Khao Yai - High life on the Big Mountain

(Nakhon Ratchasima,Nakhon Nayok, Sara Buri and Prachin Buri)Don't be surprised if you catch a glimpse of Prada and a whiff of Chateau Petrus among the wildlife: there's a new brand of traveller to be seen in Khao Yai

There was a time when visitors to Khao Yai came with camping gear, canned food, cheap booze - and guitars and drums. It seemed that holiday entertainment that disturbed the wildlife and serenity of the national park had become a ritual set in stone.

Today, though, the times they are a-changin' and it's not unusual to see Khao Yai regulars arrive in SUVs with an expensive golf bag in the boot. They've come to stay at a five-star resort, dine on gourmet cuisine and drink premium wine while conversing on the fashionable topics du jour.

Once the budget destination for high school and college camping trips, Khao Yai is now attracting a more sophisticated kind of visitor. It's become the weekend destination of choice for the more imaginative celebs and socialites and the more luxury-oriented thinkers, writers and artists, and the place that many Bangkok executives call their second home.

What has caused this surge of elite interest is the quality of the development that has taken place in an exclusively-designated area, creating an island of luxury within the vast area of wild nature.

They include a multi-billion-baht boutique resort and five-star restaurants, the quality of whose food and service is matched only by the see-and-be-seen opportunities they offer. It embraces three of Thailand's best known wine estates and several high-end residential estates. There are championship golf courses and a first-class international school.

With its own attractive factory outlet, reminiscent of those in the United States, and a JAvenue-like shopping center coming in the near future, it has been compared to the resort paradise of Hua Hin. One can see the point; but if Hua Hin is a brilliantly-cut jewel in a fancy setting, Khao Yai is an uncut diamond that has recently been brought to light.

"Khao Yai is still the natural setting with which we've always been familiar, like a diamond that hasn't been cut. That's good, because Khao Yai is best appreciated when it's unspoiled," says Kitti Thanakitamnuay, owner of Khao Yai's only five-star resort, the Kirimaya, which was voted by Conde Nast Traveler magazine as one of the top 10 new hotels of the world in 2005.

"In the past, though, the level of accommodation, service and transport meant that this diamond didn't have a chance to shine. Since then, there have been important land developments followed by significant investment in the hospitality sector. People started to look at Khao Yai as a sophisticated lifestyle destination, and now having a second home here has become a must for the well-heeled."

Some things that might have sounded unlikely five years back are now happening in the Khao Yai valley. Thanks to the five-star service and hospitality it offers, the neighbourhood has become a destination of choice for big international corporations such as auto makers, financial institutions and couture cosmetic brands as a venue to launch their products or organise stylish parties, or as a lifestyle retreat for their clients to burnish their brand image.

Just two weeks ago, KTC LOVEiS acoustic winter music festival attracted an audience of more than 20,000 music fans from Bangkok to the Bonanza Ranch in a valley of Khao Yai. The heavy traffic jam at 2 in the morning was unfortunate, but it did reflect the level of success the event achieved.

When planning a visit to Khao Yai today, visitors know that they won't need to bring their own food, and that they will find a wide variety of food that is not limited to local dishes served in simple surroundings. Desirable as that may be, there is now a wealth of culinary options as Khao Yai has lately acquired an image as a favourite gastronomic destination for Bangkok's dining out community. The food ranges from authentic Thai to American and Italian, and is served with a full selection of premium Thai wines from the cellars of the neighbouring wine estates.

The area's dining-out scene clearly reflects the lifestyle of Khao Yai visitors. Khao Yai eateries are either branches of established Bangkok restaurants, like Fabb Cafe and Cabbages and Condoms, winery restaurants (GranMonte's Vincotto and PB Valley's Great Hornbill), or local food outlets such as Krua Khao Yai and Dairy Home.

A small but important detail that's an indication of customer care in Khao Yai's restaurants is that most of them have restrooms that are a lot cleaner and more appealing than those in many a Bangkok restaurant.

It's also worth mentioning that the local food items you can buy at the roadside all seem to live up to Khao Yai's rising standards. Traditionally, visitors would probably take home a basket of exotic looking custard apples and a box of local-style curry puffs from Muak Lek. Now, as a reflection of changing times and fortunes, it's likely that a bottle of award-winning wine and a pack of German ham or Italian sausages will find their way to the top of the visitors' wish list.

HOW TO GET THERE

Khao Yai, meaning 'big mountain,' is the name of the national park approximately 200 kilometres northeast of Bangkok that covers an area of 2,168 square kilometres. It extends over 11 districts in four provinces: Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Nayok, Sara Buri and Prachin Buri. The park was added to the World Heritage list in 2004.

The name Khao Yai, however, is commonly used to refer to the area surrounding the park, especially Pak Chong district in Nakhon Ratchasima, where the entrance to the park is located. It may also include the areas around Lam Takhong Dam in Si Khiew district, Wang Nam Khiew district and Sara Buri's Muak Lek district.

To get there from Bangkok, take the northbound Highway 1 (Phahon Yothin Road). At the main junction in Sara Buri, turn right into Highway 2 (Mittraphap Road). At Pak Chong intersection turn right again into Thanarat Road and you'll be on your way to the national park. The journey should take 90-120 minutes.

credit : www.bangkokpost.com