Khao Yai National Park

Khao Yai National Park is Thailand's oldest national park and still one of the most popular because of its large population of wild elephants. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering an area of just under 2,000 square kilometers. This breathtaking park is home to rainforests, mountains, and grasslands. This variety of terrain means an equally rich fauna, with gibbons, jackals, and even bears calling the park home. Haew Suwat Waterfall, famous for a scene in Leonardo DiCaprio's The Beach movie, can be accessed on foot when hiking the park.

Khao Yai National Park spreads across four provinces, namely Saraburi (west), Nakhon Nayok (east), Nakhon Ratchasima (north), and Prachinburi (east). The highest peak, at Khao Rom, is 1,351 meters above sea level. Blessed with a lush, mountainous landscape, fertile valleys, pounding waterfalls, and rich biodiversity, Khao Yai is a year-round getaway destination just three hours' drive from Bangkok.

The west side boasts a range of wild-west theme parks and vineyards of Thailand's award-winning labels, such as Pirom Khao Yai Reserve and Sawasdee Chenin Blanc. The south and east are peppered with many natural wonders, from Prachinburi's jungle-clad waterfalls to Wang Nam Kheo's ozone-rich valleys. Visitors can take to the trekking and biking trails here or hire a park ranger to drive them to the usually inaccessible water holes where elephants congregate to drink.