3 Days Exploring Khao Yai National Park – Thailand

When I was heading back to Thailand, I realized that I had never been to a national park in Thailand. Although I had visited various parks and went on safaris, I had never been to one in Thailand! I searched the internet for national parks in Thailand, and a 3-day trip exploring to Khao Yai National Park seemed amazing!

Through TonTan Travel I found this trip into the Khao Yai NP. 3 Days in the park with a guide and searching for wildlife and enjoying the nature!

There is a chance that you’ll see an elephant and I was hoping for that ofcourse! Next to that you’ll always see lots of other wild animals, reptiles and insects! I love that!

3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand

Where is Khao Yai NP located?

Khao Yai National Park is located just a 2-hour drive (over 125 km) from Bangkok. I first went to Ayutthaya from Bangkok and then, a few days later, I headed to Khao Yai National Park.

Why should you visit Khao Yai NP

Khao Yai National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Thailand. It is a protected area where you can find a lot of wildlife that is rare or no longer seen in the rest of Thailand. There are still tigers in Khao Yai, but the chances of spotting one are very slim. There are also Asian elephants, and if you’re lucky, you might see one!

How long should your visit to Khao Yai be?

Exploring Khao Yai National Park for one or two days is highly recommended. This increases your chances of spotting wildlife and allows you to visit more of the beautiful spots in the park. Take a hike to experience the different ecosystems and drive around to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. The park is home to diverse flora and fauna, so take your time to fully appreciate everything!

Bats in Khao Yai NP?

Yes, there are millions of bats in Khao Yai National Park. Be sure to witness this spectacle; it is truly impressive. In the evening, as the bats exit the cave, you will see a continuous stream of bats flying out.

Khao Sok or Khao Yai?

They are two completely different parks, so you really can’t compare them. While Khao Sok has a lot of beautiful turquoise blue water, I didn’t see that in Khao Yai. I spent one night on the water in Khao Sok, whereas in Khao Yai, I stayed three nights in the same hotel. You need to experience both.

The diversity of nature is greater in Khao Sok because you can spend the night by the water and have access to the park entrance for jungle hikes. However, in Khao Sok, apart from some monkeys, I didn’t see much wildlife. In Khao Yai, my days were much more relaxed since I stayed in one hotel and was picked up by my guide from there each time.

Visiting Khao Yai NP

We made lots of K’s in those days crossing the park from one side to the other. But we also made several hikes. I loved spending so much time in nature. I especially liked it becuase our guide was really good in spotting insects and reptiles. It made our hikes extra special!

Just before entering the park we already saw a macaque roaming the streets.. They are so naughty!! They are walking at the entrance and hoping to get some sweets or anyting.. At the first stop I saw a macaque getting something of a truck.. I think he was hoping there was food in there..

The monkeys of Khao Yai NP – Thailand

And we also saw and hear the gibbon on our first day. Just after entering the park we had a small walk. I thought I heard the yell of the gibbon, you recognize them quit easy. After going on for a little bit we stopped again and then we say it. It was high in the trees and trying get away from us. It was the grey gibbon this time.

The black Gibbon is less shy and shows itself a bit easier. I loved seeing them high in the trees and going from one tree to the other with the souplesse of a gymnastic! But so hard to get on the picture 🙂

Their noises go far .. and then you need to spot them high in the tree!

How do you like this hornbill?

It was enjoying all those yellow berries high up in the tree. If you look closely around you, you always see more than you initially noticed. Suddenly, you spot something moving, and when you focus your attention on it, you realize there’s a bird sitting there after all.

Or how do you like this rugged bird? 🙂

Guided tour in Khao Yai NP?

Our guide was really great at spotting wildlife. He spotted them in no time! Even from a moving car, he spotted a grey snake in a tree. When you have a good guide you see so much more. I was really super happy with that! He could also list all the names and knew how to tell if they were poisonous or not. Unfortunately, I didn’t write down all the names at the time so I can’t give them to you now…. But what amazing animals to see and then also up close.

For these kinds of sightings I go into the jungle!

Hiking during our 3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand

We hiked the Nong Pack Chi Nature Trail, Pha Diao Dai Trail and in Dong Phayayen Forest Complex, among others. The treks were all not very long and therefore doable for everyone. The jungle walks were no longer than 5-6 km at a time.

But you do need to be a bit adventurous 🙂

And exactly that is what I like!

On those hikes our guide had some surprises for us too. At some point he said us to sit down and have a break and he walked on a bit. I used that time to go pose on the huge tree we were at! why not?

#Healthy #Yoga #Nature

Scorpion in Khao Yai NP

Guess what I have in my hand, the guide asked us..

When the guide returned he asked us to guess what he was holding in his hands.. He showed a little piece of a paw. At first I thought he was joking but I did see a paw and we got excited and started guessing. We didn’t got it and then he opened his hands… There was a huge scorpion in there!! How cool!!  They live on a spot and have their places where they hide and he knew that spot! We touched it…and also the tale… and then he let him crawl back into its hole!

Would you have guessed that it was a scorpion?

It is huge right? I did feel the tip of the scorpions tail on my finger, the guide had it in his hand and let us feel how sharp it was. That is really strange! Knowing that the poisenous part of the scorpion is touching you!

3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand

Snakes in Khao Yai NP

He also showed us some snakes from up close. He even went closer to get the best shot for us. We had two guides with us when we were walking, one up front and one to close the group. Both were doing their best to get the pictures for us! 🙂

Viper

Hiking through the jungle is so cool!

And then we were almost attacked

by a wild boar

At some point, while walking the jungle we all were alarmed by a pounding sound which seem to come our side. In a splitsecond I saw the guide getting his knife.. He was ready to protect us! I looked in the direction where I heard the pounding sound and all I saw was an animal flashing by. It went over crossed the path we were walking and dissapeared into the thick jungle.. It turned out to be a wild boar the guide told us when he was in the clear about the wild boar. It could’ve attacked us when it was agressive.

But as most animals would do it fled for us.

3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand

Tip:

If you have become curious about what else Thailand has to offer in terms of National Parks check out Khao Sok National Park. I also found that a really beautiful park and paid a very nice visit there.

Nightsafari in Khao Yai NP

Within most offered trips also a nightsafari is part of the package

We had our dinner in the park and as you know it is dark around 6 o’clock in Asia. So we started the nightsafari right after dinner. We unfortunately didn’t see much. We also didn’t feel that the guide and driver did their best. The nightsafari had to be done by the Khao Yai NP themself and your own guide isn’t allowed. They do their thing…and that’s it. They weren’t looking and giving it their best. So if nothing passes in front of your jeep you’ve got bad luck..

In the end of another day we had a nice swim in a sweet water source which should have good minerals in them for the skin. I really loved swimming in the water!

After this we went on to another place, it would be a long day!

And it was totally worth it!

The Bats of Khao Yai NP

We saw millions of bats flying out of their cave! The Wrinkle-lipped bats! It was really impressive to see! It went on and on, at least an half an hour!! See this short clip

They had come flying over Khao Yai Cottage earlier in the week and back then I didn’t quite understand what it was. The gardener did try to explain it to me but I didn’t understand a thing 🙂 Now I saw them at the spring, from the cave in a mountain, they flew away. We were standing at the back and they flew right over us.

It was a great sight! But also the sound you hear…

So strange!

3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand

On our last day we had one great hike to do. We might be seeing a crocodile the guide told us. And yes…it was there.. It was relaxing in the river. Also in the part of the hike where the guide expected it. Really nice to know. Sometimes it is lying on the path too.. well… then we have to walk a different path, said the guide 🙂

So if you see a sign like this?… Take it serious!

When we walked on we saw this beauty sitting in a tree!

What a great colour he?

In this part of the jungle we saw lots of signs of the elephant. We still hadn’t seen one.. And I must unfortunately say that we also didn’t encounter one on this hike.

I hope you have the luck to see one or two elephants if you go on a tour in the Khao Yai NP.

And then the last stop was there.. 3 days exploring the Khao Yai NP. I had the best days and fully enjoyed myself! The last stop was a viewingpoint at Pa Deo Dai Cliffs. I really loved this view to end these great 3 days!

3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand

Transport and staying during – Exploring the Khao Yai NP

Where to stay – Khao Yai NP

Coming from Bangkok I took the train, through Ayutthaya, to the city of Pak Chong. I took the local bus to Amphoe Pak Chong where I booked the Khao Yai Cottage. That local bus was more of a challenge then I expected, they told me that they knew where I would go. At some point he was returning to Amphoe Pak Chong…he really didn’t know where I would be and I just got out. I was just so lucky to get out just around the corner of my cottage!!

That will make you from feeling down to bakc on top of this great and wonderful world in just a couple of seconds! Love that about traveling 🙂

Khao Yai Cottage is one of the cheaper options on where to stay if you book through Tontan Travel. They give some options on where they can pick you up each morning. You can always choose differently but then you need to go to a pickup point somewhere along the road. I loved this cottage! I had a great room and private terrace on the hotel garden. It was close to other shops and the village market. It was a quiet place but within 5 minutes I was at the busy street and the shops.

I booked this trip at Tontan Travel. The company is partly Dutch so for me it was easy communicating on what options they had and what to book. The more people are booked on the trip the less I had to pay. In the end I had the trip with two other couples! So after a downpayment I didn’t need to pay that much anymore, that made me happy ofcourse!!

Safety during our 3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand

There are some rules which you need to apply. Hiking the jungle you always walk in a line. So don’t go walking next to eachother and start to talk too much. That way you are as small as you can be as a group so you get less attention. But also you leave your footprint as small as possible in the jungle!

In certain seasons there are leaches. They can get you crawling into you shoes. They go through your sock without any effort. I had wore these socks before in South Africa and India. The sock is made of fabric that is so tight that they can not go through! And then you need to check your body each evening in the shower, especially in your armpits and groins. We did see a lot of leaches but nobody got one on them 🙂

Have you made a multipleday safari trip?

I love to hear your experience, inspire me with your adventures!

If you liked this 3 Days Exploring the Khao Yai NP – Thailand trip share it!

Want to read more about Thailand?

Exploring Bangkok, Thailand

Cookingclass at Silom in Bangkok

What to do on the island of Koh Mook

Snorkeling & Hiking at Koh Lipe

Yoga class at Khaosok Yoga in Khao Sok National Park – Thailand