Note: This
article was was kindly submitted by Robert DeCandido
in a slightly different format to that presented here.
One of the dilemmas for anyone interested in visiting Kaeng
Krachan National Park is finding a place to stay within
easy reach of the park. There are several options in the village
of Kaeng Krachan that mostly cater to weekend visitors from
Bangkok. However, travel to and from the village to the park
can take 45 minutes to the entrance gate, and an additional
30 minutes to the lower campground - if you have your own
vehicle. You can hire a guide with a vehicle (about 2000 baht
per day) but this quickly becomes expensive if you wish to
spend several days visiting the park.
In late February 2008 Deborah Allen and I faced such a dilemma.
We had our own vehicle (a 4-wheel drive Suzuki Caribean rental,
about 700-800 baht per day) but no camping gear. Hence it
was necessary to commute to/from the park every day. Fortunately
we met up with a couple who own and operate a magnificent
resort; Baan Maka Nature Lodge (http://www.baanmaka.com)
about a 20 minute drive from the park entrance gate. More
importantly, the lodge is set in scenic grounds and teems
with birds; Hair-crested (Spangled) Drongo; Lesser Necklaced
Laughingthrush; Green-billed Malkoha; Flavescent and Stripe-throated
Bulbuls; Verditer and Asian Paradise Flycatchers; Black-naped
Monarch; Striped Tit and Puff-throated Babblers; Blue Whistling
Thrush; Asian Barred Owlet; Common and Black-capped Kingfishers
etc. And, to our delight, the owners had set up two bird blinds
(hides) with a water "drip" and fruit to attract
an array of birds and small mammals to photograph. Since both
of the operators of the resort make digital images of birds,
we quickly found that the hide is designed with birders, and
especially bird photographers, in mind.
Baan Maka Entrance
Baan Maka Accommodation
Lake at Baan Maka
The Grounds of Baan Maka
We rented a bungalow for two (available with
separate beds) and enjoyed the spacious room with air-conditioning,
tiled floors and en-suite bathroom with hot water shower.
Drinking water is provided daily as well as towels and soap
- the latter as needed. The wooden furniture in each of the
bedrooms is lovely, and there is ample storage space to unpack
clothes and store equipment safely. There is no TV in the
rooms and only one outlet to charge camera/flash batteries.
There is also no internet service on-site (As of 2018 internet
is available in the restaurant area and in most rooms).
However, we found the cozy outdoor restaurant a great place
to plug in our laptops and process our digital files.
Bungalow for 2 persons
Bungalow for 4-6 persons
Food is available at the on-site restaurant
for about 30-150 baht per meal, and these are available to
go. Fried rice with pork will set you back about 30 baht while
steamed fish (fillet with no bones) is about 120 baht. The
Thai cook is quite friendly and she is happy to adjust the
spiciness of the food to your taste, and even make French
Fries (chips). We recommend "nid-noy" - just a "little"
spicy. Need you laundry done? About 100 baht will get a 15
kilo load washed, pressed and folded in one day. The staff
here is friendly and more than willing to fulfill reasonable
requests. Have a non-birder wife or significant other? This
is also a great place for him/her.
Bungalow for 2 - interior
The owners (Gunn and Beverly) have been operating
Ban Maka for 6 years. They are originally from Bangkok and
worked as bankers there. Both earned Master's degrees in the
United States and speak English fluently. If you wish to stay
at their resort it is best to contact by phone- +66 (0) 655630672
(or e-mail: baanmaka@yahoo.com).
On the other hand, Gunn remains at Baan Maka full time, making
several trips each week into Kaeng Krachan Park usually up
to the second (900 metre elevation) campsite to photograph
birds. We were able to catch a ride with Gunn on a couple
of occasions, and he was more than happy to show us foraging
Pin-tailed Parrotfinches, nesting Long-tailed Broadbills and
the best places to look for flocks of Ratchet-tailed Treepies.
Gunn knows the park intimately, and we enjoyed his wit and
his ease with people as we rode with him in his 4-wheel drive
Toyota to the upper campsite in Kaeng Krachan (about 80 minutes
travel time from Baan Maka). Admission to the park was 200
baht per person for foreigners in February 2008, with an additional
30 baht charge per vehicle. Camping was free inside the park,
although bathrooms and shower facilities were considerably
better at the upper (900 metre) campsite than the lower one.
At least in the busy (dry) season, food (including snacks
and coffee) is available at both campsites, again with the
upper campsite offering a better selection of tastier dishes
at about 25-50 baht per meal. It would be possible to have
all meals prepared at the upper campsite for as long as one
stayed there.
View of the broad-leaved evergreen forest from the second
(900 metre) campsite at Kaeng Krachan.
Ordinarily we do not enter into the realm of
lodge recommendations or other product endorsements. We are
working scientists and photographers, and prefer to remain
neutral observers (and we received no direct or indirect benefits
from writing this piece). However, we feel that Gunn and Beverly
not only offer superb accommodation at a reasonable price
(cheaper than anything else we looked at in Kaeng Krachan
village), but they are also working to increase habitat for
birds and other wildlife at Baan Maka. Education is the primary
reason Baan Maka exists - to allow Thai and international
guests to enjoy and learn about the birds, other animals and
plants in this part of Thailand. Gunn and Beverly have recently
come under strong pressure from local politicians to cut the
forest on their property, especially the biggest trees that
Oriental Pied Hornbills need to nest in. As a result they
are hoping to attract more foreign birders and their friends
in order to show the economic value of natural areas outside
the national park to the locals opposed to their forest resort.
Want to help them? There is no better way than to visit, take
some photos and go home to spread the good word. Bird tour
groups of 10-25 people would be especially welcome and feel
comfortable here, making use of Baan Maka as a base to head
into the park daily.
Bird Blind (Hide) at Ban Maka
View from inside a Bird Blind
For independent travelers who do not have a
4-wheel drive vehicle, Baan Maka offers a superb opportunity
to see Kaeng Krachan and to reach the high (900 metre) camp.
By staying at the resort it should be possible to catch a
ride to the top, remain there for several days and then catch
aride down again. This you would need to arrange with Gunn
and Beverly. For others interested in bird photography or
a guide for the park itself, Gunn knows the park intimately
well and when/where to look for the park's speciality birds
including nesting Broadbills, Pittas, Woodpeckers, Bee-eaters
and, of course, Ratchet-tailed Treepies.
Getting to Baan Maka is relatively easy for those driving
their own vehicle (and note well: you can only get a 4-wheel
drive vehicle with good ground clearance past the first campsite
up to the second campsite at 900 metres elevation). To find
Baan Maka, just make your way to the information centre of
the park, about a 10-minute drive from Kaeng Krachan village,
on the only road that goes in that direction. Continue on
that same road for about another 15 minutes or so, until you
come to the last left turn (end of the public road) that can
be made before the gated entrance to the military training
camp. Take that left hand turn and then continue for another
10 minutes (3 kilometres) until you come to the first major
intersection (look here on the left for a yellow Baan Maka
sign in Thai script). Make a left hand turn at this first
major intersection onto a wide dirt road. Drive aboy 1-2 minutes
(1 kilometre) and look on the right for the yellow Baan Maka
sign again. For more detailed instructions (and the yellow
Baan Maka sign in Thai), see their website: http://www.banmaka.com
or call +66 (0) 655630672 (or e-mail: baanmaka@yahoo.com)
Important Note: In 2017
Baan Maka changed ownership and now Punjapa Phetsiri runs
the guesthouse. Not only have standards been maintained, but
the new owners have improved on what was already a great place
by upgrading the facilities in the rooms, improving internet
access and wildlife watching opportunities within the grounds.
Bird
Watching Trips in Thailand:
Baan Maka Nature Lodge is a good base for exploring nearby
Kaeng Krachan national park and surrounding areas and
is a great location to add to long or short birding trips
to Thailand.
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