Conquer the Summits

The Emerald of the Northeastern Region

Loei conjures up images of fertile forest, chilly weather, and lingering fog. Foe many, no forests and mountains are more tempting than Phu Kradueng National Park, Phu Ruea National Park, and Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary. These big names have become jewels of the region, and give Loei its proper its Proper title of “the city of sea of mountains, the coldest spot in Thailand”.

Phu Kradueng National Park

Phu Kradueng is unquestionably one of the most popular tourist spots in Thailand, thanks to its unspoiled environment, diverse ecological systems and geographical features, incorporating grasslands, coniferous woodlands, evergreen forests, waterfalls and viewpoints. In the winter, especially during New Year holidays, Phu Kradueng has become crowded with the thousands of tourists. Phu Kradueng is a flat-topped sandstone mountain. Its heart-shaped flat plateau on the top covers about 60 square kilometers at an the altitude of 400-1,200 meters above sea level.

Tourists are required to climb an uphill route of 9 kilometers to its flat plateau; hence physical fitness is indispensable.

Trekking on Phu Kradueng

The rather steep climb uphill covers about 5 kilometers. Exhausted trekkers can buy refreshment at various rest areas, call “sam”, along the way.

1. Pha Nok Aen

Pha Nok Aen is the most convenient viewpoint to admire the first light of day. Many tourists are captivated by the sea of fog lingering over the valley to go to Pha Nok Aen very early in the morning with the help of a flashlight to avoid disappointment.

Along the sunset cliff

Sunset can be admired along the 9 kilometers cliff, from Pha Mak Duk to Pah Lom Sak.

2. Pha Mak Duk

About 2.5 kilometers from the accommodation, Pha Mak Duk is a large rocky terrain overlooking Phu Pha Chit, the highest peak in Nam Nao National Park. In the summer, Rhondodenron Iudwigianum adorn the route along this sunset cliff. Pha Cham Sin is 600 meters away from Pha Mak Duk, followed by Pha Na Noi (700 meters further away), Pha Yiap Mek (2 kilometers), Pha Daeng (1.5 kilometers) and Pha Lom Sak (2.5 kilometers.)

3. Pha Lom Sak

The Most popular sunset viewpoint and the park’s symbol, Pha Lom Sak has a large rock protruding over the cliff, with a large conifer nearby. Flashlights and food are indispensable for the 3 hours walk back to the accommodation. This route passes large grassland and scattering pine forests.

 Waterfall

1. Wang Kwang Waterfall

About 1 kilometer from the accommodation, the 3-leveld Wang Kwang Waterfall is about 7 meters high.

2. Phen Phop Mai Waterfall

About 1 kilometer from Wang Kwang Waterfall, al large rock broke to form a 20 meters high cliff, from which water falls below.

3. Phon Phop Waterfall

This 8-leveld, 30 meters high waterfall is hidden by thick adorns this waterfall with its flamboyant colors.

4. Phen Phop Waterfall

This 3-leveled, 10 meters high waterfall is less than 1 kilometer further from Phon Phop Waterfall. The route along the creek from Phen Phop to Tham Yai Waterfall passes through very fertile evergreen forest. Apart from scattering maples, various varieties of mushrooms, ferns, palms and rattan can be found along the way.

5. Tham Yai Waterfall

The rugged gray stone cliff of about 10 meters is naturally embellished with maple foliage during winter.

Tham Yai

6. Than Sawan Waterfall

This small waterfall may not be competitive in terms of grandeur, but is much so in terms of relaxing atmosphere.

7. Tham So Nuea Waterfall

Mother Nature forced broken a solid rock to create a cliff. The resulting Tham So Nuea Waterfall is distinctive as people can walk along the curvy pathway under the protruding rocky to admire the waterfall from behind. Large rock terrain in the upper part of the waterfall provides perfect spot for relaxation.

8. Tham So Tai Waterfall

This smaller waterfall is on the same creek as Tham So nuea.

9. Sa Anodat

An alternative route of waterfall may leads directly to a natural reservoir called Sa Anodat. This route cuts through lush coniferous forest. Near the pond is rock terrain covered with lichen and many flowering dwarf plants.

Visitors can stay in row houses or camps. Advance reservation is required at the Forestry Department. Khet Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900. The Park is close during June-September every year to allow the nature to recuperate.

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Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary

Phu Luang, literally meaning “big mountain”, covers an area of about 848 square kilometers in the districts of Wang Saphung, Phu Ruea, Dan Sai and Phu Luang. The plateau atop Phu Luang covers about 140 square kilometers. Phu Luang consists of many mountains with the altitude ranging 400 – 1,550 meters above sea level, the highest peak being the 1571 meters high names Phu Khwang.

The 3 seasons on Phu Luang have much lower temperatures than their counterparts at the ground level. Summer during February-April has an average temperature of about 20 – 24 degrees Celsius. The rainy season during May – October has similar temperatures drops to an average of 0 – 16 degrees Celsius. On some days during November – January, temperature can drop down to 4 degree Celsius.

Such low temperature makes Phu Luang a haven of temperate plants such as coniferous trees, maples, peach, and more than 160 varieties of wild orchids. Other attractions in Phu Luang are rock cliffs, rock gardens, scenic trails, and dinosaur’s footprint of more than 120 million years ago at Khok Pha Taloen in the eastern Sanctuary.

Many forests grow in this Sanctuary. Deciduous forests with many varieties of trees at the altitude of 400 – 600 meters contain such big trees as Dipterocarpus obtusfolis, Terminalia alata, Lagerstrosmia cuspidate. In the dry evergreen forests at the altitude of 400 – 1,000 meters grows, for instance, eaglewood, Lithcapus trachycarpus and wild hog plum, etc…The alpine primeval forests grow at the altitude of above 1,000 meters. Along the creeks and valleys, prominent plants are maples, oak and pine. Phu Luang sis distinguished for its coniferous woodlands, meadows, and rock terrain. It is further charmed with numerous wild flowers, which alternately bloom to add life and color to the forest. The Forestry Department has allowed access for eco-tourism to only the area in Amphoe Wang Saphung. Besides, tourists are limited only to designated areas during October-April. Interested persons can contact Wildlife Conservation Division, Royal Forest Department.

Study nature on trails in Phu Luang

The route from the rest area at Lon Mon passes through fertile coniferous forest adorned with many small flower plants such as Eriocaulon henryanum, and Vaccinium sprenseli. Them, the route passes evergreen forests, creeks, coniferous forests, and meadows embellished Lon Sao Yaeng Khing further about 2.3 kilometers to Lon Hin Aeo Khan passes many flowery shrubs. Lon Tae, about1.5 kilometers away, is al large stone terrain embellished with shrubs such as Rhondodendron lyi, Lichen and many varieties of wild orchids. Lon Tae also offers a good viewpoint overlooking Phu Ho, Phu Kradueng, Phu Yong Phu, and Phu Khwang. Other interesting spots are Pha Kop, Pah Chom Wio Viewpoint, Phu Luang, Lon Chang Phueng, Sum Nga Hao and Saithong Waterfall.

Seasonal blooms on Phu Luang

Summer

Most blooms in summer have eye-catching colors. For instance Dendrobium formosum, the cattle4ya-like white wild orchid with a yellow bulb, grows on rocks and boughs, Vaccinium sprensli, is a medium-sized bush, which yields on the same stem many small white flowers with dots of pale orange at the petal tips. Rhondodendron simsii and Rhododendows, rocks and boughs with their shoeflower-like blooms.

Rainy season

Small biennials grow on the ground. For instance, Caulokaempferia thailandica, the small wild flower plants of pink-violet color, are scattered around meadows at the altitude of 1,200 meters or more. The pinkish violet flowers of Impatients muscicold bloom along the cliff. In this season rocks are covered with lichen and fern of various bright colors.

Winter

Acer calcaratum, commonly know as maple, thrns red in this season Eriocaulon henryanum looks like carpets of white buttons on the ground. The most impressive one, Paphiopedilum sukhakulii or a peculiar variety of lady’s slipper, grows on rocks and in hill evergreen forest.

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 Phu Ruea National Park

Phu Ruea, literally meaning mountain of ship, is s peak in the mountain range in Amphoe Phu Ruea. As its name in Thai indicates, Phu Ruea resembles a big junk and the plateau atop the peak looks like the junk’s belly. Phu Ruea National Park covers an area of about 75,525 rai in the districts of Phu Ruea and Tha Li. Its highest peak reaches the altitude of about 1,365 meters above sea level.

Phu Ruea is crowned with many varieties of fertile forests, such as dense forest with many kinds of trees, hardwood forest, and primeval forest. Many animals can be found, especially birds migrating from China to this Park in winter. The plateau atop the peak is covered with coniferous woodland alternating with rock gardens and rock terrain, which are nourished by perennial creeks.

The climate in Phu Ruea is temperate all year long. Tourists can admire the sea of fog from various viewpoints along the cliff. Frost can happen from time to time.

The Park offers tents and 4 houses, which can houses 5 persons each, for tourists.

Those interested can ask for more information and reserve more information and reserve accommodation at the Forestry Department, Khet Chatuchak Bangkok 10900.

Route to Phu Ruea summit Decho Viewpoint

This sunrise viewpoint reveals many of Loei’s mountains on clear days.

Pha Sam Thong

Another viewpoint on the route to Pha Lon Noi, this steep cliff is adorned with gold lichen.

Pha Lon Noi

Very beautiful sunrise viewpoint at the altitude of about 1,320 meters above sea level, Pha Lon noi overlooks Phu Luang, Phu Pha Sat, Phu Khrang and a sea of mountains. It is the end of the highway to Phu Ruea. Visitors must park here and walk for about 700 meters to its top.

Phu Ruea Summit

At an altitude of 1,365 meters from sea level, the highest peak in the Park is covered with rocky terrain, alternating with grassland, and natural and man-made coniferous forests. On clear days the Hueang and Mekong Rivers which demarcate the Thai-Laotian border can be seen from this viewpoint.

Phali Rock Garden

This large rock garden has many exotic-shaped rocks, formed by the erosion of sand stones commonly found in the northeastern region.

Huai Phai Waterfall

The steep, one-leveled, 30 meters high waterfall is accessibly by foot.

Suan Hin Pha Ngam

Located in King Amphoe Nong Hin, about 55 kilometers from Amphoe Phu Kradueang, this place is always compared to the world-famous Guilin in China. The terrain is adorned with scattering big and small mountains of exotic shapes, some of which allow passers-by to walk through.