Where to go, few days in Sept

Wheres a good place to go for a couple of days in September?

I fancy a couple of days out of the city.
I like places were theres not a lot of people (not any people is best ;+).
I want to camp and like camp sites were I can be next to the car.
Nothing too easy nor too strenuous.
Fancy photographing mammals (something as simple as squirrels will do as I have failed miserably with them so far)
Want it to be within 6/7 hours drive of BKK. Def not more than 6/7 hours.

Wheres good to go an a wet September weekend for someone who want a quiet corner somewhere?

Where not to go :+) .............

Phu Khieo was very very quiet. I did finally find a way to get there in less than 8 hours though - the trick from BKK is set the GPS for Chaiyaphum and not change it to Chumpae until after you are on the 201 HWY (Do not choose to put Phu Khieo as a destination in the GPS straight from Bangkok as it will take you much longer!). It was less than 6.5 hours from my home to the hotel.

Nam Nao was very very noisy - masses of construction going off in the HQ and the noise is horrendous.

Tat Mok - closed for rainy season ;+)

Closer to home next weekend I think.

I do like CR, but not for animals. I think its a fantastic place to just go and take in the beautiful valley and limestone. I must get back there this year as I don't think I have been for at least a couple of years now.

I decided to go off and do some project stuff in KK. Everything below KM 18 is very dry, up at PT everything is wet from its own climate and the night/morning mist. I suspect next dry season is going to be another very dry one. The parks doing a lot of well thought sympathetic clearing and adding of water points.They just need the rain now.

Gonna head East this weekend and prob do some macro - I was having a year off macro but am getting a yearning to grub around on the forest floor!

I noticed some pictures on facebook posted by the rangers with a totally dry stream bed, but ws not sure if these were really recent pictures.
Let's hope end of September and October will get some exceptional rainfall...

It already seemed noticable early wet season this year that there was a lot less amphibians around in the river. They will be the first ones to suffer from serious drought, at least certain species. It is still however largely a natural event, though we humans might have our influence on this whole climate change.

onflipflops wrote:

I noticed some pictures on facebook posted by the rangers with a totally dry stream bed, but ws not sure if these were really recent pictures.

I should have taken a picture of the BK stream crossings - but a trickle. Hopefully it will change, I suspect that there has not been enough constant rain yet to saturate the soil of the valley sides. I was surprised as Bangkok has had lots of rain. Anyone know where to find rainfall records?

Well after this year's extremely dry season, I guess ground water level has dropped quite significantly. Need a lot of constant rain to fill that up. I think short heavy showers will not saturate the soil, but just flow out quickly. End of July I witnessed a flash flood at Ban Krang, but it shows the water disappears quickly after a heavy shower.
I also have my questions about the water that is used for the campground. Wouldn't it be possible (but yes it would cost money) to get pipelines with water into the park just for use on the camp. Now the water is primarily taken from the area near km18 and therefore the stream stops flowing after that...