To the holiday-maker, a day in Thailand usually means spending all day on a sandy beachor tip-toeing around an extravagant temple and then retiring to the hotel for a large helping of Phad Thai or a hot bowl of aromatic Pho. And who can blame them –after all, if your idea of the perfect trip is relaxing in the sun with your every need catered to, Thailand’s the destination to aim for but there is a far more exhilarating sideto the South East Asian nation that often goes undiscovered –its wildlife. And the best way to experience the some of the enormous diversity of Thailand’s native creatures is by taking a trip to one of Thailand’s crocodile parks.
See Yai – the World’s Largest Croc
Take the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm located near Bangkok. As well as being a breeding park and preservation centre for crocodiles, the park is open to visitors to experience the wildlife of Thailand. They also make goods out of the crocodile leather and host a ‘crocodile show’ with daredevil stunts.Visitors might even get an opportunity to see an appearance by the World’s largest crocodile, Yai, who measures 6 metres. The park even has its own Dinosaur Museum, which contains 13 kinds of dinosaur models and skeletons to gawk at.
Million Years – Thailand’s Quirkiest Crocodile Collection
Near Pattaya City there is The Million Years Stone Park. Founded by businessman Khun Suan Phanomwattanakul in an effort to preserve physical evidence of Thailand’s rich natural history, the Stone Park has petrified tree fossils, over 100 million years old, alongside200-year-old Thai-style trained trees. But if the garden doesn’t do anything for you, the variety of albino animals housed in the Exotic Zoo might. Featuring an albino bear as well asbeautiful white horses and tigers the Exotic Zoo even has giant catfish!The Crocodile Farm has the largest collection of saltwater crocodiles in Thailand and is open to visitors. Probably one of the quirkier places you’ll see in Thailand, Million Years Stone Park is well worth a visit – just keep an eye out for those cheeky crocs!
Don’t Forget to Try the Tastes of Thailand!
Whether you choose to go after the crocodiles at The Million Years Stone Park or decide to stay on the beach in your bikini there is always one thing that all visitors remember and love about Thailand: the food! Whether you’re warming up, or perhaps overheating, with a bowl of Tom Yam Kung or unwinding with some Nam Tok Mu Salad, mealtimes in Thailand are some of the most memorable.Brits might already have picked up a taste for Thai food at one of the UK’s Indochinese restaurants like Banana Tree, but for the full experience it’s best to head out for Thailand and try it for yourself.The best thing is that all of this can be enjoyed without any crocodiles snapping at your feet!
So while there’s no reason not to spend most of your Thailand adventure lazing about on the beach, a trip to one of the famous Thai crocodile parks is sure to inject a bit of excitement into proceedings. Crocodiles are some of the most fearsome and ancient animals around – and a visit to Thailand is the perfect time to see them face-to-face!