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Bua Thong waterfall is less than 70 kilometers from the lively city of Chiang Mai. But this is no ordinary waterfall, because the minerals in the water leave a layer on the stones, making them feel rough. This allows you to climb the Bua Thong waterfall. Hence the name Sticky waterfall. Dangerous? No, but great fun!

Sticky waterfall

The sticky waterfall has different levels from which you can start climbing. As soon as you arrive, you’re at level 1. The best thing to do is to take the stairs on the right down until you arrive at level 3. Here you drop your stuff and you can start climbing!

The stones offer a lot of grip, but beware! Some pieces may be slippery. The dark brown and green pieces of stone in particular are often slippery. Along the way you’ll come across a sign with ‘slippery route’. This route is also only for the daredevils.

While climbing you can sometimes hold on to ropes. You will see that these ropes also have a mineral layer because they hang in the water. Yet they also offer good grip.

After or before climbing you can take fantastic photos at the viewpoint at the top of the waterfall.

Sticky waterval Chiang Mai ThailandBua Thong Sticky waterval Chiang MaiViewpoint Chiang Mai

Tired of climbing on the waterfall? Then it’s nice to visit the blue lagoon. You’ll find this lagoon when you walk down the walking path at the top of the waterfall (level 1). After a few hundred meters you will find a crystal clear blue pool. From the blue lagoon you can still walk through the jungle. Swimming here isn’t possible, but it’s great to see. You can also decide to walk a bit further into the jungle. Maybe you’ll spot some wildlife!

Blue lagoon

The sticky waterfall is a fun activity for both children and adults. Especially during the week it is nice and quiet, so a great time to visit.

At the beginning there are stalls and a restaurant where you can buy something to eat and drink.

What to bring

How to get to the Sticky Waterfall

There are several ways to reach the Bua Thong waterfall.

scooterFor example, you can rent a scooter. From the old center of Chiang Mai, this ride will probably take about 2 hours.

taxiYou can also choose to rent a taxi (preferably with the app Grab) or songthaew (red taxi) for a day. The drive to the waterfall takes about an hour. We paid 2000 baht for a whole day. Because we were four, we only paid 500 baht per person. Converted about € 13 for a whole day! If you’re a group of people this is a very good option.