Khao Yai National Park is located about 2.5 hours north of Bangkok and is one of Thailand’s best national parks. Established in 1962, it was Thailand’s first national park, and it’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I’d always heard great things about the park, but despite living in Thailand for several years, had never managed to get there. When I played tour guide a few weeks ago to a friend from Boston, I used that as my excuse to finally make it there.
I can’t believe it took me so long.
The park is truly amazing—beautiful, empty of tourists, and filled with lush flora, fauna, and even a few wild elephants.
Arriving at the guesthouse in the afternoon, we were just in time to make a half-day tour. This tour brought you to a few caves and a natural spring. The first cave was home to over 2,000 bats and used to be a Buddhist monastery before the local community helped to build the monks a proper temple. However, the monks still come down here at night to meditate. I suspect the darkness and tranquility is good for meditation.