Backpacking In Thailand - part two
While heading north back to Bangkok, I discovered there were wild elephants to be seen nearby. But in 2014 the park was barely advertised, with little to no information on how to get there. The only option was to take a bus, which dropped us at the end of the road heading towards the park. And from there, stuck out an arm in the hope of a ride.
We were kindly picked up by a Thai couple, and taken to the sole guesthouse around, near the park border. The host was incredibly friendly, taking us to the entrance where you can purchase entry to Kui Buri. And the next day, he also took provided breakfast at sunrise, looking over the valley.
Kui Buri is a large park, part forested, part grassland – the perfect habitat for its large inhabitants – Asian elephants. It was compulsory to go with a guide, on the back of a pickup truck, to enter the park. It is well worth it.
The guides took us into a few different sections of Kui Buri. We drove along the tracks through the woods until we made it to a dense bush area. Here we had our first sighting, albeit from afar, of the huge elephants. They appeared to graze happily, quite uninterested in our presence, as we stood watching from distance through patches of trees.
The next stop was to a manmade watchtower, overlooking a huge expanse of grass. On another day, it would be a great place to spot a herd wander across the plains. On that day, we didn’t spot a single elephant in the hour we spent watching. As is the way with wildlife watching, luck plays a huge part. As the light began to fade, we started to make our way back out of the park.
On the way out of the park, after passing a large pond to our left, our driver made a sudden stop. The guides talked between themselves and pointed to the bushes beyond the far side of the pond. And so, we waited… until there they were, bursting out of the trees – two huge elephants.
Seeing elephants up close made them even more impressive than I expected. They simply created a new path for themselves by grazing on the bushes around them. They are scarily big, which made me grateful for the body of water between us.
We stood by our vehicles, quietly admiring the elephants for about twenty minutes, just gazing as they ate and drank casually, at their own pace, paying no heed to the watchers opposite.
We decided to come back for a second visit the next day, so entranced by the first. We had multiple sightings throughout the park. The first sighting was a large bull elephant, from the car. The second, a fleeting sighting of a young elephant, over a hill.
We didn’t manage to see the other well-known resident, the Gaur – a large wild cow-species found across Asia. With the amount of elephant sightings, though, it was hard to be disappointed. It’s worth noting though, sightings of wild animals are never guaranteed. As disappointing as that can be, it should make you more grateful when you have the encounters you hope for.
The next stop of note in Thailand was another national park, Khang Krachan. This is a popular park, and a direct bus from the town of Petchaburi went to the park entrance. The visitor headquarters is the place to book your stay. You can choose between various accommodation types, location, as well as duration, all within the park. Also, there are cafes at the campsite, serving decent food.
We arranged to camp two nights, in two different sites at the park, which meant we paid for a ride to each. The ride into the park was in the late afternoon, and we drove most of the paved road running through it, to the upper echelons of the park. On route, the keen-eyed driver spotted langurs in trees above – these turned out to be common sightings.
The first campsite, in its elevated position, gave a 360-view of the jungle below – perfect to watch the sun set in the evening, and to see the rising mist in the morning. The morning mist was so thick it obstructed the views on a walk to the jungle edge – only clearing by mid-morning. Once it had cleared, the animals appeared. Amongst the langurs, the call of a gibbon, which could be heard from a mile away.
We spotted the gibbon swinging in the trees high above, posing for a great photo before swinging away. As well as plenty of langurs, frolicking high above. We then walked most of the way between the two campsites, for a few hours, when we spotted a creature we hadn’t expected – a large leopard, creeping along the edge of the jungle. Startled, I exclaimed in surprise, which – seemed to frighten the leopard, who disappeared into the trees.
I was initially disappointed my exclamation meant I didn’t have time to take a photo of the magnificent beast. But, in hindsight, it’s better to have had him move away then rather approach. And I appreciate the memory of that moment, fortunate to have seen one at all.
Approaching the end of the 30-day visa, the return to Bangkok was a short one – to take a train to the border of Cambodia. Due to my ignorance, I hadn’t expected to find a passenger train service – but it was quite comfortable and a quick way to head east, on way to the next country on this trip.
On leaving Thailand, I felt very pleased with my time there. Especially after being indifferent towards the tourist culture of the islands. The national parks were a revelation, and I have since learnt there are many more to visit (I have since been back to the extraordinary Khao Yai). What made them even more remarkable was how quiet they were in comparison to the resort towns.
In summary, Thailand has a variety of offerings to travellers. The intrepid may venture away from the packed-out mainstream destinations, and unearth unexpected gems, often less well-known – and all the better for it.
