BUTTERFLY PARADISE

BUTTERFLY PARADISE

Nobody knows how many wonderful butterflies Thailand has, but there are well over 1,200 species. All that is certain is that there are more of these delicate ephemeral creatures here than in almost any country in the world. Their dispersal is so broad that you can go almost anywhere to enjoy their brilliant profusion. If you visit Thung Yai Naresuan and Huai Kha khaeng wildlife sanctuaries, now World Heritage sites, as the prairie flowers blossome you will see the whole expanse of grassland shimmer with a dazzling range of vividly hued butterflies. If you visit the mud flats and wetlands along the coast and particularly in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, you will find to totally different yet equally copious assortment of species feeding on the nectar of the grasses and sedges as they flower. In the forests, whether evergreen or deciduous Thailand’s astonishing abundance of flowering trees calls forth an answering wealth of birds, butterflies and bees. If you are out in the forest at night, you could well see the world’s largest moth, spectacular both for its bold brown and cream markings and for its incredible eight-inch wingspan. As they flutter their jinxing flight in the bright morning sunlight, paradise comes down to earth when Thailand’s glorious butterflies are out. What fantastic beauty!

BIRD WITHOUT NUMBER

That’s a slight exaggeration, of course, but Thailand is a bird-watcher’s paradise with about 1,000 spices in the world, and more birds than in the whole of Europe. The best place to see them is at Khao Yai. This national park, some three hours drive from Bangkok has a confirmed 318 species within its borders. Most famous are its four species of hornbill, but look too for the silver and Siamese fire back pheasants, several species of pigeon and owl, and perhaps the world’s fastest bird, the brown needle tail. Among winter migrants, staying mostly from October to April, are the Siberian blue robin, mountain hawk eagle and several leaf-warblers, wagtails and stonechats.

The next best bird haven has a very different range of species. It is Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Prachab Khiri Khan. It contains Thailand’s most important wetlands: Extensive freshwater marshland, coastal mud flats and mangroves. It harbors an amazing variety of water, wading, shoreline and sea birds, both residents and migrants. Among its 275 confirmed species are painted storks, several different kinds of herons and egles, harriers, stilts and egrets. The spotted greenshank is one of the park’s rarer visitors. The park now provides hides for seabird watching. Its mangroves should be carefully investigated. Another bird watcher’s treat is Kaeng Krachan National Park just west of Hua Hin on the rugged border with Myanmar. It has 250 confirmed species, including an astonishing number of great hornbills along with serpent eagles, scarlet minivets, kalej pheasants and several kinds of peacock. Kaeng Krachan is also one of the last refuges for the woolly-necked stock. Birds, is it? Central Thailand is certainly the place.

WHITEWATER RAFTING

It’s Level 5, the toughest there is for whitewater rafting, and there are several more hours of it, rapids swirling through breathtaking country all at the same steep pitch. If it’s excitement you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place. That can be either the wild Kang Hin Peung river through the open jungle of Khao Yai National Park, the turbulent river Kwai in Kanchanaburi’s rainforest or, most challenging of all, the steep upper reaches of the Mae Nam Phetch or Phetchaburi river in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province. Whether you choose inflatable dinghies at Khao Yai or on the Mae Nam Phetch, or a bamboo raft on the Kwai river, you need to be here between July and October when the rivers have been swollen by rain. That is when much of the hinterland of the national parks becomes impassable. That is when, moving in by four-wheel drive and on foot, you will find one of the greatest thrill of your life. Make sure your tour guides train you first. They should tell you what to expect, explain the safety equipment and run briefly through the procedures. Then you step aboard your raft and you’re off on the turbulent rushing river. You probably get more of a kick with an inflatable, but bamboo rafts offer the additional challenge of handling a set of bucking poles that have been lashed together and are themselves awash with the river. This is the way it used to be done. Armed with only your paddle, you’ll need all your energy just to stay on board! Level 5 means a river in spate with a wild, rapid current and difficult rapid. Many of these are steep. But there are quite moments too when you can pull ashore for a meal or a rest or just to soak in the majestic tranquility of the deep forest. At those times, you’ll feel that cities, clocks or cars never existed.

DIVING AMONG CORALS

Genesis Stock Photo

You wouldn’t think skeletons could be attractive, would you? Yet people come from all over the world to dive on marine exo-skeletons (that’s a skeleton built up outside the body, like a lobster) in the Gulf of Thailand. Actually, these skeletons are usually called coral. Unless you decide to snorkel or have your own scuba equipment, you may want to start at Pattaya where most of the dive shops are. They have the gear and the expertise and they knowwhere the best coral is. Just follow them. But if you are on your own, here is a good tip: Go as far away as possible. In Thailand’s central region that means Ko Chang National Park in Trat province down by the Cambodian border or Khao Laem Ko Samet National Park in Rayong province. It takes most of one day to get to Ko Chang, about half a day only to reach Ko Samet. Either way, if you have the time, it is worth it. Diving or snorkeling amongst the coral at either place is stupendous fun. Ko Chang National Park is of course better. It consists of about 50 islands scattered over about 650 square kilometers. Dive shops can be found across Ko Chang itself. Spectacular dive sites on the west of the islands are just 20 minutes away while Ko Wai, Ko Hradat and Ko Mak are all good. If you know your way around the sea, try to get out to some of the smaller islands. Then settle down for some serious enjoyment. The amazing range of colours and shapes you will see delight you, both hard and soft corals being found here. Shifting in and out of the coral in the filtered sunlight, you will also find little schools of brightly coloured tropical fish. It won’t take long to dazzle you, dumbfound you, turn you into an exo-skeleton freak. Happily these ones, by their outgoing nature, don’t lurk in cupboards.

SEA AND RIVER CANOEING

As the hull beneath you slices cleanly through the water, you can feel each shock and slap of the waves. As you come to a bend in the stream or a stretch of turbulence, the precision of your craft is itself a trill. Canoeing has not long been popular in Thailand but the Sarika Canoe Club at Nakhon Nayok just north of Bangkok is one of the pioneers. The river there offers several challenging kilometers of whitewater, especially between June to October when the water is high. As the river in any case winds through spectacular country, it is always a good ride.

Or want to try the sea? Ko Chang National Park or Pattaya are the best sea canoe sites in central Thailand. Ko Chang’s many islands, many still uninhabited, in particular offer fantastic adventure. Run your canoe ashore on Ko Mak’s golden beaches or explorer the scenic interwoven bays of Ko Ngam. Ko Rang offers dazzlingly clear waters and spectacular views. Ko Kra, only half a square kilometer of land, has superb shallow water coral. But in the end it’s the boat itself that counts: The way it answers to the paddle, the way it cuts the surface. Whether you shoot Nakhon Nayok’s rapids in style or find yourself slogging through a choppy sea off Pattaya, it’s the sense of closeness to nature that’s the thing! No wonder canoeing is catching on!

ACTIVE THAILAND

BACK-COUNTRY BIKING

Back-country central Thailand is just made for smart bikers. The traffic is light, and the rural scenery of rice paddies, peaceful village and canals is delightful. And if you really want to stretch your muscles, just put your mountain-bike on the back trails of any of the several magnificent national parks in the region and let go. What an amazing way to experience some wonderful country!

An excellent place to start is Nakorn Nayok. Tucked away in what’s been called Bangkok’s back yard, this scenic province is situated in foothills of Khao Yai. It already has several designated back-road and off-road biking trails through gently rolling countryside, but of course you can easily make your own. Khao Yai itself with its 13 marked trails is another fantastic bike site, but then so is Khao Sam Roi Yot in Prachuab Khiri Khan province, Khao Kichakut in , Chlerm Rattanakosin and Saiyoke in Kanchanaburi and Kaeng Krachan in Petchaburi province. All these national parks have extensive trails so classic

GET TO KNOW THAILAND!

With an area of 514,000 square kilometers, Thailand is bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The Andaman Sea bound it by the Gulf of Thailand and to the southwest. The capital and largest city is Bangkok. The Chao Phraya or the “River of Kings” is its chief river.

Thailand has a tropical climate with a high degree of humidity. The average temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. There are three seasons: hot (March to May), rainy (June to October), and cool (November to February). The country has 77,697 kilometers of highways and 3,999 kilometers of inland waterways. Bus services operate on routes from Bangkok to every region and between main provincial towns. The railway system, with nearly 4,000 kilometers of track, is divided into five regions each with a trunk line from Bangkok’s Hua Lampong station. There are several domestic airlines and international airports at Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Phuket. The basic unit of currency is the baht which is divided into 100 satang, Banknotes are in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht. Coins are in 25 and 50 satang. Government offices open from 8:30 to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

A WONDERFUL COUNTRY TO BE YOUNG IN

Welcome to Thailand everyone!

We’ve been told often enough that “travel broadens the mind”. It does a lot more than that, though, especially when we’re young. This is the time when we are making discoveries for ourselves and beginning to understand what the world is really like. It’s a time of energy. enthusiasm, a capacity for enjoyment, and also of idealism, when people matter; the environment matters; diversity matters. At this time, travel answers a need in all young and is a most important part of their development. The kind of travel where adventure and fun go hand in hand with appreciation of the natural and social environment which you are discovering is the most rewarding of all. It is usually called sustainable travel, and it’s no surprise to find that this is the kind of travel which most appeals to young people. That’s Thailand. A land of adventure, of scenic beauty and glittering, manmade treasures, the home of a friendly, welcoming people: A wonderful country to be young in. So, let’s go and discover Thailand together.