Chasing Waterfalls and Wildlife at Khao Yai

After a month of living in Thailand, I came across my first long weekend off from school for a total of 4 days. Many fellow Americans I knew planned on going to Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, and Phuket. All of these destinations sounded intriguing and are on my list of places to see, but I decided that what I most desperately craved to see was nature. 

The city I live in, Pattaya, is full of things to do and see. It is a major tourist city due to its beaches and proximity to Bangkok. After spending the past month here, I wanted to move away from the urban area and spend some time on my own to process my thoughts about this big move to Thailand and appreciate the beautiful greenery around the country. The answer became clear: I needed to go to a national park. Hence, I booked my Airbnb for Khao Yai National Park, the first National Park in Thailand, located just about 2-3 hours north-east of Bangkok. 

Destination: Khao Yai National Park (KYNP)

Number of Days: 4 days 

Price Range: $$$ 

Mode of Transportation: Bus and Motorbike 

Day 1: From Bangkok to Khao Yai National Park 

Morning in Bangkok: I started my morning in Bangkok, and gave myself the morning to explore the area around my hostel, Yoo Yen Pen Sook, a hostel I highly recommend for feelow budget travellers. It cost me 470 baht for one night, or about $12.87. I found myself at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, the biggest one in Thailand with over 15,000 stalls and stayed there exploring for just over an hour, though I could have easily spent even more time there. After this, I went to the Chatuchak Park via a Bolt motorbike ride and spent about a half hour at the Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium. Admission was free, though all the signs in the museum portion were all written in Thai. The greenhouse was beautiful, and I spent my time wandering around the moderately sized area searching for the butterflies. It made me feel like a kid again and brought me so much joy to chase after them to see their wings when they landed. 

Bus to Pak Chong: I went to the Mochit bus terminal to find my bus to Pak Chong. When I arrived, I went around asking people where I could find the right bus and eventually bought my ticket! I had to wait about 40 minutes for the next bus. The bus was very comfortable and the ride lasted about 2.5 hours. By the end of the trip, the bus dropped me off at the side of the road an hour and a half walk from the city center. Since Bolt and Grab do not work in this area, I called a taxi by asking my accomodation for a recommendation. Once I arrived in the city center, I rented a motorbike for 400 baht a night, grabbed dinner at the night market, and headed to my accommodation for the night! 

A picture of a mama gibbon I saw in the wild with her baby. This photo was taken while on the 6 hour hike to Haew Suwat Waterfall. 

Day 2: Going to the National Park 

Morning ride through the park: I arrived at the national park close to 9 am. My goal was to go first to the visitors center to get more information about the different trails at the park. I stopped multiple times from when I entered the park to when I arrived at the visitors center (they are 25 minutes apart) to admire the viewpoints and monkeys around the park. 

Nong Pak Chi Wildlife Watching Tower: This was the first hike I did which was an easy 15-20 minute walk to the tower. The scenery on the walk was nice and the watchtower looked out onto a small lake. An enjoyable walk, though nothing spectacular. 

Hike from Pha Kluaymai Campground to Haew Suwat Waterfall: This hike consisted of two waterfalls: Pha Kluay Mai Waterfall and Haew Suwat Waterfall. This trail took me about two and a half hours, including the thirty-minute break I took at the first waterfall where I ate a snack and journaled. I enjoyed seeing the first waterfall the most, mainly because the only way to access it was by hiking. This meant it was not overly crowded, whereas the second waterfall was very touristy and crowded since it is easily accessible via car/ motorbike and a 5-10 minute walk down to the fall. Another major highlight of this trail, beyond the waterfall and the rainforest scenery, was that it was full of a large variety of butterflies I saw on the path. It added an unexpected layer of magic and beauty to the hike. 

The view from the scenic spot that is unnamed. I drove my motorbike off the road and parked it in a clearing. There was a cement area you can sit at (it is like they are asking you to stop there) to overlook the scenic view. 

Pha Diao Dai Cliff, Pha Trom Jai Cliff, and an unnamed scenic spot: These locations were my last stops of the day, and were conveniently only about a 3-minute drive from one another. Pha Diao Dai requires a bit of hiking but has a better view than Pha Trom Jai Cliff. The hike is manageable for all ages, as you walk on wooden platforms down and up rather than the ground. It takes less than 10 minutes to go down and the view is stunning. However, my favorite spot was this unnamed area on the way up to the Pha Diao Dai Cliff. There was a sign that specifically stated there was no parking. Nonetheless, I pulled over and highly recommend people to do the same (if you go by motorbike) since the views were incredible. It is not labeled on the map but is approximately a five-minute drive from the first cliff if you come from the north.  

Day 3: Second Day at National Park 

Hike from Visitor Center to Haew Suwat Waterfall: I came prepared on day 2 for a long day of hiking. I had set my eyes on doing the longest hike the park offered. The total distance is about 8 km and takes an average of six hours to complete. One reason for my intrigue in this hike was the potential for seeing wildlife since the route is part of a foraging trail for wild elephants. Along the route, we observed gibbons numerous times and even saw them jump from tree to tree with their little ones hanging onto their mother. Another motivating factor for doing this hike is the variety in the greenery with rain forests, dry forests, and even bamboo groves. Though it was expensive to have a tour guide (1,000 baht), I was thankful to see so much of the national park and get familiar with the creatures that live there and see the depths of it. My tour guide even took us to a bonus hidden waterfall that I can’t find on any map from the park. To be fair, the path down to this first waterfall was very steep and difficult to get to, but once I arrived my jaw dropped to see how isolated and gorgeous the waterfall was. 

The secret waterfall my tour guide took me to. We reached this waterfall about 5 hours into our hike in the middle of the bamboo grove. We broke for lunch/ a snack here and remained here about 15 minutes taking it in.

Day 4: Return Home

When I researched how to return to Bangkok from Pak Chong, I didn't come across a central bus station. Instead, I went to the train station to see the next train to Bangkok. When I arrived, the next train wasn't for another 3 hours, so rather than waiting around, I asked Thai people how to get to Bangkok. They sent me to a van station located about a 5 minute walk from the train station and I was on a van to Bangkok within 20 minutes of finding the van!

Advice/ Tips for planning:

• Entrance to the national park cost me 420 baht for entrance for myself with my motorbike per day. For the most up to date entry costs, check on the national park's website here. There is no multi-day pass unfortunately. 
• Pack electrolytes. Since I did two full days in the national park, it was imperative to replenish my body and protect myself from any dehydration. 
• Stay at the camping grounds in the National Park and rent a tent, sleeping bag, and pillow. They also have cabins, though the cheapest cabin is 2,400 baht a night whereas camping costs about 200-250 baht per night. Staying overnight can keep you from paying another entrance fee into the park for day two. Just reserve these areas in advance! 
• When you do hikes at the national park, expect to call a taxi back to your car after the hike, walk back, or hitchhike. Of the seven hikes the park has, only one has the same starting and ending point. 
• Bolt and Grab do not work in this area, so it is important to get the information of a taxi company. The number my Airbnb host gave me is +66 623853138 
• Go early in the morning. The park opens at 6 am and when I arrived at about 8 am I got to feel the crisp morning air and the low fog in the park which was so beautiful. 
• Do the guided tours. Though they are expensive, my guided tour allowed me to feel very comfortable while exploring the park and going into areas that only a few people can see. Of the seven trails at the park, four have to be as a guided tour. For more information on the types of hikes there are, check out the Khao Yai website. My opinion is that it is worth it.