Exploiting a road network that reaches into valleys and penetrates deep into forests, four-wheel-drive cars have opened a fun, fascinating world of adventure. Rather than take days to reach a remote waterfall or village, it now takes just hours. The beneficiaries are the very young and the old, who now can explore every corner of the Kingdom with ease. But by bundling a range of activities into a single tour, a jungle safari by car also suits people on tight schedules.
In the North, jungle safaris are especially popular. With a vehicle to speed you along, all it takes is two days to explore jungle trails on elephant back, experience a night in a hilltribe village, and bamboo-raft down river. Journeys on whichever form of transport are short, saving you time and energy. Tour operators in Pai, Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai offer jungle safaris.
Also in the North, a stripped down version of a safari sees Land Rovers taking to dirt roads between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son (5 days/4 nights), as well as between Chiang Mai and Ken Thun in Myanmar (3 days/2 nights). Accommodation is in forest lodges or basic hotels. The south of Thailand has an abundance of natural treasures, from the sandy white beaches of Phuket to the perfect-for-snorkelling seas of Krabi to the pristine forests of Khao Soke National Park. Here too four-wheel-drive cars transport you from the five-star hotel lobby into a world of staggering natural beauty.
A typical safari in the South sets out from Phuket and
takes in the island’s elephant camp, the Khao Soke
National Park, and the beaches of Phang-nga Bay, Krabi.
In 48 hours you will have ridden an elephant, canoed in
rainforest and relaxed on the finest beaches in Asia.
At Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima Province,
pick-ups transport nature lovers on a jungle safari like
no other. Night is the best time to observe wildlife, and
it’s then when the trucks head out. At salt licks
you might spot any one of the hundreds of animals present
in the park, even a tiger if you are lucky.
The Tourist Authority of Thailand runs car caravans to
neighbouring countries. Consisting of groups of four-wheel
drive cars, caravans set off from Bangkok heading into
the Thai countryside, before crossing overland into Laos,
Cambodia or China. Roads are challenging, frequently unsealed,
and forge through steep mountain passes.
This is true adventure — the
rewards found in the beauty of landscapes crossed and cultures
experienced.
Past caravans have driven to Siem Reap (the location for Angkor Wat) in Cambodia, and to Luang Prabang, a Unesco World Heritage site in Laos.
For details of future trips, contact TAT (+66 2694 1222 ext 1521) or co-organiser, Indochina Caravan (+66 2377 5370-2).
