Khao Yai National Park

Thailand, Asia

Photos

Khao Yai National Park

Thailand, Asia

Best Price Guarantee!
No Booking Fee
Money Guarantee
Verified Local Operators

Customized Activity

You are free to customize your itinerary exactly the way you want. Choose transport, hotel & sightseeing as per your desires.

Includes

Meals

Transport

Pick-up & Drop

Activities

Accomodation

About The Attraction

The Khao Yai National Park is one of the top destination for visitors. A huge place where you can witness many things and also do many activities. For the nature lover, this is one of the major attraction because here you can see beautiful sceneries, and also see some pretty amazing animals. There are hundreds of elephants in this park. See the deer, leopard, pangolins, bears, and more animals. If you are looking for a picturesque, observing, and studying mood. then this park is one of the great places to explore. Famous for camping and hiking activity so here you can also see animals and scenic views with lots of activities Established in 1962, Khao Yai covers more than 2,100 square kilometres and reaches into four different provinces, making it the oldest and third largest Thai national park. In a single day you might sweat in tropical rainforest, watch wildlife saunter through grassland and shiver in the cooler climes of hill evergreen forest. The highest peak, Khao Rom, reaches above 1,350 metres. More than 40 waterfalls include the jaw-dropping Haew Narok and picturesque Haew Suwat, where Leonardo Dicaprio took a leap during the filming of The Beach.With a little luck, you might see wildlife sauntering through the Khao Yai grassland. Thailand by David Luekens.With a little luck, you might see wildlife sauntering through the Khao Yai grassland. Photo: David LuekensKhao Yai and neighbouring parks, Thap Lan and Pang Sida, combine to host an incredible array of wildlife. Asian elephant sightings are relatively common, while elusive leopards and tigers strut deeper in the jungle. Other endangered species include Siamese crocodile and spot-billed pelican, one of 392 types of birds found in the complex. According to UNESCO, this is the only place on earth where white-headed and pileated gibbons interbreed in the wild.Virtually all visitors see deer and macaques but you’ll need luck and patience -- and perhaps a good local guide -- to spot more of the 800 species of fauna along with myriad insects, fungi, orchids and other plants. If taking your own vehicle, always drive slowly enough to brake for wildlife and never flash lights or honk at elephants, which have been known to attack cars in Khao Yai. On the hiking trails, keep an eye out for cobras, pythons and leeches.The name Khao Yai also covers a surrounding agricultural region producing fine fruits and wines. While the park provides campgrounds and cabins, many visitors choose to stay at a privately owned guesthouse or resort along the northern access road, in the nearby town of Pak Chong, or elsewhere in the greater Khao Yai region. Do check out the wine trail and perhaps venture down to scenic Wang Nam Khiao if you have the time and means.

Stacks of holiday homes and resorts catering to well-heeled Bangkokians continue to pop up to the north of the park; “Khao Yai is already part of Bangkok” lamented a German living in the area. The kitschy cowboy-themed restaurants, “Italian-style” shopping centres and condos with names like Primo Piazza and The English Garden don’t bleed into the park itself, but developments have been shut down for encroaching on the boundaries.

Haew Narok, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Thailand. Photo taken in or around Khao Yai National Park, Thailand by David Luekens.

The Khao Yai region is quite spread out with minimal public transport; some advanced planning is essential. Many visitors arrange a tour of the park in advance (some tour companies also provide accommodation) while others go for a taxi, rental car or motorbike to hit the park and other attractions independently. Start with our piece on how to do Khao Yai National Park for details on your options and logistics.

If you have a serious interest in national parks in Thailand, Khao Yai, along with Kaeng Krachan and Khao Sok, should be on your short list.