One of Thailand’s smaller National Parks (721 square kilometres), Salawin National Park is diverse and none the less impressive. Located around 165 kilometres south of Mae Hong Son, the park is set in dense forest with the Salawin River passing through it. This river provides demarcation between Myanmar and Thailand and represents 120 kilometres of the border between the two countries. The park is well organized for treks, providing a 46-kilometre path that starts at the park headquarters and crosses hills and goes through jungle before ultimately finishing at Mae Sam Laeb — a village with a predominantly Burmese population. From here it is possible to hire long-tailed boats to take a trip up and down the river. If you travel north you reach Tha Ta Fang village which has a really nice pebble-laden beach. You need a permit for the park and this can be obtained from the park headquarters. A variety of accommodation is available in the park, and again the park headquarters provides details on this issue. The park will also advise on safety issues, there are Karen rebels in the area and occasional border conflicts between Thailand and Myanmar occur. Given the distance and size of the park organized tours will be the most effective approach to a visit here. However, if you are in your own vehicle you need to get to highway 1194 from Mae Sariang and turn right after about 4 kilometres. This puts you on a track (not a road really) that will take you to the park headquarters.
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