Further up the valley, Sai Yok National Park offers a wilder, less crowded counterpoint to Erawan. Its signature sight is Sai Yok Yai, an unusual waterfall that tumbles straight into the River Kwai Noi, best seen and photographed from a longtail boat or the park's suspension bridge. The park is thick jungle laced with limestone caves, including the Daowadung caves, and it carries its own wartime traces along the old railway route. It is also a place of natural curiosities: this is one of the homes of Kitti's hog-nosed bat, the tiny 'bumblebee bat' that ranks among the smallest mammals on earth. Closer to town, the smaller Sai Yok Noi waterfall sits beside the railway and is an easy roadside stop that Thai families love on weekends. Staying overnight in the park, often in a floating raft house, lets you swim in the river and wake to birdsong. Bring insect repellent for the jungle evenings.
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