Thailand is known as “The Golden Kingdom.” Apart from the opulent royal palaces, colorful temples, and crystal-clear beaches, the country is a favorite destination for adventure travel. Three hundred miles of tropical coastline, 127 national parks, hundreds of miles of trekking trails, and mountain villages are a haven for backpackers, adventurers, jungle trekkers, and other savvy travelers. Over the past few years, Thailand’s national parks have attracted many renowned travel awards, emerging as a top destination for adventure travel. The national parks feature various natural attractions, spanning hundreds of miles of rolling mountains, hills, waterfalls, lakes, caves, forests, gardens, and sanctuaries. The terrain ranges from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand to the highest point in Thailand, Doi Inthanon.
The national parks differ in landscape, location, and attractions, with many possessing a number of exciting outdoor activities that appeal to a wide range of audiences. Popular excursions such as trekking, mountain climbing, camping, surfing, and cycling attract adventure travelers to explore the wild and unspoiled landscapes of untouched flora and fauna. Part of the joy of immersing yourself in wild, scenic, and heavily forested environments is the emotional connection forged with the natural setting. Adventure travelers have the chance to breathe fresh air, enjoy the cool, freshest water, eat food that you catch or grow in the wild, listen to the sounds of nature, and sleep in the low-impact complex located next to a backyard at the end of a fun day in the great outdoors.
The Breathtaking Landscapes of Thailand’s National Parks
Thailand’s national parks are full of breathtaking natural wonders, adding thousands of aesthetics to the adventurer’s perspective. Diverse landscapes are the norm in the many national parks throughout the country, from the flowing forests and high mountains in the north to the sandy beaches and rocky limestone formations in the south and west. The north of Thailand consists mainly of forested peaks and extensive river networks running through many small villages and cities. Tarutao National Park, made up of approximately 51 islands off the west coast of Satun Province, lies along the coast. On the western side of the country, there are stunning emerald seas framed by classic Thai long-tail boats just off the coast, while the east hosts busy hilly landscapes.
The steep mountains and extensive forested hills of Kanchanaburi, which abut the Burmese border, dominate the landscape in the central part of the country. A drop in this range provides a balance between similar coastal landscapes and drastically different interior landscapes. The Gulf of Thailand, in particular, is a largely coastal area—home to many beautiful coastlines, including those at the 42-island Ang Thong Marine National Park. Additionally, this area includes quite a few drastically different interior landscapes. Several coastal regions of Thailand lie to the southeast, offering mostly rolling hills and minor mountains not far above sea level, or otherwise, plains and lowlands. In general, their national parks concentrate mostly on the coast. These natural expanses with diverse climates create vast arrays of biodiversity, and many of Thailand’s approximately 290 national parks protect the habitats of unique and threatened species.
Thrilling Activities for Adventure Seekers
In Thailand, there are countless beautiful national parks where adventure seekers can have an exciting stay with their friends. For adrenaline lovers, Chiang Mai is the best place to come and relax, as the province was once home to dense forests, deep cliffs, and a perfect place for exploring beautiful nature. This section will take you to three national parks in Chiang Mai and show you some of the exciting activities you can immerse yourself in while visiting these beautiful national parks. One day you come to visit these beautiful places. This national park is especially good for the time you spend outside, doing what you like. If you really want adventure with nature and a cool place with natural beauty, you can check out the list below of worthwhile visiting national park activities. As you know, renting a machine helps you to provide some outdoor activities. This machine can be rented in most national parks, and the rental cost starts at 200 baht. Hike through the lush, dense jungle of national parks with trails through the dark jungle. Visitors can be amazed by the beauty of the landscapes surrounding them. In the dense forest, they have the opportunity to admire the beauty of waterfalls that are rarely seen by the population. As for the way down to the base trail, this part is challenging. If you want to explore the national parks of Thailand, it is recommended to have some level of physical activity from the bottom to the top because there are many rocks and dense parts that can be difficult to cross.
Hiking and Trekking
There’s no better way to explore Thailand’s national parks than on your own two feet. There are trails in national parks of all levels of difficulty, ranging from easy walks that give you excellent views of the scenery to challenging treks up mountains and through dense jungle. At any level, you’ll see some of Thailand’s best sights and experience the thrill of being out in the fresh air among some truly beautiful natural scenery. Whether it’s a trek through the jungle in a far-flung national park, a cool and easy walk in the mountains, or a tropical island beach walk, walking into Thailand’s wilderness offers an escape from everyday life. You’ll feel rested and rejuvenated, awake to nature, and maybe more in touch with your inner world. Even if you are far from ‘fit,’ you’ll probably manage an easy walk.
Getting close to nature means more than just seeing it; hiking helps you experience the wilderness in a deep and profound way, feeling the ground underfoot, taking the sun and rain into your skin and ears, and hearing the forest and other wild sounds. Try a trail to get a local feel for northern Thais, for whom walking and trekking have been the way to get around for centuries. Hiking is generally safe, but should still be taken seriously. Do not go without some basic safety precautions, appropriate clothing and footwear, and a minimum of equipment. Also go prepared with information on the route, especially if it’s a remote one. Carry plenty of drinking water and remember that it’s very easy to become dehydrated in the tropics, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Always carry a map. Hiking off the trail is a great way to see what made national parks worth preserving – the places that exist in few other areas. Keep in mind that hiking sends a lot of sediment flowing into streams, which can eventually change the ecology of a valley. Lastly, ask the park office for local information, local maps, any known conditions on the trails, and any problem animals.
Rock Climbing and Bouldering
Climbing prevails throughout the country’s parks and offers different sceneries to enjoy while on the wall. One of the main attractions is in Lop Buri, but the area boasts many parks offering rock climbing and bouldering sites. Start your rock climbing or bouldering adventure in Thailand with a visit to two of the more popular and easily accessible climbing locations in the nation. Located off the coast of Krabi in Southern Thailand, the islands of Koh Rock offer climbers many intriguing challenges as they navigate these massive limestone towers.
For those who prefer bouldering, Thailand is a perfect geography for scaling rocks of unusual shapes and sizes. Take the route to the areas around the working elephant village, and you will find some of the best bouldering areas in Thailand. Climbers can have a true challenge scaling rocks in jungles up north. Although Thailand is definitely a destination for climbers, safety should be your number one consideration on these physically challenging, vertical-face outdoor destinations. Before setting off to scale the rock formations, plan for proper footwear for these locations and make sure the perspiration-resistant soles are suitable for wet or changing weather conditions. Since not all of the needed equipment may be purchased at some of these remote locations, experts have suggested that climbers and boulderers should bring along a small, one- or two-day pack with the essentials. Climbers should remember that lead routes contain man-made hardware for climbers’ use, but they have also been known to break. Nature purists will surely appreciate the hidden and daring climbs in the national parks, which seem to provide a more authentic experience than these very popular tourist attractions.
White-Water Rafting
Rushing rivers, foaming white water, pounding spray, the thrill of rapids, the adrenaline buzz – such are the appeals of the uninitiated into one of the most exciting adventure activities awaiting visitors to Thailand’s national parks. ‘White-water rafting’ is the generic title that includes a range of options varying from state-of-the-art inflatables for the pro river runner to more sedate bamboo rafts and even tubes for the less adventurous. Nonetheless, all white-water rafting is unique. It is the only activity – on land or water – to be recategorized occasionally.
Thailand’s white-water rafts are composed of highly durable inflatable tubes. All national parks in western Thailand – and many others including Khao Sok, in the south – have rivers with rapids suitable for water-based activities. Some river systems are more exciting because they have steeper drops; it follows that they have more difficult rapids with strong whirlpools. Some river rapids have been skillfully modified by the placement of rocks. Rafting guides are essential since it is they who master the difficult art of reading the water to gauge the variables that may trip the raft. Raftees equipped with helmets and buoyancy aids are given basic instructions on paddling and helming before setting off into the unknown. On most rafting trips, it is not the rapids but the landscape that makes the journey so awe-inspiring. Despite the extreme excitement and thrills provided by white-water rafting, there are few reported incidents, primarily due to the strict guidelines on all aspects of the sport. The sport comes with risks: obstacles in the water that are hidden from view, or the strength of the water itself. In time, pollutants could change the water chemistry and subsequently result in rivers that one day may thwart the call of the wild, or at least be dangerous enough to leave from treatment plants.
Caving and Spelunking
If you’ve ever been curious about the life underground and the miracles that water and time can create in the dark, then you may want to look into a bit of caving and spelunking while on R and R. The underground has a totally different mystery, and, for instance, Tham protrudes from begins with a pitched descent down a gaping hole in the cavern being entered. With a loud rattle of stanchions and clanging of carabiners set on ropes, the first moment you step into the labyrinths of, say, Tham Lam, you’ll be in a subterranean world with few of the aesthetics of open-air dome-like cave entrances. Instead, the rooster tail of a glaring flashlight is aimed at an 80-degree incline going downward to some very big chambers at the bottom. The darkness combined with the gagging metallic taste of your own fear is cavernous, and after you’ve been done and come back to the sun, it’s a thrill you’ll never soon forget. A hard hat or climber’s helmet, headlamp, gloves, and elbow protection are what you’ll need to take with you, but be aware that even with all your careful equipment and lighting, stalactites and other stalagmites or flags can bust you up. The many recent earthquakes have produced dangerous and shifting occurrences throughout the many caves, and while not all of them are officially closed, a call ahead to forest officials who can advise you properly would be in order.
The adventure sport of spelunking or caving, as in “man-eating caverns,” be careful… is a challenging yet satisfying undertaking, not only in the successful completion of reaching one’s objectives in the twists and climbs underground, but just getting underground is quite the exciting journey. The cave system can be a bit of the Black Lagoon, but if completed with an environmental underground scenario or profiteering, the immune system of bats and speed of speculation ecology as found in the subtle lakes and tributaries of Tham Lam in Khao Sok’s Mae Surin waterfall. Conscientious caving is a necessity for the preservation of these unique and rapidly disappearing environments. As in mountain climbing, many do not return, and a cave rescue can take many days.
Wildlife Encounters in Thailand’s National Parks
Thailand’s national parks boast an array of wildlife, with several species of monkeys, deer, boars, and even majestic wild elephants living in the forests. Lucky visitors may also hear the hoot of the hornbill, the calls of gibbons, or possibly catch a glimpse of a slow-moving loris or palm civet. Many of the species found in Thailand’s national parks are only found in Southeast Asia, making them very interesting for any budding zoologists or ornithologists. It is very important to take a responsible attitude towards wildlife tourism; however, while we heartily recommend you visit national parks, we also recommend that you avoid places that offer shows put on by gibbons, and in particular anywhere that advertises the fact that they may be able to show you an ‘untamed’ elephant. Wild elephants know a fence when they see it, and a ‘domesticated’ elephant has generally been broken in using appalling tactics.
Thailand is still home to some of the best-conserved lowland habitats in Southeast Asia. Healthy lowland areas are important because they provide a home to a large part of the region’s biodiversity and also help maintain healthy populations of some of the larger species within a national park. These larger species help disperse seeds and maintain the genetic diversity of the forest and even help shape the landscape itself. The national parks’ cheaply priced guided tours are often an excellent way of seeing wildlife, whether that be terrestrial or aquatic. Many members of the park staff and boat drivers have an almost animistic view towards the national parks’ animals: stop by the Visitor Centre for a talk about everything from freshwater fish to the now endangered fire-bellied pitta. Conservation, they’ll tell you, is not just for nature’s sake but for the continuing well-being of the people of Krabi.
Preservation Efforts and Sustainable Tourism
The Thai government realizes that actions must be taken to protect the natural environment and cultural heritage that make Thailand a desired destination for travelers. A number of initiatives are underway to organize the national and world heritage parks of Thailand and to get them declared as “green” storehouses for environmental protection metrics. Visitor donations, generated mainly by the park entrance fees, may be used for environmental and community conservation projects. Adventure travelers do not have to leave a negative footprint on the Thai national parks, thanks to this assistance. By identifying the parks of Thailand according to their classification status, this section offers a preview of the excitement that is waiting for you in selected adventure travel destinations. Thailand’s National Park Division has constructed a system offering places to visit to meet the interests of different groups of tourists. Ecotourists choose to visit these places with the aim of appreciating a park’s natural beauty, immense biodiversity, or unique ecosystem. Excitement-seeking travelers visit the national parks to go on trails, climb mountains, escape the summer heat, seek another thrill, or discover an area similar to national parks in their home countries. Excitement and adventure-loving travelers, of course, will be able to do some eco-caving, rock climbing, or trekking while inside the national parks. However, those looking for excitement on the dark side will be discouraged from imitating under any circumstances. It is important to preserve the natural and cultural heritage shared with guests throughout the national park system of Thailand.