Travel & Adventure
Saturday October 15, 2005
Khao Yai’s ripe for exploring
Story & pictures By Liz Price
It was 6.30am, and a thick fog had reduced visibility to almost zero. The rain was falling and it was hard to see the road ahead.
The windscreen wipers did little to help – they removed the raindrops, but the fog still blanketed the road ahead. I was glad I wasn’t driving. I really thought I was back in England during the depths of winter, and had to keep reminding myself that I was in tropical Thailand in the height of summer.
We had an early start as it is supposedly a good time to see the creatures of the park. But I was wondering if any self-respecting animal would be out in this lousy weather. I didn’t think many birds would be flying, and all reptiles would surely be hiding until the day got warm enough. Maybe some of the park’s mammalian dwellers would put in an appearance.
A broad view of Khao Yai National Park.
Khao Yai National Park is Thailand’s oldest. It covers an area of over 2,000sq km and includes one of the largest intact monsoon forests in mainland Asia. Considered by many to be among the best national parks in the world, Khao Yai was recently designated as an ASEAN Heritage Site. When the park was established in 1961, the Thai government removed all hotels and golf course facilities from the park in order to reduce human influence.
The park encompasses a wide variety of habitats, including several rainforest terrains, evergreen forests and grasslands, as well as secondary forests. There are several mountains around 1,000m in height, including Khao Khieo, and quite a few waterfalls, the tallest of which is Haew Narok at 80m.
Almost 2,500 plant species have been recorded. The predominant landscape here is the rainforest. The park is unusual in that a main road runs through it. Visitors to Khao Yai, as well as people just using the road to pass through, have to pay the park entry fee. Of course, vehicles have to observe the speed limit and drive carefully. It takes about 50 minutes to drive from one side to the other, from Pak Chong in the north to Prachin Buri in the south.
The park is home to 67 species of mammals, many of which are endangered. They include elephants, gibbons, tigers, leopards, Asiatic black bear and Malayan sun bears. There are sambar and barking deer, gaur, wild pig, serow and various gibbon and macaques. Generally these animals are more easily spotted during the rainy season from June to October.
As we prepared to leave the hotel in the morning, I could hear gibbons calling from the mountains surrounding the hotel. But they were too far away to see. Driving into the park, the first furry residents we saw were a group of long-tailed macaques on the roadside. They were playing on the telegraph wires and foraging for food. As our car slowed down to look at them, they in turn looked at us, maybe hopeful of a free breakfast.
After driving through the forested area, we came upon open grassland. Our driver spotted two deer grazing contentedly, oblivious of the rain. Even when we stopped the car and pointed our cameras at the deer, they were not too perturbed and continued to feed.
Driving through the park, I was amused to read the road signs. One said, “Beware tiger zone.” The next one read, “Cobra crossing caution.” I had visions of a family of cobras slithering across the road, but, of course, none were to be seen. Another sign warned us “Beware you are entering wild elephant area”. Some 200-300 wild elephants have been recorded within the park’s boundaries
There are many species of animals in Khao Yai National Park, and among them is this deer.
Khao Yai is famous amongst bird watchers, and many ornithologists come here from all over the world. More than 300 feathered species have been recorded. The park is home to some of Thailand’s largest hornbills, including the great hornbill, the wreathed hornbill, Indian pied hornbill and rhinoceros hornbill. The best time to see the hornbill is between January and May, especially in the ficus trees as they feed on the figs.
Generally you hear hornbills before you see them, as the sound of their wings is quite distinctive when they are flying.
There are some caves in the park, although I didn’t get a chance to visit any. However I read that the caves are home to rare wrinkle-lipped bats and Himalayan ribbed bats. The entire area of the park is criss-crossed by over 50km of hiking trails, ranging in length from 1½km to 8km. There are 13 hiking trails, but some require experienced guides.
Before beginning any activities in the park, it is best to go to the Visitors Centre. Here you can get information on what to see and do in the park, and arrange guides for trekking. Apart from the trails and waterfalls, there are three wildlife-watching towers. There is a small reservoir, areas of grassland, and a salt lick. Although there are basic lodges in the park, we opted to stay in a resort outside the park.
At Pak Chong on the north side, there is a wide range of resorts, many catering to European tour groups and advertising French, Italian and other Western cuisines. The resorts spanned many kilometres of road leading to the park. However, at Prachin Burin on the other side of the park, I only noticed one or two resorts.
We stayed in Juldis Khao Yai Spa and Resort. It offers a variety of accommodation, as well as Thai and European cuisine, and there is even a nice pool. The more energetic can ride a bike, play tennis or go horse riding or canoeing.
Khao Yai park is a great place to explore. You can see parts of the park from the comfort of your car, but of course to see more you have to go on the hiking trails. W
Travel tips
Getting there
Khao Yai is located northeast of Bangkok, in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. You can access it from Pak Chong, which is on Highway 2 between Nakhon Ratchasima and Saraburi. Pak Chong is 25km from the park’s northern entrance. Alternatively, the southern entrance is reached from Prachin Buri.
If travelling by bus, take a bus from Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal to Pak Chong. From here you can take a songthaew to the park gates. The journey takes about 3½ hours.
Accommodation
Juldis Khao Yai Resort is located at 17km on Thanarat Road, the main road leading to Khao Yai National Park. The address: 54, Moo 4, Thanarat Road, T. Moosri, Pakchong, Nakorn Ratchasima 30130, 0-4429-7297.
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