Yes, you read the title correctly: this one-day road trip from Hua Hin takes you to a very unique combination of experiences.
The destination is Pala-U waterfall, 60 kilometers from Hua Hin, but if the truth to be told, the waterfall is the least interesting attraction of the trip. The true reason why to go there is what lies on the way.
1. Start the trip in the morning. You’ll get to the right road, number 3218, by taking Hua Hin Soi 70 and turning right soon after crossing the railway line.
2. The first stop is at Wat Huay Mongkol, which is located 20 kilometers from the city center. Follow the signposts. A small apartment building -sized statue of monk Luang Por Tuad sits in a lotus position in the middle of temple grounds. Luang Pu Thuat was one of Thailand’s most famous monks of all time. Luang Pu Thuat lived in the 17th century and performed numerous miracles in the Southern Thailand.
At one occasion Luang Por Tuad got shipwrecked on a small islet near Khanom and rescued the ship crew by dipping his toes in the sea. The holy man’s touch turned seawater to the sweetest nectar and the crew was saved until the rescuers found them.
Amulets containing Luang Pu Thuat’s image are believed to hold great protective powers, especially saving the lives of believers from seemingly fatal automobile accidents.
3. The next stop is Hua Hin Hills Vineyard. Yes, you can find wine made in Thailand. Still not convinced? Try yourself some wine tasting on the vineyard. And since in Thailand, here the elephants have substituted tractors – at least in the vineyard’s advertising posters.
4. The trip continues almost 40 kilometers along the road number 3219 to Pala-U waterfall. It is a short walk from the parking lot to the waterfall. Relax and enjoy the tropical greenery around you. Engage on your return journey only in the afternoon, earliest at three o’clock, if you want to see wild elephants.
5. Finally it is the time for the trip’s ultimate highlight. The jungle surrounding Pala-U waterfall is home to more wild elephants than anywhere else in Thailand. In the afternoon some of the elephants gather on the road number 3219, which leads to the waterfall. Elephants have been stopping the cars on the road and stretching their trunks to demand fruit tax from the drivers. The sight is impressive and exciting, but be cautious: accidents have taken place. Elephants are so strong that crashing a car is no big feat for them.
