Day 15, Monday, 18th March - Yala

Fond Memories....... Today we are leaving Betong with fond memories. It's the only place so far on this tour I'd wish to return to, but we will complete our site visits here which have already caused us to stay longer than was thought. You would have thought that the provincial town of Yala had more to offer than Betong but that's a bit like saying Chonburi is more important to the province than Pattaya: both Betong and Pattaya have expanded considerably due to tourism. The three nights here at Betong Hill Residence means that it receives a 'pass'. It's not the best accommodation on this tour, but we haven't found good enough reasons to change for the effort involved.
Betong has flown well under the radar and it must be so frustrating for the businesses here that foreign nationals apart from Malays are staying away. Betong Airport built in 2018 is not open simply due to insufficient passenger numbers causing Nok Air to suspend flights.
The plan for today is to complete remaining visits as best we can on the way north to Yala. I am expecting that this city will be an anti-climax. Let's hope not. In the overall plan there are just three more days to go before the primary objective of completing visits to Thailand's Deep South are met.
Final Visits....... We set off before 10.00 am but don't get far. Despite spending three nights here we haven't really concentrated on the town itself. The streets are always difficult to park in but this is probably the quietest time, and we stop were I can take photos of the amazing Street Art. Also nearby is the City Museum and I've been caught out yet again. I should know by now that museums all over Thailand are closed on Mondays. The museum could easily have been visited before now. There are a couple of other attractions in the city worth mentioning. So close to Betong Hill Residence are the Betong Stadium and Sud Siam Park located on a small hill. At least there's no parking issue at the park and I can stop and take some photos of city views. The park itself is a relatively new attraction and nicely laid out. Funds for its construction came from local donations. Now we must head north and pass the OK Betong sign but cannot park there at the moment due to roadworks.
All of the other attractions on my list today are natural ones as you would expect so deep into the mountains. There is no level land anywhere in this area and that includes in the town too. Due to the terrain I am expecting to have difficulties today in ticking all my boxes but it's most important to at least finish visits in Betong District if I can. The first group of attractions mean diversions off the main road 410 and I'm not particularly optimistic.
Chaloem Phra Kiat King Rama IX Waterfall....... We arrive close to where we were while visiting the Skywalk yesterday and I'm directed along a narrow road where there are few options for two cars to pass. Chaloem Phra Kiat King Rama IX Waterfall is supposed to be just 2.5 kilometres along this road, but we're used to the GPS locations being imprecise when it comes to finding natural attractions and the distance turns out to be more like double that. When we reach a path leading to the waterfall there is no indication that this is popular and worthwhile. Nevertheless, we walk along this path not really knowing how far it is to the main waterfall. Fortunately the path is well-made and not steep. I continued for several hundred yards then thankfully meet some visitors returning. They confirm now that it's not far to the main waterfall. When I reach it I am pleasantly surprised and so glad I made the effort. The waterfall here is lovely but while it's not the most spectacular example it's better than I've achieved so far on this tour. It's another attraction scratched off my list. Another attraction is listed further on and again needs a trip into the mountains.
Ban NaGor Hot Spring....... I'm not expecting Ban NaGor Hot spring to be anywhere near as pleasing as the one near Betong Town and early indications confirm this. As I wander down a pathway it is just too overgrown for anyone to visit. I do locate a pool that looks very much like it's a hot spring but it's so badly neglected and abandoned. I've done my best here so let's try another natural attraction, this one much easier to reach.
Rainbow Spray Waterfall....... Rainbow Spray Waterfall is at the head of a stream on the left of Road 410 heading north. The stream runs into the Pattani River at the headwaters of the Bang Lang Reservoir. Being quite near the main road I'm not surprised that it's attended meaning I have to pay a fee. However, my partner secures an age discount for me, so I end up paying half to normal fee of 100 baht. The reason we question the fee is that my frailty often means I can't walk the distances involved. At this waterfall it soon becomes clear that there is no pathway from the entrance, just and steel and plank staircase which hugs the contours of the narrow gorge. The effort that was needed to construct it explains why there is an entrance fee at all. There is no other way to the waterfall. As I push myself ascending and descending the stairs I'm driven by what I'm told, but finally reaching the end of the walkway the WOW factor kicks in. This is a narrow but high and powerful waterfall that should be missed off nobody's list.
No Sakai....... Next on my list is the Sakai Village but before we arrive we take a tasty meal by the roadside. The name of Sakai has bells ringing in my ears. Last year while visiting Satun Province I came across the Sakai, an indigenous tribe that is cut off from society in the remote forests along the Thai/Malay border. However if they are cut off from society why is it that they have a village for people to visit. I'm wondering if this is similar to the hill tribe villages of the north. We soon get answers and are told that the Sakai moved away a long time ago and that their village is now occupied by Muslims. Based on this, I scratch the visit off my list. Impersonations I won't pay for.
We are now into the northern districts of Yala Province and I want to close out the day with more natural attractions.
Tham Kra Chaeng....... From the name Tham Kra Chaeng, I know this is a cave and it's located in Bannang Sata District of Yala. It is reached quite easily from the road. As I approach I realise that this is a cavern where the stream has completely cut through the mountain so large that it once had a road running through it. This has since collapsed leaving it only suitable for motorbikes. There are a people here, children playing in the water while older people picnic in the shade of the cavern. All around I'm sad to report is filth and letter. How these communities live like this I never know.
Bang Lang Dam....... The mighty Bang Lang Reservoir is a major barrier to the route south from Yala to Betong as we've found out. There is no choice but to use twisting roads to skirt around it. I've seen it, I've photographed it, I've marveled at it so now let's visit the massive dam itself.
The Bang Lang Dam, also known as the Pattani Dam is a multi-purpose hydroelectric dam in Bannang Sata District. It was the first multi-purpose dam developed in Thailand's southern region. The dam impounds the Pattani River, creating the Bang Lang Reservoir. The dam and it's accompanying power plant were developed as part of the Pattani Project.
The Bang Lang Dam is an earth core rock fill dam. It is 430 m (1,410 ft) long and 85 m (279 ft) high. Its reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 1,420,000,000 m3 (5.0×1010 cu ft) with a catchment area of 2,080 km2 (800 sq mi). It is considered multi-purpose supporting electricity generation, irrigation, flood control, fisheries and recreation activities..
While there is no access to the road across the dam or nearby infrastructure, there is a road up to a viewpoint on a nearby hill. From here you can look south taking in the amazing views of the Bang Lang Reservoir while to the north there are wonderful views of the Pattani River which empties into the Gulf of Thailand.
There are a couple of other attractions before we reach Yala but fearful of another hard day we continue into the city for the very first time.
Ban Thongdee Resort....... While checking for facilities in this city I'm surprised how few accommodation options there are. It's hard to find another provincial capital so poorly catering for tourism. This as we now know is in complete contrast to Betong. However, what attractions there are here are hard to access from Betong. With nothing obvious that I could book online, Katoon commits to calling around at lesser known resorts and comes up with Ban Thongdee Resort. At least we have something for tonight. We arrive knowing that this resort has a rustic natural feel as opposed to the modern apartment blocks and so it proves. Personally is doesn't matter to me as long as it's clean and with adequate table-top space and power sockets. At 600 baht it's average for what we pay. There is no breakfast and the only other negative is location: There is absolutely nothing nearby, so we need to venture further into the city. Eventually we head out and for the second night in a row it's splashing out time with a gorgeous seafood meal..
With few options now around Yala City we won't need to spend more than two nights here. Tomorrow we should wrap things up completing the last province I've visited.
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