The southern province of Yala offers tourists the chance to beat the crowds and truly get away from it all. This “One Night Stay with Locals” takes you to a location known as the ‘Chulaporn Pattana 9 Tourism Community’, which offers a comfortable homestay-style accommodation, amenities and other onsite learning activities. It’s also a great base to explore some of the region’s most popular attractions, including waterfalls, nature reserves and mountain trails.
The starting point of this “Extraordinary Experience” in Yala is at Sapan Kwaen, which roughly translates to the ‘hanging bridge’. This marks the gateway into the forest, where you’ll be following a nature path through to a waterfall in the morning.
After stopping for lunch, continue on foot to the beautiful Halasa Waterfall while watching out for all of the wildlife along the way. Your guide will be able to help you hear (and hopefully see) some rare hornbills that nest in this forest. At the waterfall, you’ll be greeted with crystal clear waters cascading down from the top of the limestone cliffs – from a height of over 100 meters. The waterfall is located inside one of Yala’s tropical forests called the Hala-bala Wildlife Reserve, which is home to an abundance of wildlife.
After your morning and mid-afternoon adventures come to a close, you’ll be able to escape the heat and soak up some culture at the Malayan Communist Party Historical Museum, before heading back to the community for dinner and a well-earned rest at your homestay.
On the morning of the second day, head out with the guide early, making your way up to a lofty lookout point atop Khao Hin Yok. From here, you’ll be able to observe the sea of mist that rises above the rainforest – with the songbirds and other sounds of the jungle acting as Yala’s natural alarm clock.
Following this, it’s back to base for breakfast, then pack your bags and say goodbye to your friendly local hosts.
To learn more about “One Night Stay with Locals” in Thailand or to book a trip for up to 10 people at a special price, please visit www.1nightstaywithlocals.com or www.facebook.com/AorSorSocial/.