Imagine sitting on a rooftop of a restaurant eating moo krata, surrounded by limestone cliffs whilst millions of bats stream across the setting sky – seems unreal, but that’s what we experienced in a little hidden town called Ban Mung. When I told my friends and family we were heading to Phitsanulok, a province about 380 km north of Bangkok, they were all wondering what I was planning to do there for so many days. For many, the province is a short pit stop on the way to more popular places like Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. However, I had seen a video of someone hiking a jagged mountain with hundreds of sharp peaks in the town of Ban Mung. The scenery looked out of this world and I had to make the trip to cross it off my bucket list!
The bats
On the first evening in town we went to have dinner near the town’s official bat viewing point. There were big bat statues and lots of bat cartoons and decorations around. At 5pm people started gathering in the area, we ordered our moo krata and looked out to the cliffs with no expectations. As the sky dimmed, the first cloud of bats emerged from a cave in a continuous ribbon, weaving back and forth like a stream of a river. From the opposite side of the mountain, another stream emerged. They danced and crossed paths in the sky, then another line formed. Being on the rooftop, they felt so close. This went on until it got dark, until the colours of the bats blended in with the colour of the night. There must’ve been millions of them, it felt endless. Although we didn’t come to Ban Mung for the bats it was definitely a spectacular surprise, we even went to a different viewing spot to see them again on our second night!
The adventure
The next day we got up nice and early before the sun rose, 6am was when we had to meet up with our guides. With helmets and torches on our heads, and thick gloves on our hands, we were ready for the adventure! The two local guides (along with a resident stray dog) walked us through the darkness, we went through a rubber plantation before ascending the rocky mountain called Khao Long Ruea Ta Muen. Holding onto ropes and climbing ladders, we eventually made our way up the steep incline to the first viewpoint at 6.45am. We soaked in the panoramic views of the region and the beautiful glow of the morning light before continuing upwards to the rest stop. Once at the rest stop, our guides made us hot coffee and gave us some light snacks. Sitting on the bamboo platform, we enjoyed the views and light breeze while sipping on our coffees.
The thick gloves came in handy in the next section. We walked through the jagged peaks, along the ridges and climbed up and over sharp rocks to the different viewpoints. At times I found myself semi-crawling along the uneven, narrow and steep pathway – looking down definitely doesn’t help! At this point it was more of a scramble and climb and less of a hike. As we went deeper amongst the rocks I became more amazed with the formations that were surrounding us, it was such a unique sight and experience. Hundreds of peaks seemingly popping out of nowhere.
After looping back to the rest stop, our wonderful guides (pictured in yellow/green shirts) brought out packed breakfasts which they explained were home cooked by people in the community. On the way down, they pointed out some prehistoric fossilised corals and fish in the rocks which added to the marvel of this trip. Our short adventure ended at around 10.30am and after freshening up, we relaxed and explored the town for the rest of the day.
The town itself was so picturesque, surrounded by limestone cliffs, flower fields, farmland and lush vegetation. Every corner you turn was a photo opportunity. Locals offered tractor-tour services where you can hop onto their farm tractors and get taken to touristic spots around town. We decided to follow one and ended up at a temple hidden within a cave right near where the bats came out. We loved what this quaint little town had to offer and will definitely come back to explore their climbing walls.
Note : This trip was taken in late December 2024. Khao Long Ruea Ta Muen is only open during the dry season and has to be pre-booked at least 3 days prior via Thung Salaeng Luang National Park. As of December 2024, the cost is 1000 – 1500 Baht per person depending on group size. Non-Thai citizens have an additional 200 Baht fee. This includes local guides, national park entry fee, insurance, all equipment and food and drinks.
For those looking for more adventure you can also pre-book in for an exploration at the nearby caves Tham Duan – Tham Dao. There are also multiple bouldering and climbing spots around town.
