Soppong Things to Do
There’s only one big reason to stop in Soppong and this is nature, but there are infinite ways to enjoy it and explore it. Whether you love caves, trekking, kayaking, rafting, camping or even simply swimming in the river, that’s totally up to you, and we guarantee that when you leave after one, two or three days you’ll regret not to be able to spend more time in this area.
Soppong has so much to see and to do that a full holiday dedicated to this little beautiful corner would be necessary to fully appreciate it.
Caving
There are at least 200 limestone caves around Soppong and definitely more which haven’t been discovered yet. Whether you’re a total inexperienced or a skilled speleologist you will find something suitable to your level. Make sure you can rely on a legit tour guide when you’re exploring caves. Besides the fact that it can be dangerous to go alone, many of the caves are fragile formations and a more conscious tourism is highly necessary to prevent these wonders from being ruined forever.
Many of the guesthouses will offer tours and visits of different level and duration. Among them we recommend checking the Cave Lodge. They’ve been exploring this area for over 30 years now, and they can organize for you whatever you might need, even if you’re looking for serious caving expeditions in unexplored areas.
During our stay we opted for a private guided tour which included 3 caves – the Fossil Cave, the Waterfall Cave and Xmas Cave – and it was absolutely extraordinary (THB1800 for a group up to 3 pax)! We are not great fans of any guided activities preferring to explore all by ourselves wherever possible but this tour comes highly recommended. Expect a lot of caving, crawling, wading – you will get wet and dirty all way through – but you will 500% enjoy it.
The Waterfall Cave features a 300 m waterfall, the Fossil Cave boasts some 280 million years of history and the Xmas cave is one of the most spectacular underground chambers we’ve ever seen. There is also the Tham Pi Man complex of 83 caves, where almost 2000 years wooden coffins can be found and nothing or little is known about the populations that fabricated them. A day tour with Cave Lodge will take to some or all of these sites, with rates starting at THB750 per person.
The most accessible and popular cave is Tham Lod, a few km north from the main road. With his 1,5 km of length, it can be visited on foot with just a lamp but to get the best of it a bamboo rafts is ideal. When sunset comes, it turns into a magical experience when 300000 swifts return to their nest where they’ll spend the night. The main chambers can be visited all year round, while in certain times the smaller chambers may be inaccessible due to the water level.
The park entry is technically free of charge, but you’re not allowed to explore the cave without a guide, whom you can find outside the entrance and they will charge THB150 for a group of 3 persons. A bamboo raft is THB400 (again for 3 people).
Trekking
One or multiple days trekking tours can be arranged by almost every guesthouse and will take you to some of the many hill tribe villages. A multi-day tour will usually include a guide, accommodation in a homestay, all the meals and also caving adventures and bamboo rafting. Expect to pay THB2000/THB2500 for a 2/3 days tour. Some easy trekking is possible without guide starting directly from Soppong or nearby. At Cave Lodge they provide a free of charge detailed trekking map.
Kayaking
Kayaking over the small rapids of the Lang River is a lot of fun. A typical 3-hour tour (THB800) will teach you first of all how to control your kayak in a safe way and only after that will take you to Tham Lod where your headlamp will be the only light in the cave. Kayaking trips availability varies depending on the season. If you’re interested in a multi days kayak trip, email to Cave Lodge and if possible they’ll organize for you a customized adventure with the chance of camping by the river at night.
