Thailand is truly a beautiful place for a vacation along with the world’s most beautiful places to see. The Khao Yai National Park stands as one of the topmost parks of the world. The Khao Yai Park is the oldest and most visited park in Thailand as well. This park is located about 2,5 hours in the north of Bangkok. It was first established in 1962 and covers an area of 2168 sq km. It also incorporates the world’s largest monsoon forests in Asia and that is declared as one of the World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
We had always wanted to visit the Khao Yai National Park and now felt like just the right time to pack our bags and experience all of it. And we cannot believe that we took so long to visit this wonderful place. As soon as we entered the park, we were flooded with the number of places to go to. The options were so many that we decided to start off with the exploration of flora and fauna.
The Flora and the Fauna
What’s a park without some really beautiful flowers and animals? Parks help us connect with nature and are just the place to find the rarest flowers and birds. We found the Khao Yai National Park to be mostly forested and found many different types of forestation there too. As we walked through the tropical rain-forest, hill and dry evergreen forest as well as the grasslands we found them quite magnificent miracle of nature.
And what more to admire is the fact that there is a great variety of species of plants and animals that just leaves you astounded. There are almost 2000 species in the park you can see with your own eyes. You get to witness much more as you look around. There are tons of birds along with at least 5 hiking trails. There are waterfalls that just make it a lot more majestic.
Cave and the Hiking
When we arrived at the guesthouse, we didn’t know quite how to begin so began with touring a few caves and a natural spring nearby. The waterfalls were simply wonderful. When we entered the cave, we encountered numerous bats that really was a sight to see. The guide informed that this cave was previously a Buddhist monastery but was soon turned into a proper temple by the locals. The cave is really serene and dark that makes it perfect for a temple so people can meditate.
After that, we moved on to the hike. There were several trails that our guide informed us of. Some of these were easy ones and others were challenging really with a lot of kilometers to walk. We chose one of the easy ones to save the energy to enjoy the other activities as well. We went on the one that begins from behind the visitor center. It is easy and you get to see many things while there. While trekking you can also witness the Siamese crocodiles nearby. But you must be careful about not provoking them as they might bite you.
Other Activities
One of the most memorable things about the trip was the gibbons. There were the white-handed ones and the pleated ones. It is the most enjoyable experience when you hear them singing songs in the morning. It is best that you go to see them with the guide who will help to the best way to do that.
If you are looking for an elephant to watch then you most certainly should look in the many grasslands and salt licks that you visit. It is believed that there are almost 400 elephants in the park and you have a greater chance of spotting them if you search for them around sunrise or after sunset. And an even more ideal time to spot them would be having a safari night like us.
You can also go bird watching because you will find the rarest species of birds there. Along with that, there are almost 5 waterfalls that were a beautiful experience. As we went through the park, we found various into-spots that were too gorgeous not to post about. After living in the city for so much time a dive into nature is sometimes what we need.
As we spent some alone time in a park, we as a couple reconnected and found a lot more about ourselves without the busy routine. We think it was the surroundings that were so calming that it felt like a surreal experience.
Night Safari
Rather than just sleeping at the night, we wanted to make the full use of our time here and went on a night safari. Night Safaris is one of the highlights of our trip to the Khao Yai National Park. As we took off in an open jeep, it just felt like we were from the national geographic experience some of the most beautiful miracles nature has to offer. It was a wonderful time as we spotted more elephants, deer and porcupines. It was something that just stays with you forever. But while on it do not forget your mosquito repellents, coats and scarves as a precaution.
If you are in for a longer stay than us, then you can camp as well. Many families there were having a lovely time camping. Or you could book a cabin and experience a homier feel. Make sure to have an early dinner like us because the eating places shut early in the park or you would have to leave the park to get some food.
We had a wonderful time there. It was a perfectly romantic place that was serene and full of nature helping us reconnect on a different level. If you are looking for great family time or some adventurous weekend, then Khao Yai park is the place for you. The idea of out with the wild is just exhilarating as it sounds.
Deer is Travelling 