The namesake rapids are a result of large rocks that protrude during the dry months, including a sandstone boulder with a cement marker placed here during the French colonial era.
The rapids can be accessed from either side of the Moon, where two footbridges take visitors to Don Tana, a small riverine island blanketed in teak forest. A sign claims that one of these is the longest suspension bridge in Northeast Thailand, which really isn’t saying all that much. A few small patches of sand and rocks are conducive to relaxing beside the river, an activity popular with local teenagers. Locals use nets to try and catch the fish that teem in underwater caves.
Near the visitor centre on the southern bank of the Moon, a 1.5 km nature trail leads to a large cave, Tham Pu Ma Nai or Tham Phra, where a roughly 1300-year-old inscription proclaiming the supremacy of a certain Khmer prince was discovered. It’s now displayed in Ubon Ratchathani’s National Museum.
Five km south of the park’s main entrance off Highway 2173, Tat Ton waterfall is worth the side trip if you’re here between August and January, when it’s not completely dried up. Water flows over a rock shelf that stands only a couple of metres high but stretches for the entire width of the Tat Ton river. Many smooth notches provide places to sit back within or behind the cascading water. Expect plenty of locals if visiting on a weekend.
The park has a rather unkempt feel and, depending on your budget and time restraints, may not be worth the 200 baht charge for foreign adults. Little or no English is spoken at the visitor centre, but we were given an English brochure. Accommodation is available near the rapids, though it’s only in the form of large bungalows that appear to be designed for school kids on field trips. The smallest sleeps five and costs 1,000 baht a night.