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Ton Pariwat Wildlife in Thailand Senctuary , Phang Nga province is known to some of the tourists due to its very pretty Phang Nga Bay and the cruise there, which includes the famous James Bond island.
Without undermining the pretty Phang Nga bay with its amazing scenery, there are other tourist activities in Phang Nga province which should be taken into account when planning a trip to south Thailand!!
As you will read in this article there are plenty of activities in the area such as walking treks, elephant treks, waterfalls, ATV’s, etc.
But no doubt the whitewater rafting is one of the better activities in the area.
Not too many tourists are aware of the amazing wild nature in this area which serves as a wonderful background for the whitewater rafting – I highly recommend it to anyone!
We are talking about Song Phraek district, in Phang Nga province, which is approx. 15-20 minutes by car from the lovely Phang Nga town, located on the one and only Phang Nga bay.
Ton Pariwat Wildlife Senctuary is located in Song Phraek district. It is an enchanting nature reserve to which I will dedicate a few lines here* On Phang Nga province you will also find Khao Lak a wonderful, high quality, holiday town, about which I wrote in another article.
Ton Pariwat Wildlife Senctuary – this is a wonderful nature reserve which is not part of the standard south Thailand tour programs. The wildlife sanctuary is located in Song Phraek district in Phang Nga province, a short distance from Phang Nga town.
The wildlife sanctuary spreads over 225 square Km. and is part of a complex of national nature reserves located south of Khao Sok National Park.
One of the advantages of the wildlife sanctuary is the easy and comfortable way to get to it – you can drive from road number 4 along the river right into the heart of the wildlife sanctuary with its many tourist attractions – which makes the wildlife sanctuary easily accessible especially for families with children.
In the wildlife sanctuary there are walking paths through its wild breathtaking nature, a river and a waterfall called Pariwat Waterfall, (it is called Namtok Song Phraek by the locals), and it has a small pool where you can get wet as can be seen in the picture.
The place is simply a paradise for nature lovers as well as adventure lovers – you can find everything under its roof – rainforest walking treks, elephant trekking, great ATV’s, and of course the specialty of the sanctuary: whitewater rafting.
Attractions and activities in Ton Pariwat: as I wrote, the wildlife sanctuary is a paradise for nature lovers as well as for adventure lovers, especially whitewater rafting which is simply a hit!
The river current during July – November is strong, however rafting is possible all year long in the sanctuary as opposed to other whitewater rafting rivers in Thailand.
The Thai government built dams on the river so that in the dry season they simply open the dam and the river is filled with whitewater again.
I can say from my experience that whitewater rafting in the wildlife sanctuary was a real fun adventure. It was like an amusement park in the wild!! The local Thai staff on the rafts are professionals and there are 2 courses – the easier one is approx. 5 Km. long and the more challenging one is 9 Km long. Do not miss it!!!
Additional activities offered by the wildlife sanctuary:
- Walking treks in the sanctuary including a visit at the waterfall
- Elephant trekking
- Real ATV’s in the sanctuary
- Tree Top Adventure
Notes:
- The 5 Km. rafting course is suitable for children over 3 years old
- The 9 Km. rafting course is suitable for children over 10 years old
- ATV’s – self riding permitted over 10 years old. Younger children can go with an adult.
- You can include any of these activities in the deal offered by the wildlife sanctuary.
Click here for great pictures of the local attractions.
Summary: Ton Pariwat wildlife sanctuary is pretty close to the wonderful Phang Nga Bay with its famous James Bond island, (an article about it is to be published shortly). So you can easily combine these two tourist attractions.
How to get to Ton Pariwat Wildlife Senctuary:
The great holiday town of Khao Lak with its pretty beaches is located in Phang Nga province and the way from it to Krabi province, (two and a half driving hours), goes right through Phang Nga Bay and Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuary is found in the middle of the way, (approx. an hour from Khao Lak). You can easily visit the sanctuary and Phang Nga bay while staying in Khao Lak or do it in your drive from Khao Lak or from Khao Sok National Park to Krabi province.
Overnight stay: some of the issues I checked during my research of the area was overnight staying possibilities there. You can book one of the hotels in Phang Nga town, (which I find pretty mediocre), or book one of the resorts located in the wildlife sanctuary. I discovered a nice beautiful resort in the heart of the sanctuary which has only recently been built.
For TipTop-Travel tourists only: I have researched Phang Nga area thoroughly for you and I’m happy to say that this area with its marvelous wild nature and plenty of activities will soon be part of the ultimate Thailand experience – TipTop-Travelfirst quality Coast to Coast tour.
Important notice: the great Tree Top Adventure Park is very close by and so is Phang Nga bay with its special kayaking!
Please Note: Ton Pariwat Wildlife Senctuary and its whitewater rafting, (not to be missed!!) and many more attractions are included in TipTop-Travel quality south Thailand tour programs and soon also in the ultimate Thailand experience, TipTop-TravelCoast to Coast tour.
Wildlife in Thailand
As always, here is a video I prepared for you… Enjoy!!!
