Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [387]
Juldis (0 4429 7297; www.juldiskhaoyai.com; Th Thanarat, Km17; r 1760-4800B, bungalows 4800-7200B; ) This plush place is one of the Khao Yai area originals, but it’s kept up with the times with a 2008 renovation. It’s classier than most of the competition at these rates, which in these parts means the karaoke croonings aren’t likely to drift into your room at night. It offers tennis courts, spa treatments and pleasant gardens.
Kirimaya (0 4442 6000; www.kirimaya.com; Rte 3052; r 7600-14,300B, pool villas 15,400B, tented villas 22,200B; ) The first impression of this luxury resort-spa is usually either ‘Wow!’ or stunned silence. Step ‘through’ the wooden front doors and you’re greeted by a towering stilted restaurant and other Thai-Bali fusion buildings, all rising from a lotus- and reed-filled pond and backed by the mountains. Rooms have bamboo furniture, balconies and all the mod cons. We’re not too keen on having an 18-hole golf course on the edge of the park (even one designed by Jack Nicklaus), but there’s no denying this place is special. It’s 7km east of the park gate.
The best setting for sleeping is, of course, in the park itself. There are two campsites (per person with own tent 30B, 2-4-person tents 150-250B) and a variety of rooms and bungalows (0 2562 0760; www.dnp.go.th/parkreserve; 2-8 people 800-3500B).
Each of the lodges listed above serves food, and there are many lovely garden restaurants along Th Thanarat. The park itself has restaurants at all the busy locations, including the visitor centre, campsites and some waterfalls. Even the campsite ones close early (around 7pm) though, so plan ahead.
Getting There & Away
Just about all buses between Bangkok (2nd/1st class 108/139B, two hours) and Khorat (2nd/1st class 59/74B, one hour) stop in Pak Chong. You can also get to Pak Chong by train from Bangkok and Khorat, but it’s slower than the bus, especially if coming from Bangkok. Ayuthaya, on the other hand, has no direct bus service, so the train (3rd class 173B, 2nd class 203–333B; two hours), of which there are 11 daily, is the best option.
Srng·ta·ou travel the 30km from Pak Chong down Th Thanarat to the park’s northern gate (40B, 45 minutes), every half-hour from 6am to 5pm, from in front of the 7-Eleven store near the deer statue. It’s about 500m west of the ordinary bus terminal, but note that most buses stop at their own company offices at various points on the main road.
It’s another 14km to the visitor centre, and park guards are used to talking drivers into hauling fa·ràng (foreigners of European descent) up there. Some also do a side business hiring motorcycles out for about 500B per day. Some motorcycle shops on Pak Chong’s main road do rentals for around 300B to 400B, though you’ll probably have to do your negotiations without the use of English.
BURIRAM PROVINCE
Buriram is not a province for urban exploration. Despite hanging on to half of its historic moat, Meuang Buriram, the provincial capital and only large town, is a tough sell as a tourist destination. Buriram Province is a place to come for a look at the past. The countryside is chock-a-block with tradition and peppered with over 50 Khmer ruins (out of 259 in the whole country).
The crowning glory is Phanom Rung, a beautifully restored Khmer temple complex straddling the summit of an extinct volcano. The most spectacular Angkor-era monument in Thailand, Phanom Rung is well worth the journey and should impress even those suffering acute temple overload.
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NANG RONG
pop 20,300
This workaday city is even more forgettable than Buriram, 45km to the north, but it’s the most convenient base for visiting Phanom Rung. A full range of services and a good selection of hotels at least make it a friendly and comfortable