Khao Yai National Park

3 Best Day Trips From Bangkok

"Named after its main mountain, Khao Yai National Park, one of Thailand’s oldest and most visited, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and part of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex. It’s home to one of the few—and largest—remaining monsoon forests in Southeast Asia and spans a whopping 2,333 square feet. The main draw here is the dense evergreen jungle, which swoops from lofty mountains down to impossibly green valleys speckled by waterfalls and caves. The park is also home to hundreds of wildlife species—elephants, macaques, gibbons, and even bears and otters—plus some 300 resident and migratory birds, and quite a few reptiles. You’ll need a guide and transportation to visit Khao Yai. The park is huge and going at it solo is not recommended, simply because some trails are quite long; there’s even a three-day route that requires overnight stays in the jungle. Those with some level of physical fitness will have an easier time with the hike, but you could just as well sit back and take in all that greenery." - Marianna Cerini