Kathu Waterfall and Phuket Cable Ski

The Kathu area of Phuket is where I live. It's not far from Patong Beach (just over the hill on the way to Phuket town) and if you wish to get away from the most touristy beach in Thailand, get on a bike and ride over that hill past the temple on the hill, down to a quiet, largely residential area with a lot of history (Kathu was the center of the tin mining industry, and the famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival originated here). The daily Kathu market is worth a visit and you'll find temples in and around the village.

But there's more! If you turn left at the lights next to the Caltex gas station, you pass the market and are heading towards Loch Palm Golf Course and the old Kathu village when you will see a left turn to Kathu Waterfall (Nam Tok Kathu). There's actually a fair amount of new houses around this area - Kathu is getting quite popular! The road up to the waterfall winds along for several kilometers. It's all residential with houses old and new. Along the way you pass the entrance to the Cable Ski - more of that later...



We were lost for something to do last Saturday afternoon after a rainy morning had scuppered plans for the beach. We had not headed to the waterfall for ages, although we have several friends living up that road. There is nothing much AT the waterfall. There was an effort to make it nice about 10 or more years ago. The broken down and rather overgrown appearance of the area gives away the fact that nobody really cares any more. There are old tables and a stairway taking you up into the hills, but it's all old now. I guess the reason for this is simple... the waterfall is not exactly Niagara.. more of a trickle, though perhaps more impressive after a couple of days heavy rain.

• Kathu Waterfall on Google Earth





We just walked up the first section of stairs, took a few photos, got our 10 minutes exercise and headed down again... I guess I first went about 6 years ago. My wife remembers a few years before that and said it used to be very nice. The one thing you do get is a pumping heart as you climb the stairs and a chance to walk in the jungle and see lots of tropical flora. And it's quiet and the air is fresh.






Phuket Cable Ski (as was just mentioned) is along the road to Kathu Waterfall. It's quite a big set up, with a 400 meter long lake surrounded by hills and palm trees. You can try wakeboarding, water skiing, kneeboarding. Lessons are available but every time I have looked in there have been some more experienced folk too, doing flips, jumps and other fancy stuff. I admit to not being an adrenaline junkie, so have never tried, though I have been rafting on the Zambezi and raced bicycles downhill at 80 kph in the Pyrenees... My wife and a couple of her friends did try kneeboarding one time.





The prices are reasonable I guess - 500 Baht for an hour or 850 Baht for half a day. On Saturday there were plenty of kids there, but I don't think any were tourists! All local kids. My wife recognised a few from my daughters school. It's another quiet place to visit. If you never tried wakeboarding before... worth a go. You can also go running around the lake.





• More information: Phuket Cable Ski Website
• Phuket Cable Ski Location on Google Earth

• Update 2011 - new story and photos of Kathu Waterfall