report...
*Firstly getting there..how many of you drive to Issan along the main highway past Pak Chong to Korat? Well, at Pak Chong peel off the main Rd & aim for Khao Yai on Hwy 2090 (s.p. Khao Yai on overhead green sign after exit for Tesco & Maccy-D's).
From this point to the park entrance is about 17kms of good road. Along this road are many 'resorts' and restaurants (plus more bill-boards & signage than between Cha-Am & HH if thats possible).
A visit to the N.Park CAN be done in a day as a nice side-track if you're passing..even more-so if you've got bored kids
in the pick-up with you (5-5.)We however intended to stay a coupla nights in this area before carrying-on to Issan.
( 'WE' being Wifey, 3 'monkeys', and myself..5 of us).
*Accomodation..
I trawled the net beforehand to check on accomodation for 5 people. We fancied chalets to stay in & found a resort that did a good deal on a good range of different log-cabin style units.
We opted for a big cabin with 2 well-serviced Double-bedded rooms joined together via a single internal door..monkeys in 1 room, wine-drinkers in the other.
The rooms were all we needed..T.V. air-con, free Wi-Fi, hot shower, fridge & lots of plugs (quite rare). Plenty of room for parking right outside also. Nice and quiet too.
The name of this resort is 'Saranya resort' & they do have a web-page with all info. 13.5 km from Pak Chong intersection/turn off.
At 2000B/night this may sound expensive, but for what we wanted/needed this was 1 of the cheaper options for this area.
** Please note these resorts are FULL at weekends..we arrived Monday aft. and had no problem.
* Khao Yai Nat.Park..
At the entrance gate we rolled up, I showed my Thai driving permit and without any bickering or hassle I was charged same as a Thai person...(40B) full marks here for that.
(Normal price for Farang is 400B...ouch!)
*There is however a fee of 50B for the car..5 of us + pick-up was 250B.
* Once you've paid, keep tickets..re-entry that same day is permitted on show of tickets.
*The road thru the forest/jungle is a good surfaced one, with hills and sharp bends.
* The main 'Visitor Centre' is 14kms into the park from Entrance Gate.
* Visitor Centre has heaps of parking, good restaurant, clean toilets, gift shop, a couple of 'rope-bridges' to please us all, and of course info-desk.
* While driving thru the park expect anything to appear out of the bush!..right in front of us without warning each time we saw a deer, a 1 metre+ monitor lizard, a BIG Hornbill on a roadside tree, and troupes of monkeys.
* If you see monkeys at the 'look-out' areas they WILL try grab your bags!
* Many tracks & trails to hike along if you have time/inclanation..Leech-leggings for sale at Centre.
HAEW SUWAT Waterfall...
* This is THAT waterfall De-Caprio leaped off in the film The Beach.
You can drive right to it..big car-park with restaurant here. Good steps down to plunge-pool with hand-rail. (you can also stand on top edge of the fall).
*** Do not try doing the jump..a Farang died about 3 yrs ago doing just that!)
We had a great 2-3 hrs in the park, mainly driving slowly around.
** TWO TIPS TO REMEMBER..Try not to visit on a weekend..it's full of bloody tourists!..5-5!
Wind down your car windows..smell the damp air & hear the jungle
noises around you while driving thru'.
** Bats at nightfall..
Well we never saw them close-up..we asked about 20 locals..got 20 different places/directions to go, asked at the park gate (net-pages say go in to park and a trail leads you to a cave)..gate-person pointed back out of park.. Oh F.F.S!
(Every post on forums/web page/resort info talks of hiring a Ranger to guide you at about 500B for 3 hours min..it's a racket set up between locals I'm sure).
* Our resort had a restaurant that was quite reasonable price-wise..more than can be said for all the other eating-places we tried down this road to the park..
** Not forget on this road also is an 'Elephant centre' (200B p.p. for 15 min ride, or buy bamboo to feed them bored-looking beasts..again kids loved this) .
The restaurants seem to close early and open late..maybe only on quieter weekdays.
And Paolin 'Italian Village'...both right on the roadside b4 the park Ent.
WE DID HAVE A GOOD TIME, AND WILL DO AGAIN. Cheers now..U.S.
