Escape to this gorgeous town with an Italian village, beautiful vineyards, cool cafes, Alpaca feeding, National Park- all this and so much more! Surprise, this gem is just 2.5 hours from bustling Bangkok. Oh, I missed the mouth-watering Thai food. Bonus points for the cool weather inside the National Park.
I landed in Bangkok (from Singapore) around 10 AM and headed straight to Gate no. 4 to meet our chauffeur that we booked in advance via Klook.com. Even after making a pit stop on a petrol pump to buy snacks and get breakfast and road congestion, we managed to reach our resort- Lala Mukha, in 3 hours.
Places visited: Palio Italian shopping village - oh boy! It really does look an Italian town. You can’t resist taking pictures at every corner.
Cafe: Please don’t tell- go there for breathtaking views.
Meals: late lunch at Witches brew- delicious food, not to be missed.
Pro tips:
1. There is no public transport in Khao Yai, so you can either book car for self- drive or with chauffeur. As the drive inside the National Park is hilly (some have extreme sharp turns), I would recommend to book with chauffeur unless you are an experienced driver.
2. You can get currency exchanged in the Government Savings bank located right at the entrance of Palio shopping village.
Places visited: Primo Piazza for Alpaca feeding and PB valley winery guided tour. Both exceeded my expectations! It felt nothing short of a charming European countryside.
Cafe: Pirom cafe - just 5 mins before PB valley winery, this cafe is a must visit for nature lovers
Meals: lunch at Birder’s lodge and dinner at the restaurant in PB valley. There’s a farmers market in Birder’s lodge, worth a short visit.
Places visited: National Park- highlight of our trip. Go to the highest view point “report station” and enjoy cool weather with a cup of coffee from the corner shop.
Meals: late lunch at Midwinter Green, an English countryside castle style restaurant.
Pro tips:
1.There are many guided tour groups that take you to the National Park for camping, hiking, night safari etc. You can also check for such on your hotel’s front desk.
2.Don’t forget to buy leech socks before you start hiking from the store in information center inside the National Park.
3. Get the map from information desk and check for any spot closures.
