All posts tagged: National Park

One of the best lodgings in Tasmania – Avalon Rocky Hills

Published by Beatrice

I hate to admit but I know I am quite a particular traveler. In cities where we will spend a lot of time out, I don’t really bother about hotel quality so long as it’s clean and decent/safe location. But because in national parks or near beaches, we tend to stay indoors to just slow down and relax, I have higher expectations I guess. So I was really looking forward to Avalon Rocky Hills, and I am so glad it didn’t disappoint me!! So thankful we landed a free night stay with the winter promotion. Avalon, rooted in Arthurian Legend, means “island of paradise.” And as with all mysterious islands, it was indeed hard to find. It took us a 2km of off-the-track dirt track before we arrived to meet our lovely host, Ann. She went through in details every facility within the retreat – from books to a movable TV stand (see below video! so smart!) to bath salts to the self-contained kitchen with a freezer and fridge full of food, and a separate ARTIST …

Phraya Nakhon Caves @ Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

Published by Beatrice

The Phraya Nakhon Caves were an unexpected find on this trip. We had initially planned to do absolutely nothing in Hua Hin; just rest and sleep. I was just surfing on the national park nearby and came across a very familiar picture of a temple glowing in a cave, then I remember seeing this picture in “Places to See before You Die” (on Facebook) before. It turned out where we were at Aleenta Resort and Spa is only 40 minutes drive to Laem Sala Beach, which is how to get to see this unique Kuha Karuhas Pavillon built in 1890 for the King in the Phraya Nakhon Caves. The National Park website said it was a 30 minutes walk so we decided to check it out after breakfast. Firstly, DO NOT be fooled. The entire journey back and forth took 3 hours in the end! We are not the fittest people but I am pretty sure no one can reach the caves and back in 30 minutes because it would be dangerous to be running on …

Yellowstone National Park @ Wyoming, Montana, Idado USA

Published by Beatrice

I had the privilege of working at Yellowstone National Park over 1 summer in 2005. And yes, the Park is so big, it spans 3 states. Always told myself I would want to post some photos up some day, so here are some of my favourites! A pity I was a really lousy photographer back then but thank God the places are so scenic, the shots turned out not too bad anyway. Oh, and I finally got Eatprayflying Facebook Page up! If you are into shorter content and snippets, you can like Eatprayflying on FB!  

Sala Khaoyai (II)

Published by Beatrice

Have already said a lot in my first instalment on Sala Khaoyai, this instalment will be about the Deluxe Balcony Room which we stayed for Night 2 and 3, as well as the fantastic food at Sala Khaoyai Restaurant. The deluxe balcony room is much more modern than the villa. I love the black interior and sunk-in bathtub. This would be a nice design for a bachelor(ette) pad; just put in a PC for gaming and it would be a perfect pad already. Sala has a good restaurant. They serve good porridge and sandwiches at breakfast, and good Thai and western food through the day. Tip: Try the peanut butter banana smoothie as a dessert, chilling out at the sundeck….heavenly! We also tried their North Thailand cuisine special set menu. It was an interesting experience as we have never been to North of Thailand and there are subtle differences versus the usual Thai food we are used to. For example, they serve papaya salad with crabs, and generally, all the dishes are much more spicy than average …

Khaoyai National Park

Published by Beatrice

Khaoyai National Park is the third largest in Thailand, covering an area of 2,168 square kilometers. On July 14, 2005, Khaoyai National Park, together with the Dong Phaya Yen mountains further north was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   This national park is not as well maintained as the ones in the US or Australia, and the driving signages are not very clear, but it has a unique rustic feel. We drove in to visit 2 waterfalls – Haew Narok and Haew Suwat. Tip: If you are googling for locations of these waterfalls to drive to, type “Heo”, “Haew”, “Haeo”. Many different platforms spell it differently. Haew Narok Waterfall (น้ำตกเหวนรก) is the largest and highest waterfall in the park. While the signboars says this is only 1 kilometre walk from the main road to the viewpoint, my endomondo said I burnt 580kcal because it is a steep flight of stairs in the last 300metres, which also means quite a climb when you are coming back up! But worth the exercise, the waterfall has considerable strength. Haew Suwat Waterfall (น้ำตกเหวสุวัต) is a famous waterfall (I believe …

Palio Khaoyai

Published by Beatrice

If you want to feel like you are in Italy (or Europe) in this part of the world in Asia, Palio is the place to go! Palio is a shopping centre housed in a picturesque village on the way to the entrance of Khao Yai National Park, about 2 hours drive from Bangkok. This cluster of strikingly coloured Baroque-style buildings built like a little village will be hard to miss on the drive. There is no entrance fee, just 20baht for parking. Palio gives me the feeling that I get in Disneyland – free and happy – complete with accordion music in the background. Maybe because for Asians, being in Europe is associated with being on a holiday, so all Thais and tourists appear very happy in this ornately designed town. It also helps that Palio is elevated at higher altitude so it is usually at least 5 degrees cooler than in Bangkok. Even if you feel warm, you will be welcomed by rows of cool juices and food booths pathing the way from the carpark to …

Gran Monte Vineyard, Khao Yai

Published by Beatrice

Before my first drive to Khaoyai in 2009, I never knew vineyards existed in Bangkok. It was pleasant driving along rows of grapes then, and so I knew I had to bring N back to visit a winery in the area, and so I chose to re-visit Gran Monte. Khaoyai is suited for wine-making despite being in the tropics because the lower regions of Khaoyai are around 350m above sea level, with the average daily temperature throughout the year around 23°C, and Gran Monte is one the wine makers in the region successfully coaxing Chenin Blanc, Syrah and Viogner grapes. According to Gran Monte, blending with its natural environment, the beautiful surroundings of Khao Yai has inspired the brand name “GranMonte”, which also translates as “big mountain”. They also pride ourselves on the use of organic farming techniques important in preserving our environmental surroundings, and also necessary for producing excellent quality grapes. Entering the shopfront, you will be welcomed by all their local produce including organic vegetables, various jams, fruity body lotions and raisins. They have small tasting …

Sala Khaoyai (I)

Published by Cheng Nicholas

Easily summarized, Sala Khaoyai is one of the best boutique resort experience we ever had! This is our second Sala experience, after Sala Phuket (another amazing experience for another entry), and I am so glad we chose Sala. (Small Tip and Advice is to book early and go on weekdays (Sun/Mon counts) as we got 50% off the rates. P’Chatbodin (Orn), the chief service staff in Sala Khaoyai, is incredibly friendly and helpful. He takes huge ownership to be a great host and is definitely very proud of Khaoyai and Sala Resorts; he is so willing to share all the information about the area and the resort when I told him I am going to feature Sala Khaoyai in my writings. So I learn the Sala hotel chain belongs to the owner of the Central Group. Yup, that big shopping chain in Thailand! The owner first conceptualized Sala Khaoyai as a summer home that he retreats to relax. Eventually, he had so many requests he decided to open a resort, but he kept it to seven rooms …

The Side of Thailand More People Should See

Published by Cheng Nicholas

Having worked and lived in Bangkok for a short period of time from 2009-2010, I had the privilege of exploring some of the interesting sites around Bangkok such as Ampawa and Ayutthaya. Among them, Khao Yai left the deepest impression because of the 13 degreesC night (yup, you read it right – it does get so cool especially from Nov-Jan at night), which is very rare cool weather in this part of the world near the equator. I also recalled European looking architecture with vineyards so Khaoyai is a short getaway to feel far from our Asian roots. So when we had a chance 3 weeks ago to plan a short trip over the long weekend, I decided to re-visit Khaoyai and also introduce N to this beautiful province of Thailand. Khaoyai is a beautiful mountaineous province, 2.5 hours drive from Bangkok, and is a popular short weekend getaway spot among Bangkok city folks to switch gears over a slow weekend. For me, I hardly repeat my eating and travel spots as I want to …