Khao Luang National Park

Khao Luang National Park is named after Khao Luang mountain, which is Southern Thailand's highest peak at 1,835 mThe park is mountainous with many tall peaks along its range.The park was officially designated a National Park on 18 December 1974, becoming the ninth National Park in Thailand. The headquarters of the park is 30 kilometres from the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The park covers an area of 570 square kilometres with a large variety of wildlife and habitats, including mountains, forests, rivers and waterfalls. It boasts some of the most spectacular waterfalls in Thailand, amongst others the Krung Ching, Karom, Prom Loke and Ai Kiau waterfalls. The parks is a paradise for birdwatchers.

The area also provides an important watershed for the surrounding villages and farms. The mountainous Park is a watershed for the Tapi River that flows all the way to Surathani.

It is located within several districts; Lan Saka, Chawang, Phipun, Phrom Khiri, Chang Klang and Nopphitam.

Climate

Due to the park's location on the peninsula, it receives monsoons from both the east and the west coasts and means that the park receives a great deal of rain all year and also cold weather. There are two main seasons. The rainy season is from May through to January with the heaviest rainfall between October and December. The dry season is between February and April.

Flora and fauna

The park is covered with moist evergreen forest, which can be found in the valleys and in damp gulleys and riversides, and hill evergreen forest and lower montane forest. Over 300 species of orchids can be seen within the park, some of them endemic to Khao Luang.

There are no less than 327 species of animals living in Khao Luang, amongst others the Malayan Tapir, Sumatran Serow, Pig-tailed Macaque, Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine, Clouded Leopard, Barking deer, Sambar deer, Wild Pig, Banded Langur and Spectacled Langur.

Don’t expect to see many large mammals in the park.

Bird species include Black Eagle, Red Junglefowl, Great Argus Pheasant, Crested Fireback Pheasant, White-crowned Hornbill, Bushy-crested Hornbill, Great Pied Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill, Red-crowned Barbet and Sunbirds.

If you take your binoculars you might spot some of these brids.