Thailand Has Many Worlds to Offer Nature Lovers
Hiking jagged cliff edges to remote mountain temples sound like your kind of fun? Then you’re ready for the death-defying mountain treks found in Thailand. Some areas are so steep that ladders have been installed to keep people from going over the edge!
Not for the faint of heart, many climbing and hiking trails exist so that even the most experienced adrenaline junkies, trail runners, or adventure racers can have a blast! Think you’re ready for the nature of Thailand challenge?
Prefer something more low-key, or maybe you’re travelling with your family, including children? Consider a bicycle ride through the Green Lung Jungle in Bangkok, the world’s 6th best ozone place to breathe.
This fun tour is suitable for all ages and all fitness levels, with a provided lunch, and tropical bird watching opportunities. This is a great trip for families who are traveling and homeschooling or unschooling their children. They won’t even realize how much they’re learning while doing it!
Get hands-on with nature and be a part of preserving the white sandy beaches! Helping to keep these beaches in pristine condition is Trash Hero Thailand, a global community-based organization, that was started by a small group of friends in Thailand. Today, there are more than 50 chapters in twenty countries around the world.
Community members meet weekly to hold trash cleanups, uniting locals and tourists in the projects. Often the day is capped off with by resting on the beach at sunset with delicious food and beer. Another great chance to vacation and show children the value of volunteering and community participation.
Thailand’s Nature is Ideal for Photographers and Artists
Tropical flowers and unusual birds, interesting and ancient limestone cliffs and radiantly beautiful rainforests, temples, stupas, and incredible wildlife make Thailand an absolute one-of-a-kind visual buffet for photographers and artists. Painters will be inspired by the natural beauty and photographers won’t know where to start snapping shots with incredible sights found nowhere else on the planet.
Are you an underwater photographer or want to try your hand at it? While visiting the Phuket area you can take a class or brush up on some next-level skills. You can learn from experts essential skills to take your photography to the next level.
Phuket is surrounded by beaches and tropical water abundant with marine life and in close proximity of the Similans islands. Easy diving conditions and close dive sites make the ideal situation for underwater photography training and for all diving abilities. You will find courses that cater to beginners through advanced photographers. Just ask us here at Thailand Divers scuba diving center and we’ll help you find just the right place to learn.
The New Heaven Reef Conservation Program is located on Koh Tao, and offers options to get involved with marine conservation. Whatever your itinerary or how much time you are in Thailand, immersion experiences from one-day to months-long internships are available. See how the artificial coral reefs are maintained, and learn about the care of baby turtle hatchlings. There are opportunities to join daily projects, for budding conservationists of all levels.
Most people think of white sand and blue waters when they think of vacationing in Thailand but did you know there are several types of rainforests to be explored? You can hike in Evergreen, Deciduous, Pine, Mangrove, and Beach Forests! Chao Phraya and the Mekong rivers boast river otters, a wide variety of birds, and freshwater fish. Many hiking trails are present to carry you up the mountainside to sweeping vistas or through dense rainforests to spend the day with monkeys and tropical birds!
Ethical Tourism and Responsible Tourism
Spend Time Ethically With Animals In Their Natural Environments
Love elephants? Plan a trip to the Elephant Nature Park! Opened in Chiang Mai in the 1990s, this park provides a sanctuary and rescue center for mistreated elephants nationwide. You are invited to learn about this endangered species and interact with them in a responsible way. The success of this park has inspired the growth of other centers in Phuket, Koh Samui and Cambodia.
Or, if you’re trip has you spending more time in Phuket hop over to Pa Klok, and visit the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, an ethical sanctuary where elephants roam around and socialize freely across 30 acres of lush, tropical land bordering the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park in North East Phuket.
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is the final home for rescued elephants, where they receive professional veterinary care for the old and injured as well as the loving attention they so deserve. Visitors are supporting a sustainable, ethical, and compassionate approach to elephant tourism where elephants have the freedom to live naturally. You may have seen articles and shows highlighting this sanctuary by National Geographic, and Lonely Planet.
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, a research division of the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand, is open to the public with volunteers offering guided tours and information about the individual animals on-site. This is an excellent place for learning about gibbons, the aims of the project in rescuing and rehabilitating illegally captive gibbons, and preventing the species’ mistreatment.
And if elephants and monkeys aren’t enough, Thailand is home to more than 10% of the world’s animals, with more than 285 mammal species. So be on the lookout for other animals you may find in the various national parks: the northern pig-tailed macaques, barking deer, sambar deer, porcupines, and civets. More elusive species seen from time to time are sun bears, Asian black bears, gaurs, otters, and jackals.
Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Grasslands, and Rainforests
From lush rainforests to otherworldly limestone formations, to grasslands and more, Thailand is famous for its biologically rich and diverse ecology and its natural wonders. Visiting any one of them could make you stop in your tracks in complete awe and there are so many you’ll have trouble choosing!
If the romance of waterfalls are calling you start here in the Kanchanaburi Province. Erawan Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand. It’s a 7-tiered waterfall with plunge pools, cascades, and rock formations.
Another favorite is Thi Lo Su Waterfall, located on the Mae Kong River in the Tak Province. It’s the largest and tallest plunge waterfall around, measuring 250 meters tall by 450 meters wide. The hike to it is long but this impressive 4-tiered fall is worth every step. Remember your camera, the views at the top are unbelievable!
You won’t want to miss is the Khao Yai National Park, established in 1962 as Thailand’s first national park, and it is the third-largest national park in Thailand, situated in Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachinburi, Saraburi and Nakhon Nayok Provinces. The park covers an area of 2,168 km, including rain/evergreen forests and grasslands. Khao Rom at 1,351 meters tall is the highest mountain in the park.
In the must-see category (well, they’re really all must-see aren’t they?) is the Bangkok Tree House, in the Green Lung Jungle of Bangkok, sometimes referred to as the city’s last natural frontier. Constructed from eco-friendly materials and powered by natural energy sources, this property has integrated zero-waste goals into every part of the building.
To name a few features: wall insulation is made out of recycled juice cartons; reclaimed wood makes up the walkways; 100% of outdoor lights are powered by wind and solar energy; all kitchen waste is composted; guest amenities are all locally sourced; and “air-cleaning plants” are grown in the guest rooms to purify the air.
Come Celebrate and Preserve the Great Outdoors with Us
Thailand truly is a paradise for all ages, and everyone who loves outdoor activities cares about eco-tourism and sustainability and walks through the world with reverence and love for the environment.
With its diverse geography, friendly, helpful people, and stunning scenery, the “Land of Smiles” is a great place to come and experience the joys of being outside by yourself, with friends, or family. And of course, if you want to plan a Phuket scuba diving trip feel free to contact Thailand Divers and we can set you up for an underwater adventure!
