Khao Yai National Park Tour

Chao Phor Khao Yai Shrine was originally Mr. Jang Nisaisat, a native of Nakhon Nayok province who was the clerk of the Army. He has done some commendable work to protect the wildlife and forest in history. Therefore, Field Marshall suggested building his shrine near the 23 km milepost on Thanarat Road, and people remember and honor him through ceremonies every year on the 26th of January. The place is open from 6 AM to 6 PM every day.

Nong Phak Chi Observation Tower is a 20-meter long tower near a significant water source for animals called Nong Phak Chi. Artificial salt licks are built around open grasslands to provide essential nutrients to the herbivores. You can hide and see animals such as sambar deer, barking deer, and wild boar foraging at this place. You can even capture these moments in your camera to take memories back home. The tower is 3km from the visitor center, and you will have to walk 1km from the car parking to reach here.

Previously called Mor Sing To Reservoir after the mountain behind it, the authority renamed the Sai Sorn Reservoir after the first chief of the Khao Yai National Park. He developed the reservoir and became a source of water for the wildlife population of the park. The sunrise is a great time to visit the place as you will be able to see animals coming out to feed. Sometimes, you may even see wild elephants coming out to graze the fields. After sunsets, you can gaze at stars in the open sky above the reservoir and relax during your day out.

Haew Narok Waterfall is a beautiful waterfall with steepness and strong currents, making it dangerous at the same time. With a height of 150 meters, it is the highest waterfall in the National Park. You will have the site of red, orange, or yellow champagne mushrooms along the path leading to the waterfall if you visit it at the end of the rainy season. Several Elephants have lost their lives falling off the waterfall, and hence, it is known as the "Elephant graveyard" by locals. You will have to walk for 1km from the car parking to the waterfall.

Pha Kluai Mai Waterfall has its headquarters at the Lam Ta Khong stream, and it is a ten-meters tall medium-sized waterfall. The cliffs of this waterfall have a stunning exhibition of orchids enhancing its beauty. Renanthera, known as Whai Daeng in the Thai language, is in full bloom in the dry season and is responsible for naming the waterfall. You come across many beautiful hornbills, water dragon baskings, and puff-throated bulbul on the sides of the headquarters stream, which you have to pass to reach the waterfall.

This beautiful waterfall, which ascends by the Lam Ta Khong stream, is another exciting view at the Khao Yai National Park Bangkok. It draws the boundary between Nakhon Nayok and Nakhon Ratchasima, and the suitable time to visit the waterfall is the rainy season. You can go around the rope bridge crossing the stream to have a relaxing atmosphere. You have to walk 100 meters from Khao Yai Visitor Center to reach the waterfall.

You will come across this viewpoint right after entering the Khao Yai National Park from Pak Chong in Nakhon Ratchasima. Early mornings experience a sea of mist around the mountain, and twilights experience bats coming out of the caves on Luk Chang Mountain to find food. You will be able to see Khao Phaeng Pha mountain from this viewpoint. The view of the place is to the North and is one of the most stunning and unmissable views of Khao Yai National Park. The place is 6.6 km away from the Chao Phor Khao Yai Shrine.

Pha Diaw Dai Viewpoint is a beautiful stone platform about 15 meters from the cliff, elevated 900 meters above sea level. You will see the long Rom Khwang mountain range from the viewpoint of Thung Ngulum and Khao Samor Poon mountains on the right. The best time of the day to visit the place is early morning. You will be able to see a wide variety of beautiful birds, including wedge-tailed green pigeons, black bulbul, and lesser racket-tailed drongo. The pristine forest, which you have to pass to reach the viewpoint, stays cool throughout the year through natural insulation. You will also gain information about the ecosystem of high-altitude plants adapted to the cold atmosphere.

Khao Khiaw Viewpoint is the highest viewpoint in central Thailand. It is a part of the sandstone mountain, Khao Khieaw, elevated 4,233 feet or 1,290 meters above sea level. A mature forest covers the viewpoint and stays cool with species tolerance to colds, such as Castanopsis or chinquapin, Podocarpus, Dacrydium, and Schima wallichii. The humidity and stippled light give birth to orchids, ferns, and lichens on tree trunks and branches. The viewpoint is also a haven of biodiversity, with birds like gray wagtail, Siberian Thrush, and silver oriole, who migrate from Siberia and Southern China to Khao Yai. The mountain is 600 meters away from the Pha Diaw Dai nature trail.

The adventurous camping nights in the middle of forests and streams will surely boost your adrenaline hormones. You can see a multitude of stars all over the sky at night. Lam Ta Khong Campground, which is a large camping site and grassland next to the river, is the only camping site in Khao Yai. This grassland is a habitat for monkeys, deer, and gibbons that the visitors see foraging. However, being this close to nature does not affect the modern facilities available at the location.

As already mentioned, the place has over 200 different species of birds, making it a fantastic birdwatching venue. Visitors can come across some beautiful species in the park, such as the Siamese Fireback, Blue-winged Pitta, Coral-billed ground cuckoo, etc. There are four different species of hornbills present in the park- the great hornbill, the oriental pied hornbill, the wreathed hornbill, and Austen's brown hornbill. The visitors center and waterfalls can make you hear several birds chirping when it is quiet around.

This activity constitutes seven short pathways ranging from 1.2 to 8km and walk times ranging from 45 minutes to 6 hours with no stays even at night. Trekking is one of the most fun, adventurous, and exciting activities in the park. You get to run through the mature forest of the National park and come across wild animals and plant species. The authority has made it easy for newbies to trek through the jungle by putting essential boards and signs along the way to the destination.

Night Safari is another adventurous activity of the National park that can give you thrills. You can observe the nocturnal wildlife at night, including sambar deer, Malayan porcupine, Asian palm civet, large Indian civet, wild elephant, owls, and nightjars. You will have to make a reservation for the night safari before 6 PM at the visitors center. You go around the jungle on a truck with a professional guide, see a wide variety of animals through the flashlight, and get some information about them while going through the route specified by the authority. The 10 km journey, taking almost one hour, is organized two times a day, once at 7 PM and 8 PM.

While you get to embrace the beauty of the National park, you can also capture moments and scenic views in your camera to take back home. If you have a passion for photography, Khao Yai National Park can be the best option with mountains, viewpoints, waterfalls, plants, forests, and the best parts of nature to practice and embrace your skills. Take a digital camera with you with all the types of equipment having at least 3 megapixels of resolution, 64 MB of memory, and is rechargeable for a convenient experience.

Stargazing is one of the most relaxing activities that you can do at the National Park. You can gaze at the clear sky on comfortably cold winter nights. Open meadows, Mor Sing To Training center, Mor Ton Jan, Lam Ta Khong Campground, and other wide open spaces at the park are famous for this activity. The park authority also provides you with a guidebook or star map. People with a passion for astronomy can also carry their telescopes to observe the sky in a better way.