“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles” – Mary Davis

I’ve been living in Thailand for almost 2 years and let me tell you there is always something new to see.  I’ve recently visit Khao Yai National Park which is situated about 3 hours drive from Bangkok.

“Khao Yai” actually means a big mountain in Thai.  I always loved to be in nature and that is the main reason why I wanted to go.  Khao is no doubt the best national park in Thailand.

It has been established in 1962 as Thailand first national park and its the third-largest national park in Thailand. The park covers about 2000 km of evergreen forests and grasslands.

The park is home to around 300 resident and migratory birds and has one of the largest populations of hornbills.  Often you can see mammals such as elephants, gibbon, porcupine, etc but it all depends on the day.  The park is open every day from 6am-6pm.

April can be very hot and it’s actually the hottest month.  Tourism is a bit slow from September – November.  December – February is actually perfect but also a very popular time for tourists as its blooming season then for all the flower fields in Khao Yai, something I still want to experience for the next time 🙂

It was a hot and humid day in April and I’ve decided to take a fellow South-African and who is also a good friend to Khao Yai.  We’ve arrived in Pak Chong and decided to go to a campsite for 2 nights.It’s about 30 km from the park but there is accommodation in the park itself, a lot of tourists just hire a scooter for the day so it’s really a personal preference I suppose.  The tents are already set up, you just have to sleep in it, it was a really great experience.  I love waking up by the sound of a rooster or birds, its really precious.

We’ve started the day with a good americano and breakfast.  Then our tour guide, JJ (she is Thai but her English is good) picked us up, she is amazing.  She has a warm heart and is absolutely passionate about nature itself, very observant and has got a sense of humor.  I will definitely recommend her if you are thinking to do a tour.  You can find her on Facebook (JJ tour guide Khaoyai) She had a really good camera so she took some phenomenal pictures.

They do provide water, snacks and then we had a divine lunch in nature.  It was sweet and sour chicken with rice, I mean how often can you enjoy lunch in the middle of the forest?  That was really special and sometimes you just got to embrace every moment as that is what’s life is about. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it especially just listening to all the sounds and smells around you.  Nature makes me feel alive, it makes me smile, it makes me realize that is where you can get a real connection and no I am not talking wi-fi connection 🙂  It was totally worth it.  This was a day really well spent 🙂

Thank you, JJ for an unforgettable day!

“Natures beauty is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude” – Louis  Schwartzberg

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