionally requires hands as well as feet. Apparently Erawan had now fully committed to the idea that visitors should earn their waterfalls.
When he came back, he summed up the experience with supreme understatement: “You would probably not have enjoyed it.”
Level 7 – the reward at the top
The final level is the one people come for and, according to Marc, it really was beautiful. Water spills over limestone formations into emerald-turquoise pools surrounded by jungle and there is also the satisfaction of reaching the end. He declared it absolutely worth the effort. I believed him. Even though he didn’t even take a selfie with the “You’re the conqueror”-sign. This waterfall is 130 meters from level six.
On the way back down we eventually reunited and did our best swimming at level two. I say best swimming, although “getting into the water” suggests a level of elegance that was not really present. There was stepping, balancing and careful negotiations with slippery limestone involved.
Still, after that morning’s efforts, nobody was aiming for elegance anymore. We were simply aiming for cold water.
Tips for visiting Erawan Falls
Climb first, swim on the way back down
This turned out to be good advice. If I’d started with the swimming part I wouldn’t have made it past level two. The higher levels involve more climbing and humidity than the photos suggest, and cooling down in the pools afterwards feels well deserved. You may also discover, as I did, that your preferred stopping point arrives earlier than expected.
Get a life vest straight away if you want to swim
You can rent them near the lower levels and it saves having to think about it later. Nobody checked ours while we were there, but they might. What’s the fun of struggling up all those step if you’re whistled out of your reward?
Do not underestimate the humidity
The distance itself is not enormous, but tropical heat has a way of turning ordinary walking into an entirely different activity. Things can feel much harder than they would at home.
Wear shoes with decent grip
There are uneven sections, slippery limestone, wooden crossings and staircases higher up. Entering the water can also involve more balancing and concentration than the word swimming might suggest.
Keep track of your bottle and token
Plastic bottles are counted and marked at the entrance and you pay a small refundable deposit. Return with the same bottle and you get your money back. Forget it somewhere along the trail and your donation to anti-litter efforts becomes involuntary.
Start early if you can
Earlier in the day means fewer people and slightly kinder temperatures. By the time tropical heat fully settles in, every staircase seems to acquire extra stairs.
There are fish in the pools.
If you’re not looking for a spa treatment by fish: there are a lot of them and they do love a good nibble. In my experience, they were less active in the deeper parts of the pools. Possibly because there were fewer swimmers there and as a consequence, less for them to enjoy. It’s just something I noticed. And even though you can’t outswim the fish, they don’t follow you around if you move away.
If level five starts looking like an excellent place to stop, trust your instincts
I say this with absolutely no bias whatsoever.
Is Erawan Falls worth visiting? And who will enjoy it most?
Erawan Falls combined some of my favourite things, beautiful scenery, swimming and being surrounded by nature, with some of my less favourite things, namely humidity, gasping for breath and an alarming number of staircases. I climbed the equivalent of 46 staircases, surrendered at level five and spent part of the day being nibbled by fish.
Would I do it again? Yes. I would just spend less time comparing myself to my twenty-something daughter (or my twenty-something self) and be a bit kinder to myself.
I also learned that you do not have to reach level seven for Erawan Falls to be worth visiting. My husband reached the top. I reached level five and made friends with fish. We both came away happy.
As for who this is for: I think Erawan Falls is at its best if you enjoy nature for the sake of it rather than just collecting famous places. If you like combining a walk with swimming, don’t mind a bit of heat and humidity and are happy to stop whenever your body tells you to, you’ll probably have a wonderful time.
If, however, you’re expecting a flat and gentle stroll through tropical scenery, Erawan and you may have a slightly more complicated relationship. There are stairs, uneven sections and humidity that occasionally feels like it has developed a personality of its own.
Just remember: not everyone in a group has to complete every level for the day to count as a success. It’s not a video game.
More about Thailand
This hike was part of our two-week Thailand itinerary.
You can visit the falls on your own, or you can join one of the many guided tours from Bangkok.
For all things Thailand-related, check our Thailand page.
