Trekking is one of the most popular outdoor activities enjoyed by visitors of all ages. While trekking you can soothe your mind and spirit in the fresh air and stunning scenery of Thailand’s undiscovered wilds, and get a comprehensive aerobic workout at the same time. Treks can range from a single day’s light excursion to physically challenging adventures of a week or more. 
 LOEI NAKHON RATCHASIMA Home to a large ethnic population, including the Mon, Karen and Burmese, who have long settled in the border towns of Sangkhlaburi and Thong Pha Phum. Most tour operators in Kanchanaburi offer trips to these areas that combine culture and adventure in one easily accessible package. Some of the best hiking trails are in three national parks: Saiyok in Saiyok District and Erawan and Chaler Rattanakosin in Srisawat District. SURAT THANI NAKHON SI THAMMARAT CHIANG MAI  Treks to suit your requirements are
easily arranged through many private operators and government
organisations. A trek can range from a light walk in the
woods to a gruelling physical challenge. Assess your objectives
and level of fitness before booking a trek that is right
for you.
Safety and medical considerations are important if you are trekking in the wild, as a simple sprain can be a real problem if you are a long way from civilisation. Your trek organiser should have contingency plans and first aid for any unforeseen problems. Proper equipment is necessary for trekking. Good shoes or boots are a must. Your trek organiser will probably provide backpacks, but make sure you have adequate warm and comfortable clothing, proof against insect bites, and a hat and UV block against the sun. When exercising in tropical climates, it is recommended to drink up to five litres of water a day. The Royal Thai Army has opened up its hitherto off-limits training camps to visitors, offering both sporting activities such as riding, golf, and sharp-shooting, and adventurous activities modelled on military basis training. Activities including rock climbing, jungle trekking and survival courses are available at the units listed here. All are supervised by qualified and experienced Army men. Participants must be physically fit. Fees vary but arrangements must be made in advance. For more information, contact the Royal Thai Army’s Tourism Promotion Working Committee. Tel: 0 2297 5715-8. Fax: 0 2682 8702.
Thailand’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are some of the best and most extensive in Southeast Asia, and although abundant wildlife is found everywhere in the kingdom, they are the best places to see rare and protected species. Almost all parks have on-site accommodation and food, trails of varying levels of difficulty, and many organise trips, recreational and educational activities. Huay Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai Naresuan wildlife sanctuaries in Uthai Thani and Kanchanaburi provinces respectively are two of the best places to start. They contain such magnificent creatures as bears, leopards, tigers, elephants, tapirs, deers, gibbons, monkeys, macaque, guars, shy forest ox, and banteng, or wild red cattle.
Khao Yai National Park, three hours from Bangkok, is another excellent nature study site, with many research projects currently underway on creatures such as gibbons, tigers and hornbills. Khao Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in Chon Buri Province has an open zoo which makes its wildlife particularly accessible. Species include guar, dusky languar, barking deer and brow-antlered deer. In one of the largest aviaries in the world, it also has the sarus crane and black-necked stork, which it is hoped will one day be reintroduced to the wild. In Kaeng Krachan National Park, the country’s largest pristine forest, there are superb walking trails around a 36-kilometre road, and treks of up to two weeks can be organised. Be prepared for some truly inspiring trees, 70 metres tall and more. Where the forest is open, it is like being inside a living cathedral. Visit the World Heritage sites of Thung Yai Naresuan and Huai Kha Khaeng sanctuaries as the prairie flowers blossom, and you’ll see the whole expanse of grassland shimmer with the vivid hues of these delicate creatures. Go to the mudflats and wetlands along the coast, particularly in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, you will find a totally different yet equally copious assortment of species. The kingdom of Thailand is alive with the fluttering brilliance of over 1,200 species of butterfly - more than almost any country in the world. If you are out in the forest at night, you could well see the world’s largest moth, spectacular for both its bold brown and cream markings and for its incredible eight-inch wingspan. Thailand is fortunate in its prime location for tourism in terms of such natural attractions as beaches and mountains, cultural and historical sites which reflect the glories of Thai civilisation, and a sophisticated infrastructure, allowing visitors easy access to all these treasures. The government’s policy on tourism for the past years has been gearing towards more and more sustainable tourism development with emphasis on community participation, safety of tourists and non-exploitation. The term “ecotourism” has been widely used to describe a form of tourism in natural areas that is based on the knowledge about and responsibility towards the ecological system of the area. At present, the number of real eco-tourism visitors is still minimal. Mostly, those tourists are included in other types of tourism such as nature-based tourism, agro-tourism, cultural and historical tourism and health tourism. Most of such tourism areas are in natural parks and specific historical-cultural areas. The national parks system in Thailand was previously cited its growing importance to the eco-tourism industry. With most parks easily accessible by road, there exists excellent potential to expand the number of visitors who use them. In the case of the Mekong River, the nature-based tourism potential particularly applies to Northeast Thailand, an area that TAT has identified as a priority for tourism development. The national parks in close proximity to the Mekong River include sites of prehistoric, archaeological and natural significance. As the Mekong region increases in its exposure and popularity, these parks will experience an increased number of visitors in search of quality eco-tours. On marine eco-tourism, the last 30 years saw the country establishing 18 marine national parks as well as more than 70 terrestrial ones. Many of the activities available on and around Thailand’s crystal seas are environmentally sound. Sea canoeing, windsurfing, biking walking, swimming, snorkelling and sailing are, when practiced as they should be, perfectly respectful of nature. Diving, the most popular water sport in Thailand, can be just as green. Thailand has a great opportunity to promote eco-tourism, especially when compared to other countries in the Asian region. The kingdom enjoys such benefits as easy access, sophisticated infrastructure and myriad tourist attractions and activities. Thailand has 96 national parks, 100 wildlife and non-hunting sanctuaries and 65 forest parks, which together make up a full 13 percent of land area. The park system, managed by the Royal Forestry Department, provides the visitor with easy access to the country’s nature reserves, from the mountain pine forests of the North to the southern rainforests to the spectacular coral and marine life off both coasts. Some of the wildlife and non-hunting sanctuaries adjoin one another. Most of the parks are accessible by road, offer simple accommodation and charge a small admission fee. In the larger ones such as Khao Yai, rangers can be hired as guides for long treks. Wildlife sanctuaries are not tourism areas, however, so visitors must bring food and camping gear and observe the no disturbance rules set up to protect the animals.
In the South, the narrow, peninsula province of Prachuab Khiri Khan and its neighbour Phetchaburi offer an attractive mountain and sea combination. Within their parameter, they contain the twin beach resorts of Hua Hin and Cha-am, and two large havens for wildlife, Sam Roi Yot and Kaeng Krachan National Parks. Sam Roi Yot (Three-Hundred Peaks) National Park has sandy beaches, caves and mangrove forests and provides a home for 300 species of birds. Kaeng Krachan is the largest national park. Its birdlife includes 250 species, among them the great hornbill and the grey peacock. Kaeng Krachan also offers abundant hiking delights — wildlife, birds, lush jungle — along the trail to Tho Tip Waterfall, which takes about three hours.
Khao Yai is a major bird-watching hub, being home to rare species including all four species of hornbill: the great, wreathed, oriental pied and brown.
This northern capital is an important bird-watching destination. Doi Inthanon, the highest peak in Thailand at 2,565 metres above sea level, forms the southernly end of the Himalayan range and provides a home for 364 species of birds, many of them not seen elsewhere in the country. The best time for bird-watching is from November to February. USEFUL WEBSITE
Rock climbing in Thailand is practised wherever there are rocks – and even some places where there are not.
Clubs like the Thailand Rock Climbing Federation (Tel: 0 2373 8725, 0 2729 4773), and the Bangkok Rock Climbing Club (Tel: 0 2434 6100, 02435 5797) can furnish you with details of climb sites wherever you are travelling in the kingdom, including artificial practice walls in Bangkok. Some of the best locations for rock climbing are in the central regions near Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Uthai Thani Province, or in the spectacular limestone mountains that run through Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. On the East Coast and easily accessible from Bangkok are sites in Chon Buri. The spectacular coastal cliffs of Railay Beach in Krabi are the climbing focus of the South, with further pitches to be found on some of the islands. Climbing is a technical sport. You should not go alone, especially if you are a beginner. The discipline is safe if you use first-class equipment, go with an experienced guide and teacher who shows you how to practice safe climbing, and if you follow safety procedures. As well as safety issues related to climbing, make sure you protect yourself from the sun. It is easy to get burned if you are on an exposed rock for long periods. Sunblock is essential.
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