Mountainous forest areas in Thailand are protected from logging and development, ensuring that the beauty of these areas is preserved for generations.  Thailand also has a host of parks and protected areas, the second largest in the country being Khao Yai National Park located mainly within the northeast province of Korat.  This essay by Thanomsri Namuttha, a university student from Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University.  Her story is about a short journey into Khao Yai Park from the perspective of a young Thai woman.

Thailand is popular for its many natural areas – rivers, seas, mountains and plains. Among the most popular for Thai people are the mountains, where we can find natural beauty since most places in the mountains are protected from development.  This is especially true in Thailand’s national parks, which offer stunning scenery and are readily accessible throughout the year.

Recently, I had the opportunity to go camping with my sister and her friends at Khao Yai National Park.  To begin I will tell you a little background of Khao Yai.  The name Khao Yai means ‘big mountains’ and the park is therefore very well named.  Khao Yai National Park is a mountainous area that lies largely in Nakhon Ratchasima Province (called Korat for short) and also covers some parts of Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, and Prachinburi.  Kao Yai is considered the second largest national park in Thailand so this gives an idea of how large the area is; but to really appreciate this park it is best to go see for your self.

Before this trip I have never been to Khao Yai, so I was very excited when my sister invited me.  I was first impressed by the splendid scenery on the drive into Khao Yai, with verdant landscapes of trees and wild flowers.  I could see various mountains looming in the distance with fog banks spreading around the base.  I also began to breathe some of the freshest air ever.

There was one time on our drive that made me most surprised when a troop of monkeys came out along the road, some with small babies clinging underneath onto their stomachs.  Here we needed to slow down to be sure not to scare them and to enjoy watching some monkey antics. The drive into the mountains was along a very zigzag road which had our bodies swaying in rhythm with the road until it was time to stop at another scenic point to drink in the magnificent landscape.

The further we went, the thinner the air began to feel.  Higher in the mountains the pressure was lower than we were used to and it made me feel like I was on the plane gaining altitude. Our destination was Kluaimai Cliff (Kluaimai meaning ‘orchid’), where we planned to set camp. We had set off quite late so when we reached Kluamai it was mostly dark already.  Others in the campground had already finished building their tent sites and we needed to hurry before it was so dark that we couldn’t see anything.  The darkness surrounded us since the only light was from electric bulbs in the distant bathrooms and our two battery powered torches. Once camp was set we cooked dinner and I think it may have been the most delicious meal I’ve ever had. I couldn’t believe that I was in the mountains, in the middle of nature, and eating delicious grilled meats!

As the night came it grew very cold. I really didn’t want to take a cold shower but had to because my sister told me that she wouldn’t allow me in the tent. One thing you have to be careful when you are on the mountains is leeches that thrive in the humidity.  I was lucky that I didn’t have any bothering me but my sister said that in her previous trips to Khao Yai she had to deal with leeches several times.

We were ready for sleep yet it was only about 9 pm; everything was quiet, except for the monkeys and gibbons that screeched fitfully. The moon shed it’s bright light in the clear sky, while the breeze was gently passing us by. If you are from a big city you will know it’s hard to find peaceful moments like this. It was just me, my friends, and the forest… oh, and a deer and porcupine that came by to explore around our tents!

In the morning I was awakened by the noise of monkeys. I was not sure whether to laugh or be upset when we discovered they had stolen food and some shoes from around our tent.

We had Sukiyaki for breakfast and continued our planned visit to Haew Suwat Waterfall, which was near to our camping grounds. I haven’t seen waterfalls for ages, so I was very happy to go there.  When we reached the entrance area we had to climb down a stairway that was steep, old, and covered with moss. The waterfall was splendid, and water was so cool and clear that we couldn’t wait to touch it. The park does not allow swimming here so we sat on the rocks soaking our bare feet and taking photos.

Before going back, we went to the watchtower which was built for people to look down on the wild animals. No cars could enter so we had to walk about 20 minutes. Around the tower there is a small stream, trees, grassland, and salt earth area where animals would gather to lick the minerals. We didn’t see any animals, except birds chirping in the trees, but the views from the tower were beautiful and I felt calm and relaxed enjoying the cool, gentle breeze.

On the way back home, we came across a group of people filming a movie. When we got closer we found that two of the actors were Thai stars Sonya Cooling and Dom Hetrakul. Both of them are so good- looking and I was excited when I waved to them that they also waved back. I wanted to stay in Kao Yai for more time but my sister needed to go back and work the next day.

It was a precious time visiting Khao Yai and a welcome adventure in my boring routine. When I have time I will visit again and I will invite some of my foreigner friends to discover this spectacular part of Thailand!

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