Travel Adventure Ecotours in Thailand's National Parks

iscover the 'Pearl of the South's' beaches
Phuket's undisturbed white-sanded horizon-to-horizon West coast beaches are still apparently undiscovered by the tourist masses that throng to the Island!   But see these empty beaches now before the Di Caprio mob move in!   The small cafes and restaurants along the beaches just got electricity and it won't be long before the developers move in, spreading those ubiquitous condos and high-rise hotels to crowd out the skyline, repeating the folly of that previously sleepy fishing village of Patong Beach.

Nose to the Window! Khao Lak
Later we take a relaxing scenic drive in our spacious, air-conditioned road transport on to Khao Lak. From your window admire the local dramas played out in the rustic streets of the sleepy rural villages. Admire the majestic agricultural farmland, paddy fields, and undeveloped virgin forest landscapes as we pass beyond and into the province of Khao Lak. Keep an eye out here for the profuse wildlife in the Khao Lak area. If you're lucky, you might spot tapirs, Malayan sun bear, or hornbills.

Meet the People
Pausing along the way, perhaps to take a take a drink or snack, buy fruit or film, you'll be able to get up close and personal with these gentle superstitious people and perhaps learn something new about their unfamiliar culture, folklore, and traditions.

Refreshing Dip
We'll take a happy-break when we stop off to get wet and wild at the picturesque Lumpi Waterfalls in Lamru National Park. Then we'll drift on over to Khao Lak where you'll take lunch and a nap, stretched out at the deserted Robinson beach and doze for the afternoon.

Cloud Pass
In the late afternoon we'll venture on to negotiate the rising mists of the atmospheric "Cloud Pass" passing anonymously and unannounced into Khao Sok National Park by the back door.

Tree Top Huts
Check-in to our traditional accommodation of the charismatic "Tree Top Huts" next to a bridge nestled in a bend on the river. Take your time to drift around, take a walkabout checking out this conservation haven. Take a stroll along the verdant riverbank before dinner. See how many of the 175 bird species you can spot!

Wildlife Galore
Keep your eyes open, for this morning in Khao Sok National Park, the largest of Thailand's national parks, you might be lucky enough to spot anything from wild elephant, to leopard, tiger, serow, banteng, gaur, dusky langur, or Malayan sun bear, not to mention the 175 species of wild birds!  Whew!

Elephants Call!
Take breakfast in the fresh morning air. Eat well, for we're off on a morning elephant safari trek through the cool dark rainforests of conservation-conscious Khao Sok National Park. We'll visit the waterfalls and pause awhile for a splashing good time in the cool pools. Then back to the topic of food for lunch on the riverbank.

Buddhist Temple
A visit to Thailand isn't complete without exploring a few Buddhist temples, and you're not going to be disappoint here. Despite not being on the well-worn tourist trail, these temples are nonetheless charismatic chambers of intrigue and folklore that provide a heavenly mecca for meditation and enlightenment to the ordinary Thai person. And glorious photo opportunities for the rest of us!

Bamboo Rafting
Later, depending on the water level, we may make a short bamboo rafting expedition or river kayak to check out the stone grotto and the other hidden mysteries that lay beyond the next river bend. We'll certainly find all types of birds, vegetation, flowers, and fruits. And if we don't make too much noise, we may even discover some of those less gregarious riverbank inhabitants of this picturesque water sanctuary.

Ancient Pictograms
This morning we're off on a river boat expedition of the Than Bokkharani National Park, famous for its impressive water basin. Gliding noiselessly among mangrove swamps set amongst the soaring limestone rock formations, earnestly probing each nook and cranny of these waterways. Eventually we'll be rewarded. The discovery of a hidden grotto reveals ancient hanging stalactites. Further on, deeper into the chamber and there, inscribed on the rock, arcane humanoid and geometric illustrations of unknown date and origin. Which anonymous artisans crafted these enigmatic illustrations thought to be at least five thousand years old? Will we ever know?

Krabi Pirates Lair
Then onwards to Krabi, folklore has it that this was the habitat of the nefarious pirate sea-faring gangs that haunted the South China seas until very recently. Famous also for the fabulous seafood spreads, we'll be sure to show you some of the best resaturants at Ao Nang's beautiful beaches for a satisfying lunch.

Check in to the City
In the late afternoon we'll check-in to the friendly City Hotel. So take some time out to check your shopping opportunities or just take a stroll around the beaches to get your bearings. In the evening, we'll take a sumptuous dinner in a carefully-selected restaurant that serves traditional Thai dishes.

Tiger Cave Temple
The Wat Tham Sua (Tiger Cave) hill forest temple is one of Thailand's most famous monastaries.  And with good reason. The long narrow main temple area is carved into solid limestone.  The monks' cells carved high on the cliff walls face in from either side.  Many nooks and crannies are here to explore in the temple complex. Climb up high above the monastary to see the Bhuddha's Footprint and to admire the stunning panaoramic marine views from this lofty perch at 305 meters (1,000 feet).

Princess Lagoon
We'll take yet another another exciting river estuary boat expedition past offshore coral reefs, along the estuary admiring the vertical limestone cliffs of the headland cape above the deep lagoons and snow-white beaches. Keep your eyes peeled for this is the habitat of fidler crabs, mudskippers, kingfishers, and the soaring sea eagles. We're off to visit Ao Phra Nang (literally "revered lady") otherwise known as the Princess Lagoon. When we arrive we'll make the long steep climb to the top of the cape among the boulders to take a dip in the lagoon that nestles deep amongst the rocks. Then on to Fairy Beach to catch our breath, chill out then time for lunch.

Desert Island Paradise
Actually two Islands: Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le, these two awesome islands lay like a pair of stunning emerald-green gems studding the turquoise Gulf of Thailand, joined by a small narrow causeway of golden sand.

You'll be staying at the lively Phi Phi Island Village resort.

Home to the famous Di Caprio movie 'The Beach', these islands are a victim of their own conservation success. See them now before they're transformed by developers into Touristville forever, it's starting to happen already!

Things to See and Do on Phi Phi Island
You'll need more than one day to take advantage of the sights and sounds of Phi Phi so kick back and check out paradise under your own steam. Why not check out the habitats of the forktail swifts nesting in the cliffs?  The subject of much interest by the locals due to the fiercely fought-over nests used in the culinary delight of birds' nest soup, they routinely fetch over $2,000 per kilo!

There are many interesting things to see and do here: sunbathing on the snow-powder sand beaches, snorkelling, SCUBA diving. Why not take a longtail boat around the island or how about a glass-bottomed boat tour to check out the prolific marine life, luxuriant amongst the coral reefs that encompass these islands?

Homeward Bound
In the late afternoon we'll make our way back to Phuket Island by skirting around the famous James Bond Island area better known to the locals as Phang-Nga Bay. Meanwhile, lay back and enjoy the ever-changing view from the comfort of your air-conditioned seat as we cross over the Sarasin Bridge, gateway to Phuket Island, and back to your hotel

Price per Person: 19.500 Baht $603 US approx.

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