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Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park
This national park has several slabs of smooth, rounded cobbles
which are moulded from sandstone by centuries of wind and rain.
The inaccessible Mon Daeng Waterfall crashes down the 32 steps
it has chiselled into the mountainside over many hundreds of
years. Communist rebels used this area as their hideaway in the
1970s.
Activities
Trekking to view the numerous orchids and lichens on the wooded
slopes and deep ravines.
Getting there
Phitsanulok Province is 377 kilometres north of Bangkok. At the
province, you turn onto highway 12 (Phitsanulok-Lomsak) to
kilometre 68 and then on to highway 2013 for another 28
kilometres to Nakhon Thai district, finally onto highway 2331 to
the national park office.
Thung Salaeng Luang National park
Another national park of open fields surrounded by dry oak
forests and stately pines. Thung means "field" in
Thai, though the field in this national park lying in the
Phetchabun Range are neither fully cultivated nor totally wild.
Kaeng Sopha waterfall, one of three spectacular staircase
waterfalls in Thung Saleang Luang, thunders down a series of
steps before reaching the calm savannah forest below. The
meadows at Non Son and Nang Phaya are full of interesting flora
and fauna.
Activities
Trekking to see the wild flowers which bloom between October and
December; touring on bicycles to see the butterflies.
Getting there
Phetchabun Province is 364 kilometres from Bangkok and the
national park office is located at kilometres 80 on highway 12
between Phitsanulok and Lomsak.
Khao Luang National Park
The largest north-eastern forest covering Saraburi, Nakhon
Ratchasima, Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri abd Sra Kaeo provinces.
The park's mountains are watersheds for several waterfalls. It
is one of the best refuges in Thailand for animals and birds in
the wild and remains the most likely spot to see wild tiger or
elephant. There is a river for rafting.
Activities
Trekking, bird and butterfly watching, animal spotting
(elephants and tiger), raft riding and camping.
Getting there
There are two ways to reach Khao Yai. Either by taking highway 2
to Prachin Buri and Nakhon Ratchasima and turning right at
kilometres 165-166 for another 40 kilometres; or by taking
highway 33 from Nakhon Nayok to Aranyaprathet for about 21
kilometres to the Noen Hom intersection and then turning onto
highway 3077 for another 45 kilometres.
Erawan national park
This 550 sq. km park is the most visited
national park in
Thailand and one of the most beautiful. The trails weave on and
out of the numerous pool and falls, sometime running alongside
the water, sometimes leading across footbridges. Wear good
walking shoes or sneakers. Also bring bathing suit as several of
the pools beneath the waterfalls are great for swimming. The
shape of the topmost fall is said to resemble Erawan, the
three-headed elephant of Hindu Buddhist mythology. The waterfalls here are best visit during the raining season or
in the first 2 months of the cold season when the pool are full
and the waterfalls most impressive.
Getting there
The first bus to Erawan leaves Kanchanaburi bus station at 8am,
takes to hours and cost 19B per person. However remember the
last bus leave Erawan at 4pm.
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