It is located mainly in the province of Nakhonratchasima, and also contains parts of the provinces of Saraburi, Prachinburi and Nakhonnayok.
"Khaouai" is one of the 5 largest nature reserves in the world and, perhaps, the most popular national park in Thailand. It is located 200 km north-east of Bangkok on an area of more than 2 thousand square meters. km of virgin jungle. The park is home to rare and exotic patterns of flora and fauna listed in the Red Book.
"Khaouai" is beautiful throughout the year, every month in its own way, it smells fragrant and delights the eye with lush vegetation. In June and July, orchids bloom here and motley butterflies fly, in the dry season (from November to February) wild elephants come out, and during the rainy season waterfalls fill up. Spring pleases the eye with lush flowering and delights the ears with bird trills.
Flora and fauna
The flora of the park is very rich - it has several thousand species, there are old trees. In dense evergreen forests there are orchids, date and other palm trees, mosses and ferns. The reserve is home to hundreds of species of wild animals: elephants, bulls, tigers, porcupines, deer, cats, monkeys, bears. In the mountain areas of the park there are platforms from where you can observe the life of animals.
About 300 species of birds, insects and reptiles live here, and bat colonies nest in one of the caves. After sunset, whole clouds of night vampires fly out of the cave and fly through the park.
One must be alert and avoid encounters with snakes, since there may be poisonous among them. From mosquito bites, repellents should be used and protected by clothing.
What to see
In the park "Khaouai" a lot of hiking trails with a total length of more than 300 km, for the convenience of tourists, signs are placed. The routes and the main attractions are indicated in the guidebooks that are sold at the entrance. The most popular is the 5-kilometer route number 5, leading through the forest and the field to the observation tower, located near the lake. And if you follow the path number 3, then along the way you can meet birds and monkeys.
A couple of dozens of beautiful waterfalls are scattered across the territory, one of them, hidden in the depths of the park, was filmed from the movie “The Beach” with the hero DiCaprio. The passage to the waterfalls lies away from the pedestrian alleys, but you should definitely see them.
The waterfall “Hell's Abyss” with a height of 150 m is a truly magnificent sight, it is located about 6 km from the entrance to the park.
In the evenings at 19:00 and 20:00 excursion cars leave for a night safari. Tickets are sold until 18:00 at the ticket office at the entrance, it is advisable to take warm clothes for a walk.
Getting there
From Bangkok (North Station) to Pak-Chong by bus or train, then from the station by bus to the park.
For a thorough inspection of the park is best to stay in a house on its territory or in Pak Chong. Places are better to book in advance, especially on weekends. It is also possible to set up a tent (there is a rental).
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