Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Cha-Am, Tha-Yang, Kaeng Krachan, and Petchaburi. Discussion on areas north of Hua Hin.
Post Reply
User avatar
buksida
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 22472
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2002 12:25 pm
Location: south of sanity

Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by buksida »

kkmap.jpg
We decided to make use of the long weekend by getting on the road again with a truck full of tents, camping gear, fishing rods, three days food supplies, an esky of beer, and a paddle board. Since we usually travel south it was decided to venture north for this trip to Kaeng Krachan dam and reservoir and a camp site on the northern edge of the lake.

Mrs B had found a little place called Rai Ing Geng to stay at which offered basic bungalows for 600 baht a night or tent pitches for 100 baht. The journey however took longer than expected due to hellish road works from Bangsaphan to Pranburi, an hour's stock up at Macro, and a visit to a tackle shop in Tha Yang. Despite leaving at 6am it was gone midday by the time we arrived and most of the good spots were already taken by Bangkokians getting out of the city for the holiday.

Fortune had it that the place next door called T&P lake View had similar facilities and pitches and was less crowded so that is where we decided to set up camp ...
DSC_1457.jpg
DSC_1459.jpg
DSC_1460.jpg
DSC_1461.jpg
DSC_1465.jpg
DSC_1467.jpg
DSC_1470.jpg
tentview.jpg
DSC_1477.jpg
DSC_1478.jpg
DSC_1482.jpg
DSC_1482.jpg (135.29 KiB) Viewed 4498 times
DSC_1483.jpg
DSC_1483.jpg (120.06 KiB) Viewed 4498 times
DSC_1486.jpg
DSC_1488.jpg
DSC_1488.jpg (82.62 KiB) Viewed 4498 times
DSC_1490.jpg
DSC_1491.jpg
DSC_1491.jpg (104.01 KiB) Viewed 4498 times
DSC_1494.jpg
DSC_1495.jpg
DSC_1496.jpg
DSC_1499.jpg
DSC_1500.jpg
DSC_1501.jpg
DSC_1501.jpg (88.43 KiB) Viewed 4498 times
DSC_1510.jpg
DSC_1519.jpg
DSC_1519.jpg (75.24 KiB) Viewed 4498 times
More to follow...
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
User avatar
Vital Spark
Legend
Legend
Posts: 2044
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:34 pm
Location: Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by Vital Spark »

I love reading your trip reports - they're such an inspiration to visit places on our doorstep for not a lot of money. The photos (as always) are stunning. Did you manage to catch any fish for supper?

VS :cheers:
"Properly trained, man can be a dog's best friend"
RCer
Ace
Ace
Posts: 1294
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 12:48 pm

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by RCer »

Great photos. Looks like a beautiful place.
User avatar
Big Boy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 44944
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:36 pm
Location: Bon Kai

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by Big Boy »

Lovely photos. I'd also like to know how many fish you caught in 3 days.

Were you fishing legally? I thought it was illegal in National Parks. Or is that something I heard in a bar once, and assumed it was true?
Championship Plymouth Argyle 0 - 1 Preston NE :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Points 41; Position 18
User avatar
Big Boy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 44944
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:36 pm
Location: Bon Kai

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by Big Boy »

I've looked up the answer to my legality of fishing Keang Krachan. I guess they won't be arresting you any time soon. Well, not for fishing at least :wink:
Championship Plymouth Argyle 0 - 1 Preston NE :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Points 41; Position 18
User avatar
buksida
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 22472
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2002 12:25 pm
Location: south of sanity

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by buksida »

Will come on to the fishing shortly, for now on with the trip report ...

The drawback of the camp site was very little shade and the heat, despite it being February, was quite punishing so a cold beer was welcome once we’d got all the tents set up and the rods out. Another drawback was the fact that Thai people like noise and the Bangkokians didn’t hold back with their yappy rat-dogs, screechy scratchy women with voices like Minney Mouse on helium, and dire karaoke. Thankfully we were far enough away from them for it to bother us so we enjoyed the surroundings and hoped for some rod action.

We were fishing with bait cages stuffed with a mash of bread, powder, foul smelling liquid and a bunch of other green stuff the tackle shop recommended, these apparently are favoured by the large catfish that live in the lake. The barbecue was fired up, filling the air with the smell of cooking burgers and bangers, as the sun set directly in front of us, turning the dappled lake surface into a sparkling light show of yellow diamonds. A paddle out into the lake and out of sight of the weekend warriors at dusk rewarded me with a glimpse of several species of water bird and a chance to get the lures out for some snake-head fishing. Later on, well after dark, we decided to paddle out and take the baits and lines a lot further into deep water as nothing was happening around the lake’s edge.
DSC_1524.jpg
DSC_1525.jpg
DSC_1526.jpg
DSC_1526.jpg (98.85 KiB) Viewed 4215 times
DSC_1527.jpg
After an early and somewhat chilly start the next morning the kids set to work cooking breakfast on the fire (blank on the fish so we had sausage sandwiches) while we enjoyed a coffee, the sound of bird calls, and the tranquility of the lake which was like a and endless sheet of glass. During the day we escaped the heat of the camp site and drove around the lake to the dam area and entrance to the National Park. Our last visit here was over ten years ago and it was astounding how touristy it had become; restaurants, coffee shops, souvenir stalls, fancy resorts, seven-elevens, jet-ski and boat hire places … and of course hundreds of people from the big city driving like complete assholes.
DSC_1530.jpg
DSC_1535.jpg
DSC_1538.jpg
DSC_1541.jpg
DSC_1541.jpg (170.47 KiB) Viewed 4215 times
DSC_1542.jpg
DSC_1542.jpg (181.55 KiB) Viewed 4215 times
DSC_1545.jpg
DSC_1554.jpg
DSC_1555.jpg
DSC_1577.jpg
DSC_1579.jpg
DSC_1579.jpg (183.99 KiB) Viewed 4215 times
The National Park offers camping spots which apparently were free to Thais, the irony of people turning up in multi-million baht cars and SUVs to stay in a free tent made me chuckle, it was all very crowded and selfie centered so we had a little look, took a couple of shots, and moved on. The next spot was down by the river for lunch and a swim, waving at the rafting tours that went by, one almost every 30 seconds. The Electricity Authority who manage the dam release more water during long weekends in anticipation of the influx of local tourists to the area, which of course there were. The kids wanted a go at the ATV park so we stopped there on the way back to the campsite.

More to follow ...
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
User avatar
buksida
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 22472
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2002 12:25 pm
Location: south of sanity

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by buksida »

Back at the lake the sun was again dropping to treat us to another splendid sunset and a chance to paddle out to try fishing different spots and with different lures. It was then that it dawned upon us why our (and everyone else’s) fishing efforts had been rather fruitless. The locals had netted off almost the entire inlet and body of water so any big fish in the area would have already been taken out and the remainder would probably remain deep in the main lake, there were also countless floating bottles with cage fish traps at the bottom of them.

Conservation, sufficiency hunting/fishing, and environmental preservation is completely lost on Thailand, it is just a case of ‘me first, think of today, and take it all’.

Night two on camp was a more relaxed affair as we’d lost faith in the fishing and just enjoyed the surroundings and nature instead. Our only consolation was that very few of the other people visiting the lake had caught anything either, and for us just being there made it all worth while.
DSC_1583.jpg
DSC_1586.jpg
DSC_1586.jpg (156.7 KiB) Viewed 4101 times
DSC_1587.jpg
DSC_1588.jpg
DSC_1592.jpg
DSC_1594.jpg
DSC_1596.jpg
DSC_1596.jpg (68.86 KiB) Viewed 4101 times
DSC_1602.jpg
DSC_1603.jpg
DSC_1603.jpg (64.3 KiB) Viewed 4101 times
DSC_1605.jpg
DSC_1610.jpg
DSC_1610.jpg (34.33 KiB) Viewed 4101 times
DSC_1613.jpg
DSC_1613.jpg (189.38 KiB) Viewed 4101 times
DSC_1619.jpg
DSC_1631.jpg
DSC_1633.jpg
IMG_20170211_184925.jpg
Thanks for reading, full report and gallery here: http://ontheroadasia.com/kaeng-krachan- ... hing-trip/
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
lomuamart
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9731
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2002 12:25 pm
Location: hua hin

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by lomuamart »

Great report and photos, as always.
Shame you didn't catch anything but then again just sitting there with nature around and a cold beer is pretty acceptable and who cares when you've got sausage sandwiches as a back up? :cheers:
User avatar
caller
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10956
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:05 pm
Location: Hua Hin

Re: Photos: Kaeng Krachan reservoir camping trip

Post by caller »

Wonderful photos! Looks great. :thumb:
Talk is cheap
Post Reply