On my day off from working at the English camp, myself and two other amigos headed out from our bungalows, rented bikes, and drove up to Khao Yai National Park for the day. This post will tell you what’s good. For clarity, we entered through the north entrance near Pak Chong.
What makes Khao Yai National Park special?
Khao Yai National Park is the 3rd largest national park in Thailand and was established in 1962. The park covers an area of 2,168km and is mostly comprised of thick highland jungle as well as some grasslands. Khao Yai National Park is famous for its abundant wildlife including wild elephants, monkeys, and deer. It also has two big beautiful waterfalls to visit with Haew Suwat being the scene of the famous waterfall jump in the 2001 Leo DiCaprio movie The Beach.
How to get there?
Khao Yai National Park is about 3 hours north of Bangkok and would make an excellent weekend retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Guesthouses and hotels can be found in abundance around the approaches to the park and in nearby Pak Chong.
Once at Pak Chong, or just outside the north entrance to the park, you can rent motorbikes for the duration of your stay. Having a motorbike to ride through the park makes a hell of a difference. It was super convenient as it meant that my friends and I were able to get to see everything we wanted on our own timetable. Plus, on a bike it is much easier to see wildlife as you can stop where you want to take pictures and not have to worry about missing out like you would if you were part of a tour. Just be sure to gas up before going in, you don’t want to run out of gas out in tiger country! (Joking, tigers are rarely seen now in this part of the park).
What to see/do?
Most of the park is covered in thick highland jungle but there are some grasslands. There are also several waterfalls to visit, the most notable being Haew Suwat, of The Beach, and Haew Narok. If you only have time for one, I’d recommend Haew Suwat. Not only is it more famous but it really is more exotic, not to mention that the trail to Haew Narok gets extremely steep and is not for those of lesser inclination. I should also note that while people have jumped the Haew Suwat 25 meter waterfall, you are now prohibited from doing so and it has been like this for at least 10yrs as there have been deaths.
The other major attraction, besides the beautiful surroundings of the jungle, is the abundant wildlife that inhabits the park. It is possible to see deer, gibbons, elephants, tigers, leopards, bears, wild dogs, and other species throughout the park. You will almost certainly see deer as they like to hang out around the Visitor Center. You will also probably see monkeys including gibbons. On the way to Haew Narok we saw a ton of monkeys. As for the elephants, obviously a big draw for tourists, it is harder to say. We didn’t see any, but we saw plenty of elephant poop out on the road to Haew Narok so they must be out there! The other animals likes the tigers, leopards, bears, and wild dogs, are rarely seen and mostly only come out at night but especially in the less visited parts of the park away from the trails and roads.
Besides going for hikes down the numerous trails or driving around looking for wildlife, another cool thing you can do is actually camp inside the park at one of several designated camping grounds. This is totally safe, though you might wake up to find deer gently grazing outside of your tent. Another word of warning, if you do decide to go hiking along the trails, stick to them! Every year people get lost in the park, sometimes for days, after wandering off the trails….
Another really cool thing we did was go bat watching. We drove our bikes out into the countryside, after leaving the park, and went to a spot where it is possible to see literally thousands of bats flying together in arching trails through the sky. The best time to go is just before sundown. We went on our own but it is possible to pay to get a guide to take you there. This was arguably the highlight of our day, it was incredible to see so many bats and the sound they made as they flew all around us.
Food and drink?
If you are entering the park at the north entrance near Pak Chong, it is a short drive to the Visitor Center where nearby are a number of food stalls and restaurants/cafes with seating areas. There is also a small convenience store there for snacks, drinks, ponchos, etc. It might be an idea to bring your own food and drink.
How much?
It is 400 baht to get in to the park for farangs, but the ticket does allow you to go in and out of the park on that date. To take a motorbike in it costs an additional 30 baht.
Food can be found in the park for under 100 baht depending on what you are looking for. It is also more than possible to eat cheaply in Pak Chong and the surrounding area if you eat Thai food.
Motorbikes can be rented for around 300 baht a day but that may change depending on where you rent it. Typically just a copy of your passport is needed to rent a bike.
Accommodation can be found for as low as 400 baht a night and up near the park and in Pak Chong.
I hope this post proves useful to any trips you make out to this beautiful part of the country! Like if you enjoyed the post! Leave a comment about your own experience! Share to a friend if you know they’re making a trip this way! Subscribe if you want to see more posts like this!
A Backpacking Teacher 