Written By: Damini Agrawal

 

 

The Khao Yai with the bliss of monuments & mountains, serve a purpose of their own. They hold an intriguing level of interest for travellers and if you are a golf fanatic, then here’s an untapped territory for you to explore at its finest, ‘clubbed’ with your admiration for the sport.

 

 

 

 

KHAO YAI - THE NATURE’S TOUCH:

If you take a three-hour drive downtown from Bangkok, there’s a lot more that still awaits you. The Saraburi-Pakchong route through Wang Nam Kheo opens to the nature-oriented getaway engulfed in waterfalls, hiking trips, farm tours and the designed Tuscan countryside, Khao Yai is the escapist route one would wish to take to nature and wildlife.

 

The eclectic experience of the place comes with mountain scenery, cooler temperatures and a refined environment for you to succumb to the lush green of golf courses and hold a whole new adventure of the game.

 

The destination offers a spiritually enriching experience to one’s soul and body along with the working of the golf streams to your pleasure. Striking a balance between the body, mind and spirit, it also offers a therapeutic environment to the overall sense along with retreat to one’s golfing clubs which is truly relaxing.

 

 

A WINERY WONDER WITH CUISINE AND GOLF:

 

 

The place is a tempting experience that comes alive with your wanderlust dreams of exploring the unexplored which is why the impeccable cuisine and the escapade to the winery only make it to be a lot more spectacularly alluring. The vocational spree to this heavenly wonderment is what makes it everything you’d need on a vacation.

 

 

A Winery Wonder with Cuisine and Golf

 

 

THE TUSCAN - STYLE GOLFING:

Khao Yai holds an altered Tuscan edge to its making that gifts you with an encounter to the Italian countryside including a mouth-watering shift with Primo Posto and Palio Khao Yai. The landscape also holds the beauty of Khao Yai Golf Club, the well equipped - Bonanza Golf and Country Club, the rejuvenating Kirimaya, the Toscana Valley Country Club and many more that will make your countryside adventure of golf to be an enriching wonder.

 

The perfection of nature's landscape holds a lot more worth than a day trip hence succumb to the bliss with staycations offered  by Muthi Maya, Hotel Labaris and Botanica Khao Yai by Scenical making your trip a scenic memory.

The city holds the finest of vineyards at PB Valley Estate which also comes clubbed with a wine tour for the making of the finest tastes in wine. At the wine reserve, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Rose brings a whole new adventure to your discourse of wine tasting.

The natural panoramic vistas etched to Khao Yai's National Park delivers a sanctuary of tranquillity that brings an exfoliating wonder with the biking and hiking adventures amidst grasslands and waterfalls of the third-largest national park of Thailand.

 

Khao Yai Naitonal park:

The country’s first National Park acquires total area of 2,168 sq.kms. and its boundary covers 4 provinces namely Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachin Buri, and Saraburi. The park has beautiful landscape, comprising jungle, streams, waterfalls, and great variety of flora and fauna. Its highest peak, Khao Laem, is 1,292 metres above sea level. It has been enlisted in Unesco’s world Heritage site since July 14, 2005.

 

 

Palio Khaoyai

 

 

The famous tourist attractions in the area of Nakhon Nayok include: - Namtok Heo Narok.The waterfall is situated south of the park. From downtown Nakhon Nayok, tourist can get to the waterfall via Suwannason Road, turn left at Noenhom intersection or King Naresuan Circle and get into highway 3077. Head for Khao Yai until km 24, the waterfall is a kilometre off main road via a concrete trail. The big waterfall comprises three tiers. The first tier is 60 metres high. After that, the stream plunges down to the second and third tier. In total, it is 150 metres high. In rainy season, the stream will be very fierce. - Namtok Kong Kaeo. Originated from Huai Lam Takhong, this small waterfall is located about 100 metres from the Khao Yai National Park Headquarters. Tourists will find a suspension bridge nearby crossing Huai Lam Takhong, a boundary line between the provinces of Nakhon Nayok and Nakhon Ratchasima - Namtok Heo Suwat.

 

 

 

 

Khao Yai has always been a wonderment of nature's bliss and undeniable expeditions on the grounds of golf courses blasting open in the fascinating lap of this city. 

 

With Kirimaya’s natural panoramic vistas to the Dongrak mountain range, the city opens a whole new experience of playing golf along with MAYA spas and its magical sanctuary or The Bonanza Khao Yai’s golf pro-shop with a driving range, golf cars and caddie services.
The Tuscan-styled city will only hand in the most Italian venture like feel to your trip where you just wouldn't feel like coming home again. 
 

 

Khao Yai Golf Club:

 

Khao Yai Golf Club 

 

 

Khao Yai Golf Club is situated between 2 valleys in the mountains on a 450-rai land parcel just outside the Khao Yai National Park. There are the stunning views of the surrounding hills from everywhere on the golf course, especially the back nine.

 

 

The undulating fairways challenge, while the cliffs and rolling hills offer an immensely picturesque backdrop of the Khao Yai region. The natural contouring of the land gives good definition to the gently undulating holes, sometimes accentuated by additional earth mounding, and a light sprinkling of mature trees. Although the original bunkering seems rather modest for a Nicklaus design, some holes do exude a sterner bunker threat. The short par-4 7th is one such hole. The downhill 2nd is as good a par-5 as they come. From a wonderfully elevated tee box, play down onto the fairway, then risk as much water carry as possible to get close to the green in two.
 
 

Bonanza:

 

Bonanza Resort

 

 

Bonanza is rumoured to have been the owner’s favorite TV western series, thus the name of this golf club. Located a couple of hours northeast of Bangkok, Bonanza Golf & Country Club is in the cooler elevations near Khao Yai National Park. This international quality golf course plays through a Khao Yai valley that is somewhat pastoral. The layout has elevation changes of about 120 feet, sloping south to north with several large reservoirs at the north end of the property.

 

 

The course has large trees lining most fairways, and bunkers are located in strategic landing areas and around the greens. Adjoining the property is the Bonanza Khao Yai Golf Resort for stay and play golf guests. As a departure from typical concrete dominated resorts, 80% of the Bonanza resort materials are wood, and the whole place has a Western feel to it.

 

 
Kirimaya Golf Resort & Spa:

 

Kirimaya Golf Resort & Spa

 

 

Kirimaya Golf Resort & Spa formerly The Country Club Khao Yai, is set within natural surroundings with panoramic views of the Khao Yai National Park. Kirimaya is best quality golf resort in the Khao Yai area and one of the most natural courses anywhere in Thailand. The Khao Yai golf course is described by the Nicklaus design team, to be one of their 3 best in Asia.

 

The backdrop of wooded hills and lush jungle provides a wonderful glimpse of Thailand's countryside that you will not see in and around the Bangkok metropolis. Should you journey out to the Khao Yai region you'll also experience cooler breezes and less humidity than in the city. Nicklaus's excellent, well-maintained; out-and-back layout blends effortlessly with its gently undulating surroundings, producing one memorable hole after another. Beyond the good-width fairways and light semi-rough lies thick impenetrable vegetation, so some tee-shots feel dauntingly tight during your first round here.