Khao Phanom Bencha National Park is located in the mountainous region of Krabi and covers an area of 50 square meters. The park itself is situated in among the Phanom Benja Mountains and is one of the highest ranges in the region at 1,397 meters.
The park is lush and green year-round and often covered in a light mist, which makes it a breathtaking sight. Made up from gushing waterfalls, including Huai To, Huai Sade and Khao Pueng, and flowing rivers that wind their way through the whole area, the area is perfect for hiking.
There are swaying palms and a massive array of blooming flowers and plants, which shroud the region in a cloak of greenery all year round. The best time to visit Khao Phanom Bencha is outside the monsoon season as paths and routes become unusable in the heavy rains. There are also caves to explore that are covered in stalactites and stalagmites, like Tham Khao Phung.
Among the fertile bamboo and Malacca teak are twisted cluster beans and white thingan, and the park is also home to a wide range of free-roaming animals and birds. The Khao Phanom Bench National Park takes care to protect the wild animals that call the park home, keeping them safe from poachers. Nature enthusiasts report regular sightings of clouded leopards, boars, Asiatic wild dogs, black bears, panthers and gibbons.
Getting There & Away
If you are heading out from Krabi Town, take the road toward I-4 and turn right at Uttarakit Road. Drive the length of the road and turn right at the traffic lights. Keep going past the airport and into Nuea Klon before turning left where there is a sign for the Tourist Service Center, where you park for Khao Phanom Bencha National Park. Krabi and Phuket airports, the latter being a 20hour drive from Krabi, receive regular flights from Bangkok (1 hour, 20 minutes). Alternatively, buses make the 10-hour journey from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal.