Thursday, December 1, 2011

Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

About 120km northeast of Bangkok, the unrelieved cultivated lushness of the central plains gives way to the thickly forested Phanom Dongrek mountains.A 2168-square-kilometer chunk of this sculpted limestone range has been conserved as KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK, one of Thailand's most rewarding reserves, and certainly its most popular. Spanning five distinct forest types, Khao Yai (Big Mountain) sustains three hundred bird and twenty large land-mammal species, and offers a plethora of waterfalls and several undemanding walking trails.

 Although Khao Yai can be done as a long day-trip from Bangkok, it really   
deserves an overnight stop: there’s  camping and basic accommodation in the park itself, and plenty of more comfortable options just beyond the perimeter and in the nearby town of Pak Chong. It's quite easy to trek around the park by yourself, as long as you stick to the official trails, but as some of Khao Yai’s best features - its waterfalls, caves and viewpoints - are as much as 20km apart, you might get more satisfaction from joining a tour. Try to avoid visiting at weekends and holidays, when the trails and waterfalls get ridiculously crowded and the animals make themselves scarce. Even at quite times, don't expect it to be like a safari park - patience, a soft tread and a keen-eyed guide are generally needed, and it's well worth bringing your own binoculars if you have them. Finally, be prepared for patches of fairly rough terrain, and pack some warm clothes, as the air can get quite cool at the higher altitudes in the park, especially at night.

Practicalities
 Whether you decide to see Khao Yai on your own or as part of a tour, your first port of call has to be the small market town of PAK CHONG, 37km north of Khao Yai's visitor center and major trailheads, and served by trains and buses from lots of major towns. One of the two recommended Khao Yai tour leaders operates from Pak Chong, and there are a couple of places to stay in town too, should you decide to base yourself outside the park. If, the other hand, you want to head straight up to Khao Yai, you need to get a songthaew from Pak Chong town center.

Song Thaew Car to Khao Yai National Park
 
Thanon Tesaban cuts right though the middle of Pak Chong and are essentially the town center. Small side roads (sois) shoot off ThanonTesaban in parallel lines to the north and south; the sois to the north are odd-numbered in ascending order from west to east (Soi 13 to Soi 21) and the sois on the south side of the road have even numbers, from west to east (fron1 Soi 8 to Soi 18). There’s a currency-exchange counter (bank hours) on the south side of the main road between the footbridge and Soi 18, a supermarket about 200m further west, plenty of minimarkets and several internet centers, including Prints @ Paper, 100m up Soi 17 on the right.
Trains from Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Khorat, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani all stop at Pak Chong train station on the northern edge of Pak Chong, one block north of the main road,ThanonTesaban. Buses to Pak Chong tend to be faster and more frequent: the most useful direct services include those from Bangkok and Khorat. Long-distance buses all stop in the town center, on the main road: buses from Bangkok generally pull in beside the footbridge on the north (rail-line) side of the road, while buses from the north and the northeast drop passengers on the other, south, side of the footbridge.
The cheapest way to get from Pak Chong to Khao Yai is to take a
Visitor Center on Khao Yai National Pari
 songthaew: these leave from outside the 7-11 shop, 200m west of the footbridge on the north side of the main road, or sometimes from the corner of nearby Soi 21; they depart about every thirty minutes between 6.30am and 5pm, take around half an hour and cost B15. Songthaews, however, are not allowed to enter the park itself, so you will be dropped at the park checkpoint, about 14km short of the Khao Yai visitor center, park headquarters and most popular trailheads. At the checkpoint (where you pay the B200 national park entrance fee), park rangers will flag down passing cars and get them to give you a ride up to the visitor center; this is normal practice and quite safe. The whole journey from Pak Chong to Khao Yai visitor center takes about an hour; if you want to stay in the park overnight (see opposite) you should try to arrive at the visitor center well before 5pm when the office shuts, as after that it may be impossible to organize your accommodation and blankets.
It’s also possible to charter a songthaew from Pak Chong to the park: chartered songthaews count as private vehicles, so they’re allowed to go past the checkpoint and will take you wherever you like. The current asking price is about B600 (now or more) for the ride from Pak Chong to Haew Suwat waterfall, or about B1000 (now or more) for a return trip, including several hours in the park. Songhaews can be chartered from the stop outside the 7-11 shop.
Coming back from the park is often easier; as day-trippers will usually give lifts all the way back down to Pak Chong. If you don’t fancy that, either get a lift as far as the checkpoint, or walk to the checkpoint from the visitor center - it’s a pleasant three - to four-hour, fourteen-kilometer walk along the fairly shaded park road, and you'll probably spot lots of birds and some monkeys and deer as well. At the checkpoint you can pick up a songthaew to Pak Chong: the last one usually leaves here at about 5.30pm.

Accommodation and eating
You have several options when it comes to accommodation in and around Khao Yai, but note that if you decide to do a tour, it’s usual to stay in the lodgings run by your tour guide.

Staying in the Park
If you're intending to do several days' independent exploring in the park, the most obvious place to stay is the national park dormitories next to the park headquarters and visitor center in the heart of Khao Yai. Accommodation here is extremely basic and can get very cold, but at B30 per person plus B15 per blanket it's cheap and very convenient. Showers and toilets are provided and you should be able to beg a sleeping mat if you don't have your own. On week nights you may well have one of the big wooden huts to yourself, but on weekends they can get packed out with groups of Thai students and you may even not be able to get a space. You can also hire a tent (from B150, depending on the size) at the Pha Kluai campground, which is about 4km east of the park headquarters, on the road to Haew Suwat falls; there are showers and toilets on site, and you can pitch your own tent here for B20. If you want to be sure of getting a dorm bed or tent you'll need to book ahead through the Royal Forestry Department in Bangkok, but most travelers simply turn up at the park on the day.
There's no need to bring food and water supplies with you as there are half a dozen foodstalls and snack sellers in a building near the park headquarters. They serve hot noodles, curries and rice dishes and sell fresh fruit, drinking water, beer, hot coffee and crisps. The stalls open from about 6am to 8pm; bring plenty of small denomination notes with you as change can be a problem.

The park road
The 23-kilometer road that runs from Pak Chong up to the park checkpoint (ThanonThanarat) is dotted with luxurious "lodges", aimed squarely at Thai weekenders but by no means unfriendly to vacationing farangs. Thai guests nearly always arrive by car, but most lodges can arrange transport from Pak Chong; the Pak Chong songhaew will also bring you here. Addresses are determined by the nearest kilometer marker on Thanon Thanarat. If you don’t have your own transport you'll be restricted to your lodge's restaurant for most of your meals.
Set in a lush and beautifully landscaped garden, complete with a swimming pool, ponds and an aviary Khao Yai Garden Lodge is a nicely designed bungalow resort 12km out of Pak Chong, at kilometer-stone 7. Run by the congenial and well-informed

Juldis Khao Yai Resort, Pak Chong

Klaus, it offers a few simple rooms with shared facilities as well as a range of better-appointed en-suite ones, some of which have air-con and extra beds for kids. Klaus organizes day and overnight tours of the park as well as day-trips to the Khmer temples and other major sighs of lsaan. Juldis Khao Yai Resort (Tel : 044297271-8 0# 100 or www.khaoyai.com), at kilometer-stone 17, offers good-value upmarket accommodation in its large, comfortably furnished air-conditioned rooms, each of which has a balcony with garden or pool view. There are three swimming pools, several tennis courts, a not very interesting restaurant and a pub on the premises, and the hotel rents mountain bikes and can arrange tours into the park.

Pak Chong
The obvious drawback to basing yourself in Pak Chong itself is that it's about an hour’s journey from the Khao Yai trailheads. On the plus side, there's a passable, inexpensive hotel here and an exceptionally good night market, so if you only want to do one day’s walking in the park, it's not such a hardship to make an early start and take the songthaew there and back.
Pak Chong’s most acceptable budget hotel is the Phubade Hortel (tel. 0 4431 1979, 04431 1301, 0 4431 4964-5 fax. 0 4431 4964), located just 50m south of the train station onTesaban Soi 15; from the station, go straight down the steps and look for the "Hotel" sign on your right, opposite the ice-cream shop. Coming from the bus stop, cross to the north side of the main road if necessary, walk 400m west and then turn right up Tesaban Soi 15. The hotel is spartan and shabby but fairly clean, and has both fan and air-conditioned rooms, all with bathrooms. Alternatively, you could try the Happy Trail Tour Guest House , located just a few meters from the train station on the same soi. Rooms here are cheap and simple, with a mattress on the floor and a shared bathroom, though the management seems at best distracted. Smarter and more appealing, but not as central, Rim Tarn lnn (Tel. 044-311301, Fax. 044-314965)  is located on the south side of the main road, about 800m west of the bus stops; it has huge, luxurious rooms, all with air-con, hot water and TV, and there's a swimming pool, restaurant and beer garden on the premises. You should be able to get a good discount on a week night.
The night market sets up along the edge of the main road, with most of the stalls on the north side of the road, between Tesaban sois 17 and 19. It’s an enjoyable place to eat, with plenty of inexpensive savories to choose from. There's a decent bakery on Tesaban Soi 16, off the south side of the main road, and, while you're there, you should check out the Mei Ort sweet shop across the road, whose window displays a rainbow selection of home-made candies. If you're looking for somewhere to have a beer, try the Riverside bar and restaurant, signed off the southern end of Tesaban Soi 8, which stages live music most nights.

The Park

Macaques on Khao Yai
 During the daytime you’re bound to hear some of the local wildlife even if you don’t catch sight of it. Noisiest of all are the white-handed (or lar) gibbons and the pig-tailed macaques, which hoot and whoop from the tops of the tallest trees. Hornbills also create quite a racket, calling attention to themselves by flapping their enormous wings; Khao Yai harbors large flocks off four different hornbill species, which makes it one of the best places in Southeast Asia to observe these creatures. The great hornbill in particular is an incredibly beautiful bird, with brilliant yellow and black undersides; the magnificent oriental pied hornbill boasts less striking black and white coloring, but is more commonly seen at close range because it swoops down to catch fish, rats and reptiles. You might also see silver pheasants, woodpeckers and Asian fairy-bluebirds, and - from November to March - several species of migrant birds, including the yellow-browed warbler from North Asia and the red-breasted flycatcher from Europe.

Hornbill on Khao Yai

A herd of about two hundred Asian elephants lives in the park, and its members are often seen at night - it's the only place in Thailand where you have much likelihood of spotting wild elephants. Khao Yai is also thought to harbor Thailand’s largest population of tigers, currently estimated at fifty; sightings are rare though not mythical, and occasionally the park rangers use dead deer to try and attract them close to the observation towers. You're almost certain to spot civets, and you might come across a slow Loris, while barking deer and sambar deer are less nervous after dark. Wrinkle-lipped bats assemble en masse at sunset, especially at the cave entrance on Khao Luuk Chang (Baby Elephant Mountain), 6km north of the north (main) gate into the park,
Which every evening disgorges millions of them on their nightly forage.

Exploring the Park
Twelve well-worn trails - originaly made by elephants and other park species, and still used by these animals - radiate from the area around the visitor center headquarters at kilometer-stone 37, and a few more branch off from the roads that traverse the park. The i.ain trails are numbered and should be easy follow, and sketch maps and brief trail descriptions are available at the visitor center; a few paths are signposted en route or marked with colored flashes. Rangers sometimes alter the course of a trail, or decommission it altogether, if the path is becoming eroded or overgrown, or (more likely) if they are trying to protect animals or birds in the locality. It’s probably worth checking the state of each trail with the rangers at their headquarters before you set off. Wear good boots, be prepared for some wading through rivers, and take a hat and plenty of water.
the wild elephants on Khao Yai
Snacks, bottled water, hot meals and mosquito repellent can be bought at the foodstalls next to the park headquarters and visitor center. You will probably be glad of a strong repellent to deter not just the usual insects but also leeches, which can be quite a problem on some of the trails, particularly during and just after the rainy season; though not harmful, they are pretty disgusting. Apply the repellent liberally, particularly round the neck of your boots (it’s best to sprinkle the boots as well, just to be sure), wear long sleeves and long trousers, and cover your neck too. Lf you're only got shorts or thin trousers, consider buying a pair of leech socks (canvas gaiters) from the foodstalls by the visitor center. Because these bloodsuckers stick fast to your skin,
You can’t just pick them off or even squash them. Instead you should burn them with a lighted cigarette, or douse them in salt; oily suntan lotion or insect repellent sometimes makes them lose their grip and fall off.

The trails
The shortest and least taxing of the park's trails is the Nature Trail, which starts just behind the visitor center. It’s paved all the way and takes just  thirty minuies in each direction; if it's not too crowded, you could see gibbons, woodpeckers and kingfishers en route.

Gibbons on Khao Yai

Of the more adventurous, hikes that begin from the park headquarters, the most popular is trail 6, which runs to Nong Pak-Chee observation tower in the west of the park. This is a fairly easy walk through forest and grassland which culminates at an observation tower built next to a lake. En route you'll (if not see) white-handed gibbons in the tallest trees, and might spot barking deer in the savanna. If you stay at the tower long enough you could see needletails dive-bombing the lake; elephants and gaurs sometimes come to drink here, too, and you may even glimpse a tiger. The walk takes about two and a half hours to the observation tower (4km), from where it’s another kilometer down a dirt track which meets the main road between kilometer-stones 35 and 36. From the road, you can walk or hitch back either to the headquarters (2km) or down to the checkpoint (12km) and then travel on to Pak Chong. If you just want to spend a few hours at the observation tower and forget the main part of the walk, stop beside the main road between kilometers stones 35 and'36 (before reaching the park headquarters) and walk the kilometer down the access track to the tower.
Trails 7 and 9 both branch off trail 6 into slightly shorter alternatives. Trail 7, from park headquarters to Wong Cham Pi (sometimes spelt "Wong Jumpee"), is a two- to three-hour loop which end on the main road just 1km north of the headquarters at kilometer-stone 36. Trail 9, from the headquarters to Mo Sing To, is about a two-hour loop and passes through a different stretch of grassland and goes past a small lake.
Another good focus for walks is the area around Haew Suwat Falls, east of the visitor centre. These 25-meter-high falls are a great place for an invigorating shower and featured in the recent film The Beach. To get to the falls from the park headquarters, either follow trail 1, or walk, drive or hitch the six-kilometer road beyond the headquarters to Haew Suwat - it's a popular spot, so there should be plenty of cars.

Haew Suwat Waterfalls

 Trail 1 runs from the visitor centre (8.3km one way; 3-4hr), beginning on the Nature Trail behind the visitor center, then veering off it, along a path marked with red flashes, to Haew Suwat. En route to Haew Suwat you'll pass a turn-of to trail 3 (which goes to Pha Kluai campsite and waterfall; about forty minutes before reaching Haew Suwat is a signed trail off to the left that leads to nearby Haew Pratun falls; twenty minutes further down trail 1 you may hear Haew Sai falls in the distance, though these are easier to reach from Haew Suwat itself.
Day-trippers often do the shorter walk from Haew Suwat waterfall to Pha Kluai campsite (trail 4), which is paved most of the way and takes two hour at most. You've a good chance of spotting gibbons and macaques along this route, as well as kingfishers and hornbills. The area around nearby Pha Kluai falls is famous for its impressive variety of orchids. Trail 5, from Haew Suwat waterfall to the Khao Laern ranger post, is a more strenuous undertaking, whose main attractions are the waterfall, the wide expanse of grassland near Khao Laem and the impressive view of Khao Laem hill itself. You should ask permission from HQ before setting out on this trail, and don't attempt it in the rainy season, as the river gets too high to cross. The trail 5 walk starts just upstream of the falls, from where it’s about two hours to Khao Laem and then two hours back (along the same route): approximately 6km altogether.

Night Safaris
Deer on Khao Yai
A much-touted park attraction is the hour-long night safaris – officially known as “night lightings" - which take truckloads of tourists round Khao Yai’s main roads in the hope of catching some interesting wildlife in the glare of the specially fitted searchlights. Regular night-time sightings – include deer and civets, and elephants and tigers are sometimes spotted as well. However, opinions differ on the quality of the night-lighting experience: some people find it thrilling just to be out on the edges of the jungle after dark, others see it as rather a crass method of wildlife observation. Whatever your conclusion, you will enjoy the outing a lot more if you take warm clothes with you – Khao Yai is quite high up and gets very chilly after sunset.

The night-lighting trucks leave the park headquarters every night at 7pm and 8pm (they can pick you up from the campsite if requested). During weekends the park can feel like a town centre at night, with four or five trucks following each other round and round the main roads, raking the forests as they go. All night lightings are run by the park rangers, so tour operators sometimes join forces to hire a truck with ranger and searchlights. If you’re on your own, -you’ll probably need to accompany one of these groups, as the trucks cost B300 to rent and can take up to eight people: book your place at the national park headquarters.

Khao Yai Tour and Guide
Civets on Khao Yai
Tour of Khao Yai are reasonably priced and cater primarily for independent tourists rather than big groups. The two best reasons for joining one of these tours are that you get to be accompanied by at least one expert Wildlife spotter (all tour operators have to take a park ranger with them), and that you have transport around the park, so you don't have to backtrack along trails and can see the waterfalls without having to hitch a ride. On the downside, you probably Won't be able to choose which trails you cover, and may find the amount of walking unsatisfactorily slight; in addition it's usual, though not compulsory, to stay in the tour operator's own accommodation. Perhaps the best option would be to hire a park ranger to be your own personal guide on the more remote trails; you can arrange this at the park headquarters, but don't expect to get transport as well as a guide. There's no set fee, but a fair rate would be B300 for a few hours, or around B500 for the whole day; organize your guide the night before and be sure to specify a start time.
In recent years, Khao Yai has unfortunately been plagued with unscrupulous tour operators, and readers have reported a number of horror stories, including drunk and unpleasant guides and the theft of travelers’ cash and credit cards. As it's not possible to keep track of all fly-by-night operators in Pak Chong and Khao Yai, we are recommending only two tour out fits,both of them highly reputable and long-established. In Pak Chong, the recommended tour operator is Wildlife Safari, which was set up by an English biologist (now a park ranger), and emphasizes plant-spotting and animal observation rather than hearty hikes. The standard one-and-a-half day program features walks along one or two trails, depending on the season and on recent sightings, as well as a night safari; it costs B850 per person, plus the B200 park entry fee. Tailor-made program can also be arranged if you phone in advance. Wildlife safari is based about 2km north of Pak Chong train station at 39 Thanon Pak Chong Subsanun, Nong Kaja (call ahead to arrange free transport from Pak Chong); their accommodation here features arrange of spacious and comfortably furnished rooms in the garden of the family home, some with private bathrooms and air-con.
Tent for rent on Khao Yai
The other recommended operator is Khao Yai Garden Lodge, based out of Pak Chong at kilometer-Stone 7 on the road into the park. Garden Lodge offers a one-and-a-half day programme (B950 per person plus B2oo park entry fee) which includes a trip to the bat cave at dusk, plus a full day of trail hikes, a swim at one of the waterfalls and a night
safari; they also do more taxing three-and four-night expeditions into the park at B1500 per person per day, including food, guides, porters, tents and hammocks.

Khao Yai mountain bike

Khao Yai mountain bike
Khao Yai mountain bike

Activity at Khao Yai National Park

Khao Yai has three main seasons, with an annual mean temperature of 23 degrees celsius, though this varies greatly with the seasons.


Rainy Season: May-October. During this season, it rains most days, resulting in stunning waterfalls. The atmosphere is humid, with average daytime temperatures of 27 degrees celsius. In the humidity, flora and fauna flourish, whilst after the rain there is clean air and clear visibility (great for photograph!).


Cold season: November- February. This is the most popular time to visit Khao Yai, as clear, sunny and cool weather are ideal for hiking and nice sunsets are common. The days average around 22 degrees Celsius, while the nights can drop to 10 degrees celsius.


Hot Season: March-April Even in the hot season, Khao Yai does not experience of heat felt elsewhere in the country. Daytime temperatures reach between a high 20 degrees celsuus, to a low 30 degrees celsius, during this season it is dry and often windy. Waterfalls can be dry by April.


Khao Yai National Park consists of complicated mountains such as Khao Rom, the highest about 1,351 meters, Khao Lam about 1,326 meters, Khao Keaw about 1,292 meters, Khao Sam Yod about 1,142 meters, Khao Far Pha about 1,078 meters, Khao Kampang about 875 meters, Khao Samor Poon about 805 meters and Khao Kaew about 802 meters above sea level. Moreover, the area has vastly grassy field alternating with productive forest. The north and the east part are smoothly sloping down, while the south and the west part are rising up. The area is the source of five main rivers as follows.


1) Prachin Buri River


2) Nakhon Nayok River situated in the south part and important for local agriculture and economy, meet each other in Chachoengsao District to become Bangpakong River go to the Gulf of Thailand.


3) Lam Ta Kong River


4) Praplerng River, in the north part, go to maintain the agriculture of Korat Plateau and meet Moon River, the main river of Southern Isan that goes to Khong River.


5) Muag Lek Stream, located in the northwest part and going to Pasak River in Muag Lek District, is valuable for local agriculture and cattle, and has water all the year round.



Trekking


There are plenty of trekking trails around the park. There are many short trails for the casual trekker to enjoy the natural beauty of the park. These range from 1 to 8 kilometers. Several of these start at the park headquarters.


For the serious trekking enthusiast, there are some trails into the depths of Khao Yai that will take 3-4 days to complete. You will be going into the depths of the jungle.


You should always inform park rangers before starting a trek. Guides are available at the park headquarters for a small charge.


Bike Rides


You can rent mountain bikes from the park headquarters or at the campsites. They are a fun way to explore the roads of the central area of the park. However, believe us when we say you have to be fit to cope with the steeper slopes of the park. You should always inform the park rangers if you plan to stray off the main roads.



White Water Rafting


You can arrange white water rafting at the park headquarters. They will take you to the rapids at Kang Hin Perng.


Bird Watching and Stargazing


Home to more than 300 bird species, Khao Yai National Park offers plenty of bird watching opportunities. Most of the time, you don’t have to wander very far from your camping ground to spot them. But if you are an enthusiastic foot explorer and birdwatcher, several hiking trails will bring you right through the bird’s natural habitats, such as the Haew Suwat trail, the km. 30 scenic viewpoint, nature trail behind the tourist centre and around the old golf course area. Stargazers should head to open areas like Mo Singto Watchtower, Pha Kluay Mai camping ground and in front of Suraswadi Youth Camp.


Golf


Before expansive grape hills and adventure theme parks arrived on Khao Yai, golf was already a favourite pastime for holidaymakers from Bangkok. Setting the stage for beautiful golf courses are Khao Yai’s valleys and hills, coupled with a location that is easily reached in less than three hours from Bangkok. Your choice ranges from the Jack Nicklaus designed course at Kirimaya – one of the most luxurious and best-kept – to Toscana Valley’s breathtaking Tuscan-inspired landscapes to standard courses set on a verdant sprawl at the picturesque foothills. Note that course quality varies; some have not been kept to the best conditions.


Hiking and Trekking



If natural beauty is what moves you, why not strap on your boots and set off into Khao Yai’s dense jungle on foot? Here, it’s just you, the sound of rustling leaves and an unfolding drama of the forests. The five scenic routes inside Khao Yai National Park cater to various skills, endurance and available timeframe. Natural trails under one km are the easiest, while hiking can take between one hour to half a day depending on the trail’s length. Overnight treks last from two to four days, under guidance of the park’s ranger.


Mountain Biking


Packed with endless scenic viewpoints and natural attractions, Khao Yai is an ideal playground for mountain bikers of various skills. On the Wang Nam Kheo side, the feel is more adventure than leisure riding, since the trails comprise of dirt roads and undulating terrain characterised by steep slopes and dipping valleys. Another popular route is the highway that runs through Khao Yai National Park itself. Lengthy and rarely flat, this is one route for experienced mountain bikers and those with high physical endurance.