Vol. 07 - Oct 2025

We always use Booking.com when planning our trips, it just makes everything easy. From family hideaways in the mountains to unique riverside stays, the site helps us compare options, read real reviews, and book in minutes.

And it’s not just hotels. You can book your flights, car rentals, and nice activities & experiences to do across Thailand all in one place.

It’s our go-to every time we explore a new corner of the country - simple, reliable, and made for travelers who love discovering as they go.

This week we escaped to Khao Yai National Park for a few days of relaxation and the possibility to see some wildlife.

For Moana (6), Khao Yai felt like a real-life adventure book: waterfalls, animals, and forest trails instead of playgrounds.

📍 You’ll find all our favorite pins from this trip on the Insider Map, including the locations to visit within the Khao Yai National Park.
🍹 We added Thai translations to make ordering food & drinks easier.
✨ For our insiders, hidden gems await below, don’t skip the end.
✈️ You can now book the hotels, flights and experiences straight from our articles.

💡 This edition we have improved the readability of The Thai List. We’ve combined ‘The Journey’ and ‘Life & Style’ into one article that highlights our adventures into a compact, easy to read article that delivers the most value for travellers.

Hope you enjoy this week’s postcard from Thailand,
Ploy & Jochem

A travel story

Khao Yai National Park is one of Thailand’s oldest and most beautiful parks - all lush forest, twisting roads, and sounds of nature. We entered through the main gate, and made our way toward Haew Su Wat Waterfall - the one featured in The Beach movie (with Leonardo Dicaprio)!

The waterfall is powerful but calm at the same time. You hear it long before you see it. As the rain season still lingers, the surrounding jungle is beautifully green. We walked down the path surrounded by thick trees, and then there it was - mist rising, water roaring, everyone quiet for a second.

When the day ended, we joined the Night Safari. Sitting in the back of the open truck with a guide using a giant flashlight at the front, we spotted deer, foxes, monkeys - and kept hoping for elephants. Our guide said;

“We’ve seen two elephants yesterday, a mother and her calf. If we’re lucky, maybe one will appear tonight.”

We didn’t see any then, but the magic happened later… on the drive back through the park, our headlights hit something huge on the road ahead.

It was an elephant, calm and majestic, walking slowly right in front of our car. For a few seconds, time stopped. Then we cried out in happiness and disbelief, we did it; our goal of seeing an elephant in the wild was complete!

That’s Khao Yai, full of quiet moments and big surprises.

A cozy, minimalist stay surrounded by forest. Think of a vintage white house in Greece or Italy, tucked into a tropical hillside. There’s a white marble pool glistening in the sun, and two little ducks paddling in the garden pond. For kids, there’s a fun little bike circuit right on the property, perfect for showing off their BMX skills.

We stayed in one of Oria’s wooden cabins. Each cabin has big windows, soft light, and a private outdoor bath. Every evening Moana splashed around in the warm water, surrounded by the sound of a thousand crickets.
The on-site café serves great coffee and home made cake (believe us, these are the best cakes you ever tasted) with a view of the mountains.

👉 Book your stay at Oria Café & Cabins. You can send a message through their Facebook page to make a reservation. You can book one of their cozy cabins - or stay in the beautiful pool villa.

This is a luxurious castle stay in the hills of the scenic Toscana Valley (just outside Khao Yai National Park). Castello Della Valle brings a touch of Tuscan charm to your forest escape. Think wide 50-90 m² suites with balconies or even Jacuzzi tubs overlooking pine woods and sweeping valley views.

👉 Book your stay at Toscana Valley Castello Della Valle.

🍇🍷 TIP: Khao Yai is also famous as a wine district. You can visit local vineyards like PB Valley or GranMonte for tastings, tours, and sunset picnics among the vines.

You’ll hear this word a lot in Khao Yai, locals love telling stories about when they last saw one crossing the road. 🐘

Songs for discovering Thailand: from scenic drives to hidden escapes. New vibes added every week .

Click on any of the tracks below to get in the travel mood.

If you liked this week’s edition, here’s how we’d spend a day in Khao Yai. A mix of forest air, waterfalls, and wild life.

• 8:00 am : Wake up slow at Oria Café & Cabins. Enjoy a local or international (American) breakfast and coffee while watching the morning mist roll over the hills.

• 9:30 am : Head out toward Khao Yai National Park. The drive itself is beautiful with winding roads and fresh mountain air.

• 10:15 am : Stop at Haew Su Wat Waterfall, one of the park’s highlights. Walk down the short trail, and take a quiet moment to enjoy the rainforest by the falls.

• 12:30 pm : Lunch at one of the local restaurant in the park. They serve many delicious Thai classics like Pad Ka-Prao (ผัดกะเพรา) or grilled chicken with sticky rice.

• 2:00 pm : Visit one of the wildlife viewpoints inside the park, such as Pha Diew Dai Viewpoint or the Nong Phak Chi Observation Tower. Bring binoculars if you can - these are the best places to spot deer, gibbons swinging through the trees, or hornbills flying in full wingspan across the valley. 🦜

• 4:30 pm : Walk one of the short nature trails near the visitor center. They’re easy walks through dense forest where you might spot squirrels, colorful butterflies, or even tropical birds and lizards in the treetops.

• 6:00 pm: Join the Night Safari for a chance to see wildlife after dark. Deer, foxes, monkeys - and if you’re lucky, elephants walking the forest or grasslands.

• 8:00 pm: End the day with dinner at Nam Pla Prik Khao Yai Kitchen (ครัวน้ำปลาพริก เขาใหญ่ ). A warm meal, quiet forest sounds, and the feeling that you’ve spent the day somewhere truly wild ✨ | Address: 132 Thanaratch Rd, Mu Si, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasime 30450. Tel: +66 (0) 91 003 2056

• Pad Ka-Prao with Fried Egg (ผัดกะเพราไข่ดาว) : The national comfort dish; tastes even better after a hike.

• Tom Yum Pla (ต้มยำปลา) : Hot and sour fish soup, light but full of flavor. Great after a day outdoors when the air turns cool.

• Morning Glory Stir-Fry (ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง) : Classic Thai comfort dish. Crunchy greens flash-fried with garlic, chili, and oyster sauce.

• Pla Tod (ปลาทอด) : Crispy fried sea bass, served with a spicy mango salad and sweet chili dip. Full taste, savory and perfectly Thai. 🐟

Khao Yai’s best spots that should not be missed during a visit here:

• Oria Café & Cabins (โอเรีย คาเฟ่ แอนด์ แคบิ้นส์) : A cozy escape that feels like home, perfect for morning coffee with the most delicious cake you ever tasted. Have a photoshoot in the themed garden or read a book next to the pool.

Located in the Khao Yai National Park:

• Khao Yai Visitor Center (ศูนย์บริการนักท่องเที่ยวเขาใหญ่) : Learn more about the park and it’s animals. It’s very informative for kids and adults alike. Start your visit here for trail maps, park info, and short nature walks.

• Haew Su Wat Waterfall (น้ำตกเหวสุวัต): One of the park’s most famous waterfalls, surrounded by lush jungle and soft mist. Go early for the best light and fewer crowds.

• Pha Diew Dai Viewpoint (ผาเดี่ยวได): A short boardwalk trail leading to a dramatic cliff-edge view over endless forest. Great spot for sunrise or early morning fog.

• Nong Phak Chi Observation Tower (หอชมวิวหนองผักชี) : One of the best places in the park to see wildlife. Bring binoculars. You might spot deer, gibbons, or hornbills in flight.

• The Birder’s Lodge Café & Farmer’s Market : A Khao Yai favorite that still feels under the radar. Wooden barn architecture, good coffee, weekend markets, and a relaxed, countryside atmosphere. Come early before it fills up. ☕️

• Lookkai Café & Farm (ลุคไก่ คาเฟ่ แอนด์ ฟาร์ม) : Charming, family-friendly spot surrounded by open fields. Fresh organic food, farm animals to feed, and a slow afternoon vibe that feels far from the city. 🐐

• Kong Kaew Nature Trail (เส้นทางศึกษาธรรมชาติกองแก้ว) : Short loop through thick forest where you can spot colorful butterflies. Perfect for a quick taste of the jungle without venturing too far. 🦋

Every week we drop new pins onto our Local Secrets Map - special spots you won’t always find in the guidebooks. Street stalls tucked down alleys, rooftop bars only locals know, temples that feel like they belong to you alone.

This map is just for Insiders, and it grows with every edition - a living guide that keeps unlocking Thailand, piece by piece.

👉 Tap the link on your smart phone or computer, and choose “Open in Google Maps” for the full interactive experience! 🌏

That’s this week’s adventure. Next week we’ll follow the lights up a golden hill, for one of Thailand’s most beautiful celebrations ✨

We hope you enjoyed this edition of The Thai List. If you did, please share the love by inviting your friends and family to join us. Each week we uncover local secrets, hidden escapes, and the best food and drinks Thailand has to offer. Don’t miss out on the journey.

Wishing you save travels,

The Thai List - Your weekly postcard from Thailand.