Discover Kaeng Krachan National Park: A Photo Journal
Kaeng Krachan National Park is the largest national park in Thailand. While it is popular among the local Thais, it is not as frequented by international travelers. We first learned about it on a Facebook page announcing the arrival of butterflies. Sue is a butterfly enthusiast. She dragged me down to Cape May, New Jersey (a three-hour drive) twice in an unsuccessful effort to view the migration of the monarch butterflies. She is determined to visit the Central Mexican forests to see the monarch roosting in the winter. I was hoping that checking out Kaeng Krachan National Park, a less than 2-hour flight from Singapore, would satisfy Sue’s butterfly craving.
We were not disappointed. While we went in search of butterflies, we found much more: dusky spectacled langurs, gibbons, a sun bear, interesting insects, and many types of birds.
We drove into the park early in the morning, but quickly learned that the butterflies arrived on their own time. Lucky for us, there was much to see before the butterflies appeared.
Watching Dusky Spectacled Langurs Fly Through The Trees
We saw two large troops of dusky spectacled langurs. First, high in the trees in the early morning, and second, after lunch while we were lounging in the shade. Our guide had told us to relax and that the animals would not be active until later in the afternoon. While we sat in the shade, a family of dusky spectacled langurs came charging through, swinging from branch to branch. The monkeys easily jumped from tree to tree. We held our breath, worried that the little ones would fall, but they never did. We were incredibly entertained while sitting under the trees.
The Odd-Looking Red Nosed Lantern Flies
When our guide returned, he pointed out several red nosed lantern flies, a cousin of the very invasive lantern fly invading the northeast. These unusually pretty planthoppers clung to the trees, their curved red noses and green patterned bodies distinct against the tree trunks.
Seeing Hornbills And More
Birders will be well rewarded for making the trip into Kaeng Krachan. We saw kingfishers, orange-breasted trogon, and egrets. A pair of oriental pied hornbills flew right past us while we rested under that same tree.
At one point, our sharp-eyed guide pulled me to a stop – I had almost stepped on a tiny chameleon checking out the world around him from a fallen tree branch.
Butterflies Awaken In Kaeng Krachan
The butterflies in Kaeng Krachan love the sunshine. They come to Kaeng Krachan National Park for the minerals in the ground. We walked to the road with the main spotting area at 9:30. We were disappointed. Our guide told us not to worry, they would come at 10 am when the sun hit the ground.
At 10 am, like clockwork, they started to arrive. This was before high season, but we still saw a lot of butterflies. In high season, thousands of butterflies flutter around the grounds. We watched them fly and land on the ground in bunches. It was hard to drag Sue away.
At a nearby small pond, I watched as an egret admired its reflection.
Hearing Gibbon Calls
As we were waiting for butterfly time, our guide took us for a delightful walk in the forest. Suddenly, we heard the whoop-whoop calls of the silvery gibbons. Two groups of gibbons were talking to each other. The cries and responses were beautiful to hear. We searched for one of the groups. After much looking up (they stay high up in the canopy), we finally spotted them.
Spotting a Sun Bear in Kaeng Krachan
We took a coffee break. As I was enjoying my coffee, the proprietor started to motion behind the cafe. Out popped a sun bear. Sun bears are in danger of extinction due to habitat loss, poaching, and illegal trade. We had only seen them on a reserve in Borneo. We were excited to spot it, though we were concerned that it looked very skinny.
Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand
Overall, we enjoyed our day in Kaeng Krachan National Park. We came for butterflies and discovered much more. We even spotted a porcupine in the rain.
The crowds come for the butterflies. We recommend staying for the wildlife. Kaeng Krachan was well worth the journey. We will be back.
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