Malaysian discovers Thailand's border town of Betong has plenty to offer

If you win this lottery you’ll get a beautiful and surreal sea of clouds. But if you lose, then your view would be treetops, treetops and more treetops!

To see this beautiful natural phenomenon, it is necessary to stay overnight in the border town of Betong, a small place with much to offer, especially in terms of food. The dim sum here is good and cheap, with a wide variety to choose from.

A visit to Betong is not complete without trying their famous lao cai fish maw soup which features fish maw, quail eggs and shiitake mushrooms. Also try the pork trotters, and tom yum soup, if you get the chance.

If you decide to walk around town – which is the best option – use the clocktower as a focal point so you don’t get lost. There are many spas around which offer foot reflexology and massage services, too, so you can pamper your aching feet after a long day of walking.

There’s a night market in the middle of the town which we think is the best place to get some snacks.

For those wanting to check out the Ayerweng Skywalk, it’s better to stay overnight as you would have to set out in the wee hours of the morning (4 am at the latest). It takes about an hour to drive to the skywalk, and the road is winding and incredibly dark in some stretches.

Once you get to the parking area, you would need to take a tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi up to Ayerweng Skywalk. This costs THB30 (RM3.80) per trip, while the entrance ticket costs THB200 (RM25).

We took the lift up to the viewing deck and were so happy to see that thick clouds were welcoming us. It looked like we had stepped into Heaven. Thick clouds floated like clumps of whipped cream, with the beginnings of a sunrise colouring the sky in various shades of crimson on the horizon. The air was also crisp and cool. It was a dreamscape of sorts for all of us, except for those suffering from vertigo!

The glass floor unfortunately was not completely transparent, so we couldn’t really “feel” like we were truly floating on clouds.

The Winter Flower Garden is another place in Betong that is worth a visit. It’s a 30-minute drive from town and has beautiful, colourful flowers cultivated on hilly grounds.

It’s easy to stroll around the garden and the steps uphill are paved beautifully. Small artificial birds placed strategically around the area add to the allure and charm. There is also a narrow strip of man-made lake, where one can go boating on vintage-style Chinese boats for a fee.

To relax our tired feet, we stopped by the Betong Hot Spring. The entrance is free, and small shops are selling raw eggs, for visitors who want to experience cooking them in the natural hot spring water.

The red pillars along the shaded walkway give the feeling of a long temple corridor, with large Thai-style dragon statues nearby.

The original hot spring pond is out of bounds for foot soakers. Foot-soaking is only allowed in a big swimming pool filled with hot (or in this case, lukewarm) spring water.

Once we were done with the hot springs we headed back to town and stopped at the beautiful Suvarnos Cafe. This is a nice place to check out if you’re looking to take pictures for your Instagram.

Helen Yeo

The Star

Asia News Network