| Khao
Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Introduction |
Stream, Khao
Soi Dao
(Photo by Vincent van der
Spek) |
|
Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary is part
of the highest mountain range in south-eastern Thailand and
forms a large wilderness area with the adjacent Khao Kitchakut
National Park. As part of the Cardomom mountains, much of
the avifauna found here is more closely related to that found
in Cambodia than that of the rest of Thailand. Indeed, a few
species can only be found in this region and a number of subspecies
are unique to this area also.
Khao Soi
Dao is in one of the wettest regions of the country and the
lush forest found here is quite spectacular with one of the
most picturesque waterfalls of any location in Thailand, with
fabulous views over the rainforest from the top. This is a
good place to go birding before or after a relaxing visit
to the nearby Ko Chang, and an opportunity to get to an area
of excellent habitat which is rarely visited by groups of
birders. This wildlife sanctuary has a reasonable park infrastructure
and a few good trails which give bird watchers the opportunity
to find some very seldom seen species. |
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| Birding
Highlights |
Blue-rumped
Pitta would have to be the pick of all the species occurring
at Khao Soi Dao and indeed, in Thailand this species is restricted
to this wildlife sanctuary and its immediate surroundings.
Black-browed Fulvetta is another bird which is restricted
to this part of Thailand as is the lewisi subspecies
of Silver Pheasant.
Khao Soi
Dai seems to be a consistently good place to see Needletails
with White-throated Needletail recorded here fairly often,
even though it is the rarest of Thailand's Needletail species.
The secretive Malayan Night Heron is another bird which seems
to pop up at Khao Soi Dao more often than it does in other
places and a sighting of this species alone would be reason
enough to visit the sanctuary. The quality of the forest at
Khao Soi Dao is such that a very large number of forest species
can be found. Pompadour Pigeon can sometimes be seen near
headquarters and this is also a good place to get close views
of Violet Cuckoo, Asian Barred Owlet and Dusky Broadbill. |
|
Black-throated
Sunbird
(Photo by Alister
Benn) |
|
Spending
time in this Wildlife Sanctuary could reward birders with a long
and exciting list of species as well as giving them the opportunity
to add to the current checklist. |
| Click
here for a checklist of the birds of Khao
Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Travel
Information |
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Khao
Soi Dao is not a difficult place to get to, in fact it is
ideal for people using public transport. From Ekamai (Eastern)
bus station on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok take a bus to Chantaburi;
this will take from 4 to 5 hours. From the bus station in
Chantaburi take any bus going north towards Sa Kaeo. For those
driving, this is highway number 317. At the 62nd kilometre
marker there is a sign with "Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary"
written in English. Get off the bus here and walk the 4 kilometres
to the Wildife Sanctuary or hitch a lift on a passing vehicle.
There are a couple of small shops at this junction and it
is probably possible to arrange a lift to the Wildlife Sanctaury
Headquarters from one of these. It is also possible (and perhaps
advisable) to get off at Patong market and take a motorcycle
taxi to the HQ.
About
20 kilometres south of the turning for the HQ is a turning
for Khao Soi Dao Dtai (South). Birders can camp here and climb
the mountain, but it is not easy to find the trail and I've
been told that the HQ and waterfall area is probably a better
option for most birders. Details of this location are given
in Charles Davies's
trip report. |
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| Finding
Birds |
| Just
hanging around Headquarters will reveal plenty of interesting forest
birds with Hill Myna, Pompadour Pigeon, Dusky Broadbill, Banded Broadbill
and Large-tailed Nightjar all present on both occasions that I have
visited the Wildlife Sanctuary. There are a few trails, however, which
will get one further into the forest. |
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| Campsite
and bungalows :
There is some excellent general birding around the campsite and
bungalows where there is a small pond and some damp patches which
seem to attract birds. A number of Flycatchers can be seen around
here with Verditer Flycatcher often perched atop dead trees and Asian
Brown, Yellow-rumped and Taiga (Red-throated) Flycatchers are often
to be found in this area. Violet Cuckoo and Dusky Broadbill seem to
be unusually frequent around here and the openness of the campsite
is an ideal place to look for Needletail Swifts, with all three Thai
species possible at various times of the year. A Spot-bellied Eagle
Owl territory has been occupied for some time just beyond the HQ clearing
in this region; listen for it at dusk, although apparently it can
be quiet for long periods. |
Little Spiderhunter
(Photo by Albert Noorlander) |
|
Road
to abandoned foodstall :
Early in the morning this road is ideal for birders, although
at weekends it can get a little busy later in the day with
people heading to the waterfall; the gate is open for cars
to use this road between 9am and 4pm. Banded Kingfisher is
often heard and seen along this track and Green Pigeons frequently
fly overhead. This can be an excellent place in the early
morning and sightings of Oriental Pied, Great and Wreathed
Hornbills attest to the quality of the forest here. Banded
Broadbill and Orange-breasted Trogon are colourful and frequent
additions to the trip list along this road and this is also
a good place to watch butterflies. Asian Barred Owlet seems
to frequent this area too.
Food
and drink is no longer available at the old foodstall where
the road finishes and the trail begins so it is useful to
take breakfast before birding the road and heading onto the
waterfall. |
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Trail
A :
A small loop which partly
follows the river. Before the gate to the waterfall turn right and
there is a large birdcage with some pheasants and ducks in it. Before
the cage there is a small road to the left, follow this and you
will come to a small house. Opposite this house is the entrance
to the trail. In the winter this is a nice trail with good flocks
of birds including Oriental Pied Hornbill. Orange-headed Thrush
and Blue Whistling Thrush both occur along this trail but in the
wet season there don't seem to be many birds.
Trail
B :
This trail is easy to find as the entrance is marked by a bridge.
At the start (or end, depending on which side you start) you have
to cross a small stream which can be strong during the summer. The
halfway point on this trail is a nice viewpoint where raptors including
Besra, Crested Serpent Eagle and Rufous-bellied Eagle have been
seen. It is also an ideal place to watch for Needletails and Swallows.
Trail
C :
This long trail can be quite hard to find. Just after the main entrance
there are some houses/offices at the left site. Behind the offices,
in the left corner, is the entrance to this trail. This trail passes
through an enormous tree and along here some good birds have been
found including Red-headed Trogon, Orange-breasted Trogon, Silver
Pheasant, Banded Kingfisher, Great Eared Nightjar (during daytime!)
and Blue Pitta. It ends somewhere on the road to the waterfall.
Waterfall
Trail (Trail D) :
This takes birders through the forest and up to a wonderful waterfall.
It is possible to cross the river at the bottom of the falls and
then climb to the top for an excellent view. The forest is good
for birds with Blue-rumped Pitta and Silver Pheasant being the specialities
to look for. Beyond the waterfall one can climb to the mountain
summit and look for Siamese Partridge. In the wet
season there can be lots of annoying leeches in the vicinity of
the waterfall so it is a good idea to bring leech socks!
Trail
E :
This trail crosses the river and
forks into two long trails through the forest. I haven't explored
them fully, but I'm told one eventually ascends Khao Soi Dao Neua
and the other eventually emerges at the western boundary of the
sanctuary; I followed the trail for about 1 kilometre and saw a
flock of Pompadour Pigeons feeding on a fruiting tree. |
| Facilities |
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The
facilities here have apparently been allowed to fall into
demise and I am told that bungalows are no longer available.
Although the accommodation pictured is still present it does
not appear to be available to visitors. For this reason it
is advisable to come prepared to camp at Khao Soi Dao. I have
always camped here, and to my knowledge it is essential to
bring ones' own tent, but the campsite is conveniently placed
and even during busy periods is not too crowded.
A number
of foodstalls 200 metres before HQ have a good range of cheap
Thai food and a selection of drinks although I am told that
the restaurant at the junction with the main road is a more
pleasant option. It should also be noted that the foodstall
at the end of the road towards the waterfall is no longer
present, so make food and water is packed before embarking
on this walk.
There are also a number of aviaries around the HQ
region containing native species including the local
lewisi subspecies of Silver Pheasant. |
|
Simple Accommodation
(Photo by Albert Noorlander) |
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| For
those needing to stay in Chantaburi, there are a number of fairly
decent hotels a short walk from the bus station. |
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Search
for the best hotel deals using the link on the left. Just enter
the location and dates you want and a list of options will appear. |
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