A travel guide through the Khao Yai Valley

Khao Yai National Park is located in the heart of Thailand and is the country's oldest and most visited national park. As Thailand's third largest national park, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers most of the province of Nakhon Ratchasima, with the remainder spread across the provinces of Saraburi, Prachin Buri, and Nakhon Nayok.

With its picturesque valleys, clear air, idyllic scenery, and stylish resorts and country houses, Khao Yai National Park and its surrounding valleys are an outstanding destination for adventurers and weekend getaways. Excellent restaurants, golf courses, renowned art galleries, exclusive wine shops, and a variety of excursions also invite visitors to linger. The charming towns of Pak Chong and Muak Lek, as well as Wang Nam Khiao, a small district east of Khao Yai National Park, are popular destinations. The latter is particularly appealing due to its mild climate, stunning scenery, and beautiful country houses.

The best time to visit the national park is from October to April, when the park and valleys are bathed in winter idyll under a bright blue sky. The park is also worth a visit at other times of the year, as there is always plenty to discover and do in and around Khao Yai.

Arrival

By car: Traveling by car is the most convenient way to visit Khao Yai National Park and the surrounding areas. The Pak Chong district, 177 kilometers north of Bangkok, is an ideal base with numerous resorts, restaurants, and a variety of outdoor activities. If you have booked suitable accommodation near the park, a taxi ride from the airport or your hotel in Bangkok is a comfortable way to reach Khao Yai. Alternatively, you can arrange a transfer through your hotel.

By bus: Public buses run daily from Bangkok's Chatuchak bus station to Nakhon Ratchasima province. One bus stop is located in the Pak Chong district.

locomotion

There is no public transport in Khao Yai, and the sights are quite far apart. The best way to explore Khao Yai is by rental car or a rental car with a driver.

Activities in the Khao Yai Valley

The valleys surrounding Khao Yai may be 14,500 kilometers from Texas, but ranches, horses, and cowboys make them feel closer in a special way. Chokchai Farm, a large cattle and dairy operation, brings a piece of the American Wild West north of Khao Yai National Park to your doorstep with its cheerful atmosphere, charm, and entertainment program. This modern farm attracts visitors with cowboy shows, cattle drives, farm tours, stagecoach rides, ATV tours, and juicy steaks and beef burgers.

For those who dream of sleeping under a sparkling starry sky but don't want to freeze in a sleeping bag and tent, Farm Chokchai offers a glamorous alternative. Enjoy glamping at the comfortable campsite.

Opening hours: 10:00–20:30

Location: 2 Mittraphap Rd, Nong Nam Daeng, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima.

Getting to Chokchai Farm: The farm is located on Mittraphap Road (km 159), about 14 kilometers south of Pak Chong district. A private transfer from your hotel in Khao Yai Valley is a convenient way to reach the farm.

Golf is a popular tourist activity in the Khao Yai Valley. Many local and international golfers travel to the verdant valley on weekends to tee off just below Khao Yai National Park. The Khao Yai Valley boasts more than eight golf courses, designed by nature and renowned golf course architect Jack Nicklaus. The diverse courses cater to golfers of all skill levels.

The Kirimaya golf course, with its breathtaking scenery, is ideal for players with mid to low handicaps, while the Bonanza Resort Khao Yai golf course also allows casual golfers to achieve birdies. As on many golf courses in Thailand, knowledgeable caddies are available at Khao Yai, and golf carts can be rented. However, you can also walk; the caddies will gladly pull your trolleys. Of particular note is the close connection between golf and other activities in the area – wine tastings, spa treatments, and authentic Thai cuisine are just a few examples.

Sometimes in life you just need a walk in the woods to clear your head. Khao Yai National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the country's most fascinating trekking destinations. With over 800 species (112 mammal species, 392 bird species, and 200 reptile and amphibian species), this evergreen forest never fails to captivate.

The park offers five scenic hiking trails of varying lengths, difficulty levels, and endurance. With a bit of luck, you might spot muntjacs, gibbons, pheasants, hornbills, and even a herd of elephants. For adventurous hikers, multi-day treks with a local guide and porters can be booked in advance. After a long hike through the forests, you can pitch your tent in the park or choose one of the luxurious glamping accommodations within the national park. Birder's Lodge Khao Yai, Mont Blanc Glamping Khao Yai, Lala Mukha Tented Resort Khao Yai, and Te Mata Glamping are among the best places to sleep under the stars.

When Hollywood filmmakers filmed Leonardo DiCaprio's waterfall jump in "The Beach" in 2000, the scenes weren't shot in a studio, but at Haew Suwat Waterfall, nestled in the Khao Yai rainforest. Even two decades later, the waterfall remains wild and beautiful, with water cascading from the cliffs into a pool. If you're traveling to Khao Yai for the waterfalls, you're in luck. The national park is home to many breathtaking falls. In the far south of Khao Yai lies Haew Narok Waterfall (Hell's Gorge Waterfall), one of Thailand's most powerful and impressive waterfalls. A million gallons of water plunge 150 meters vertically, creating a thunderous roar in the forest. During the rainy season, Haew Narok Waterfall is extremely dangerous, but still accessible via a short hike. For a splashing adventure and a refreshing dip in the pool, the Pha-Kluai-Mai waterfall is recommended, which is easily accessible from the campsite.

Khao Yai Valley could almost rival Napa Valley, were it not for the abundance of banana plants and mango trees. Small, exquisite wineries invite visitors and wine lovers to explore their vineyards. In the northern part of Khao Yai Valley, PB Valley Khao Yai Winery offers tastings featuring Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Approximately ten kilometers east of PB Valley, GranMonte Vineyard and Winery, with its numerous award-winning wines made from local grape varieties such as Durif, Verdelho, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, testifies to great passion and expertise in winemaking. Also located in the northern part of the national park, Issara Boutique Winery opens its doors for a wine and dining experience amidst beautiful vineyards. The estate also offers luxurious hospitality in a 35-room boutique hotel inspired by an American lodge and a country house.

With its stunning scenery and breathtaking natural beauty, Khao Yai is an ideal destination for cyclists looking to explore the valley on two wheels. The most popular route is the "Wine Road," where cyclists and wine lovers can find the perfect balance between culinary delights and cycling along a scenic path. The journey promises excellent food, exquisite wines, and breathtaking landscapes with rolling hills against a backdrop of majestic mountains, idyllic dairy farms, secluded temples, and picturesque vineyards. Ambitious cyclists can tackle the panoramic road through Khao Yai National Park on a road bike. For cycling adventures, Wang Nam Khiao, with its countless singletrack trails and dramatic scenery, is the perfect starting point.

Khao Yai National Park, home to over 300 bird species, offers birdwatchers a whole weekend of nature observation. Exotic birds can be spotted even from the tourist information center and your tent. Oriental hornbills, white-crested hornbills, and Austen's hornbills are frequently seen and easily observed in the treetops. On the nature trails, you can spot ground-dwelling birds such as the elegant Siamese fireback pheasant and the coral-billed cuckoo. Watching the great hornbill in flight amidst the rainforest is an unforgettable experience. The best place to find it is on the nature trail behind the campsite at Pha Kluai Mai Waterfall. Other birdwatching hotspots include Kilometer 33, the wildlife observation tower, and the old golf course. Check Thaibirding.com before your trip to Khao Yai to see your feathered friends.

Khao Yai National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to Asian elephants, gaurs, Indian muntjacs, Indochinese serows, chevrotains, and over 300 other mammal and reptile species. Observing them in their natural habitat is well worth the effort. Here, you can take home unforgettable memories of Thailand. A bull elephant is the park's main attraction and sometimes blocks the road that winds through it. Nature lovers can book a wildlife viewing tour for a chance to see muntjacs, gibbons, and the adorable otters. Khao Yai National Park is one of the few places in Thailand where you can observe gaurs in the wild. On Khao Phaeng Ma hill, 64 kilometers northeast of the park, you can admire a herd of these "black beauties" grazing in a meadow. The national park offers guided tours, from night safaris to multi-day wildlife viewing trips.

In recent years, local art lovers and artists have brought art closer to the wilderness in Khao Yai. Just a few kilometers north of the national park, behind a small hill, the Khao Yai Art Museum offers an impressive art exhibition – and it's free. Run by Thai art collectors, this modern art museum is set within a creative space of approximately 2,000 square meters. It showcases contemporary works by leading Thai artists. Visitors can admire a diverse range of artworks, from sculptures by Chalermchai Kositpipat to oil paintings by Lampu Kansanoh. Outside the main gallery, within the sculpture garden, are six modern "art rooms" – accommodations where visitors can spend the night surrounded by the artworks.

Location: Ban Tha Chang, Soi 6, Moo 16, Mu Si, Pak Chong

Website: Khao Yai Art Museum Facebook: FB Khao Yai Art Museum

Selected articles about the Khao Yai Valley

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