Ban Khao Yai Things to Do

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Many tours of the park settle for drives to the major highlights, and you really miss a lot of the park. Hiking along some of the 50+ km of trails in Khao Yai is an intimate way of seeing the park. The trails range through the tropical jungle to the open plains. Along the way you can see the multitude of animals that live in the park, from macaques to snakes to some big jungle insects and even, if you're very lucky, elephants. You see the changes in the landscape, vegetation, and really get a feeling of the forest and the richness of biodiversity. So strap on a pair of boots and hit the trail, and explore the park with your feet. You'll be rewarded for exploring.

There are several different ways to spell the name of this cascade, but they all add up to one thing: beauty. This semi-secluded waterfall is found in Khao Yai National Park and is reached through a steep staircase cut into the rockwall surrounding this little grotto. The water spills about 20 m from the cliff into a small pool, then runs through large boulders before resuming its journey downstream. There is no swimming allowed, and if you reach it in the afternoon the sun catches the spray and throws up small rainbows. There are large rocks on the opposite bank, providing many opportunities to sit, watch and listen to the water with friends or partners (many Thai couples were seen enjoying each other's company).

Khao Yai is located within the Dongrak Mountain Range, Khao Yai's elevation ranges from 200 to 1351 m a.s.l. (Khao Rom) Khao Yai National Park consists of complicated mountains such as Khao Rom, the highest about 1,351 meters, Khao Lam about 1,326 meters, Khao Keaw about 1,292 meters, Khao Sam Yod about 1,142 meters, Khao Far Pha about 1,078 meters, Khao Kampang about 875 meters, Khao Samor Poon about 805 meters and Khao Kaew about 802 meters above sea level.

Moreover, the area has vastly grassy field alternating with productive forest. The north and the east part are smoothly sloping down, while the south and the west part are rising up.

(In the photo is the view in the north part)

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Millions of Wrinkle-lipped bats sleep in the caves in the daytime and fly about looking for food at night. Around sundown you can see them emerging from the caves in a steady stream. They sound like ocean waves with all their wings beating in the air.
This is a fantastic sight to see and I highly recommend it.

We drove out to the park just as it was starting to get dark. There we were told to get into a larger truck. We stood up in the back of it and wished we had brought winter jackets with us.
It does get cool once the sun goes down. The guides had large spotlights that they spotted on different areas as we drove around.
We did see a lot of deer, a civit cat, and an owl but no elephants, bears or anything like that.

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Spend a whole day hiking in the park. Your day will go something like this:
We left the lodge at 8:30 am. After our ride to the park in the back of the truck, we arrived at the park headquarters to get a permit. While driving thru the park, we saw a long-tailed squirrel, a Hornbill, and a Hawk. Then everyone got out of the truck, it was time for the 4 hr hike in the jungle. Actually about all we saw was a group of Gibbons. Luckily I missed seeing the King Cobra when it went by the guide.
At 14:00 it was finally lunchtime and we got to ride to the park restaurant. While eating our lunch at picnic tables outside, we saw birds, butterflies, and a Monitor Lizard. After a leisure lunch we went to a waterfall where we could swim. We saw Macaque Monkeys lined up alongside the road, waiting for a hand out.

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We did the half day tour of Greenleaf. Around 4 oçlock in the afternoon we went into the National Park of Khao Yai. First we visited a spring. It was so clear that it was incredible. Local people were swimming in this pristine water.
Then we went to a cave. Inside this cave were small buddhistic tempels, and on the roof of the cave hundreds of bats were hanging. Some of them had little baby's too, lovely.
The *** of the bats is collected and sold. It contains some sort of explosive substance which they can use to make explosives. Incredible isn't it?
We saw a real huge spider in this cave. It looked more scary than it was. it had huge scissor-like legs. Then we went over red and dusty sandroads to a field from where we could see the bats fly out of the caves. It took some time before they started and then we saw a real spectacle. Millions and millions of bats came out, hunting for insects. In a big big stream they continue to come out for almost an hour or so. The high sound they make was unforgettable.
it was just as if we saw a movie of national geographic, as if it was not real, sooo amazing!
My son found a large millionpied, and played with this animal for almost half an hour. When it walks over your arms you'll get a good massage.....
This tour together with the full day tour costs 1500bath, children pay only half price
Water and snacks and fruit is included.

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We went out in Khao Yai National Park by jeep.We did the full day tour with Greenleaf. First we entered the National Park, then we'd put on the leeches-socks becourse we were in rainseason. We looked for the whitehanded gibbons, which we discovered after a while. The produce a very typical sound, a sort of singing. Then we started a walk through the slippery rainforest. We saw giant tree, some snakes (a real big one coming out of the tree) and some small ones just above the ground on a small branch. These green snakes very poisenous, and I think they called them Indonesian Vit Piper snakes. Very intresting to see them in real!
We met some giant spiders, in giant webs.
After lunch in a treehouse we looked for the hornbills, and after a while we saw a pair, hopping from one tree to another. I succeeded catching them in flight (see the pics)
There were many macacs monkeys around. Then a dusk we were looking for wild elephants but we never found them.
This day was one of the highlights of our holiday, which I can really recommend to you.
The guides of Greenleaf are very experienced and do all they can to give you a day you won't ever forget.
The price of the tour is 1500 bath (it is this tour together with a half day tour in the evening to see the bats fly out of a cave)
Children only pay half price
Food, and drinks and snacks are included in the price, and so is the transport