Southern Thailand Explorer II, 6 Days / 5 Nights- ex Hat Yai, Thailand

(Full board (F/B), guiding fees, all transportation, accommodation inclusive all meals B/L/D)

Thale Ban National Park is located in the Ban Wang Prachan and Tambon Wang Prachan region about 40kms from the town of Satun. The park covers an area of 19,600 hectares, encompassing the Kupang Pulot and Hua Kraming National Forest Reserves and the Pa Khuan Bo Nam Puyu Forest Area in Amphoe Mueang Satun’s Tambon Ban Khuan and Tambon Puyu.

This area was declared a national park on 27th October 1980. The word “Thale Ban” refers to a subsiding sea or a sea which is a result of the subsidence of earth between Khao (Mount) Chin and Khao (Mount) Mot Daeng. In fact, Thale Ban is a large freshwater lake covering an area of about 10,120 hectares. Most of this area is a mixture of mountains and dense forest.

Wild animals found here include serows, elephants, tapirs, common wild pigs, monkeys, gibbons, and the Khiat Wak or Giant Asiatic toad and also known as the Malayan giant toad). The toad is considered as a symbol of Thale Ban. It looks like a combination of a frog and a toad. It has a tail and it's call sounds like a puppy.

The lakeside, particularly in the rainy season, teems with this unique animal life. For bird-watchers, this place offers an opportunity that is not be missed. There are various species of bird, such as whiskered treeswifts, stripe-throated bulbuls, chestnut-naped forktails and woodpeckers.

Attractions in the Thale Ban National Park

Bueang Thale Ban is a freshwater lake located in the middle of a valley flanked by the Chin and the Wang Pra mountain ranges. The lake covers an area of about 780 hectares. There is an abundance of freshwater fish and shellfish. Around the lake are Bakong plants (Hanguana malayana), which grow densely. There are lakeside pavilions for recreation, as well as a wooden path around the lake.

There are 2 beautiful waterfalls here - One is Namtok Ya Roi originates from a source in the Hua Kraming Forest. The waterfall has nine tiers and visitors can swim in a pool at each tier. The other is Namtok Ton Plio which originates from Mount Chin. This large and beautiful multi-tiered waterfall flows from a high cliff. Both are weekend favourite among locals.

Birds such as malkohas, woodpeckers, broadbills, sunbirds, flowerpeckers, babblers, kingfishers (even the sought after forest dwelling Rufous-collared kingfisher), barbets and plenty more are found here.

The mangrove area in Krabi town is a site for the rare Masked Finfoot (a vagrant winter visitor)and other interesting species as such ruddy Kingfisher and stork-billed Kingfisher.

Thale Noi

Thale Noi means "small sea" in Thai and it is in fact a large fresh water lake. The size of the lake is as large as Penang Island. Thale Noi is mostly freshwater (although it becomes slightly saline for a part of the year) to the north of Lake Songkhla in Phattalung province. Thale Noi is one of the largest freshwater lakes in southern Thailand and is classified as a 'Non-Hunting Area' and is protected by the Department of Forestry.  

This area is covered with rich reed beds, lotus swamps and grass beds and there is an area of Melaleuca woodland. There are facilities for birdwatchers and boat trips for those that wish to find a large number of species including rarer species bird such as painted storks and black-headed ibises.

The low season is June-September which is the nesting period. Species that are prevalent here are those of the heron and stork family such as yellow bittern, great egret, painted stork, purple heron, ducks such as lesser whistling duck, cotton pygmy goose, and garganey; grebe; rails such as white-browed crake, white-breasted waterhen, watercock, common moorhen, and even the eurasian coot; jacanas such as  pheasant-tailed jacana and bronze-winged jacana; cormorants such as great  cormorant and little cormorant; black-winged stilt; Brahminy kite; red-wattled lapwing; whiskered tern; common kingfisher; and barn swallow.

The best time to study flora and fauna is during October - March when there is an abundance of birds and pink lotus in full bloom cover the reserve. Moreover, tourists can visit villages and see cottage industries like reed mat making. Thale Noi has been declared the first world wetland site in Thailand.

Krung Ching, Khao Luang National Park

Krung Ching is a rich highland forest in the mountain range of Khao Luang National Park about 800 km south of Bangkok, Thailand. It represents an important site for montane and sub-montane rainforest species in the Peninsula.     Krung Ching is a home to more than 200 out of 978 bird species found in Thailand. These include the magnificent great argus pheasant, crested wood-partridge, diard's Trogon, scarlet-rumped Trogon, raffles malkoha, red-billed malkoha, chestnut-breasted malkoha, asian paradise flycatcher, grey-rumped treeswift, red-bearded beeeater, dark-throated oriole,  white-crowned hornbill, brown wood owl, javan frogmouth, green broadbill, banded pitta amongst others.      

Butterfly-lovers should not miss banded peacock, a national protected wildlife species. Cream-colored giant squirrel is one of the most sought-after squirrels among mammal lovers. For those who are fond of plants; stag-horn ferns, orchids, colorful fungi are worth looking through binoculars. Non venomous reptiles and amphibians are also worth photographing at night.

Krung Ching waterfall is a beautiful and important waterfall of Khao Luang National Park. Located in Tambon Krung Ching, the waterfall derives it's name from Ton Ching which is a kind of palm found in the area. The waterfall has many levels and the most breathtaking level is Nan Fon Saen Ha where water drops off a sheer cliff 100 meters high, splashing down creating a mist covering the area like rain unlike other falls. This waterfall level is depicted on the back of Thailand’s 1,000 Baht currency note. The waterfall is under the responsibility of the Khao Luang National Park Protection Unit and can be reached by a 4km road to Nan Fon Saen Ha.