Phuket has been blessed with beautiful bounties of nature. Pristine beaches, dense jungles and cascading waterfalls are all found within this region, sometimes as standalone sites and sometimes as combinations like a jungle fringed by a beach. Even though there are plenty of natural attractions Phuket has only one significant virgin rainforest; the Khap Phra Thaeo Wildlife Park.
It is located close to a town named Thalang some 20 kilometres away from the town of Phuket, in the northern region of the island and can be reached by taking Route 4027 east from what is known as the Heroines’ Monument. Covering an area of 22 square kilometres, the park also has a conservation and learning centre because of its high importance.
The canopy in this forest is quite dense and is made of gigantic trees forming the top layer. When visiting the park taking a guide along with you will be of extremely great value and visitors are advised to take an accompanying guide for 8 kilometres.
There are many endangered animals in the forest, spotting them is however not an easy task. The tusked hairy wild boar, barking deer and mouse deer, slow lorises, langurs, porcupines, gibbons, palm civets and the critically endangered Malay sun bear all have made a home at the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Park. Reptiles include cobras, pythons and monitor lizards. Plenty of birds can be found here and even the rare Governor’s Palm also known as the White Black Form grows in the forest.
Apart from all of these there are also 3 spectacular mountain peaks inside the forest. Khao Prathiu that towers 384 metres, Khao Bang Pae that is 388 metres tall and the tallest at 422 metres; Khao Phara, all offer spectacular views. After a long trekking trip you can cool down in the Bang Pae Waterfall. If that is not to your liking then you can go to the Ton Sai Waterfall. Surrounded by trees and clear pools the scene looks like something out of a book and offers an idyllic nature getaway.
The park can be visited while staying at a Phuket resort. Another option would be to stay at a Patong beach resort such as Millennium Resort Patong Phuket which lets you enjoy the best this coastal destination has to offer. This ideally located property belongs to Millennium & Copthorne Hotels which has a variety of properties in key destinations around the world.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.