A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Yaeyama Islands vs. Khao Yai National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Yaeyama Islands or Khao Yai National Park?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Yaeyama Islands and Khao Yai National Park. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Yaeyama Islands or Khao Yai National Park?

Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.

Khao Yai National Park

Adventurous travelers are always in search of new terrain to conquer. At over 2,000 square kilometers, Khao Yai National Park is Thailand's second largest national park, and just full of jungles to trek through. In the southwest of Thailand is a sanctuary of mountains and waterfalls.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tokyo, The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo, The Best Adventure Tours to Thailand, and The Best Eco Tours in Thailand.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Yaeyama Islands and Khao Yai National Park, we can see that Yaeyama Islands is more expensive. And not only is Khao Yai National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Khao Yai National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Khao Yai National Park and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Yaeyama Islands would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Yaeyama Islands than you might in Khao Yai National Park.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Yaeyama Islands Expensive? and Is Khao Yai National Park Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Yaeyama Islands or Khao Yai National Park?

Yaeyama Islands has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Khao Yai National Park experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Khao Yai National Park in the Summer?

Both Khao Yai National Park and Yaeyama Islands during the summer are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Yaeyama Islands in the summer for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Yai National Park year-round.

Yaeyama Islands is around the same temperature as Khao Yai National Park in the summer. The daily temperature in Yaeyama Islands averages around 29°C (85°F) in July, and Khao Yai National Park fluctuates around 28°C (83°F).

It's quite sunny in Yaeyama Islands. In the summer, Yaeyama Islands often gets more sunshine than Khao Yai National Park. Yaeyama Islands gets 279 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Yai National Park receives 176 hours of full sun.

Khao Yai National Park gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. Yaeyama Islands usually gets less rain in July than Khao Yai National Park. Yaeyama Islands gets 179 mm (7 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 315 mm (12.4 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Khao Yai National Park in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Yaeyama Islands and Khao Yai National Park. Most visitors come to Yaeyama Islands for the hiking trails and the natural beauty of the area during these months. Khao Yai National Park attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the autumn, Yaeyama Islands is around the same temperature as Khao Yai National Park. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Yaeyama Islands in October average around 26°C (78°F), and Khao Yai National Park averages at about 28°C (82°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Khao Yai National Park this time of the year. Yaeyama Islands usually receives less sunshine than Khao Yai National Park during autumn. Yaeyama Islands gets 177 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Yai National Park receives 206 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Khao Yai National Park receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Yaeyama Islands gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Yaeyama Islands usually receives around the same amount of rain as Khao Yai National Park. Yaeyama Islands gets 173 mm (6.8 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 173 mm (6.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Khao Yai National Park in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Yaeyama Islands as well as Khao Yai National Park. The winter months attract visitors to Yaeyama Islands because of the museums and the cuisine. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Yai National Park throughout the year.

In January, Yaeyama Islands is generally cooler than Khao Yai National Park. Daily temperatures in Yaeyama Islands average around 18°C (64°F), and Khao Yai National Park fluctuates around 26°C (78°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Khao Yai National Park. In the winter, Yaeyama Islands often gets less sunshine than Khao Yai National Park. Yaeyama Islands gets 97 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Yai National Park receives 276 hours of full sun.

Yaeyama Islands receives a lot of rain in the winter. Yaeyama Islands usually gets more rain in January than Khao Yai National Park. Yaeyama Islands gets 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 9 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Khao Yai National Park in the Spring?

Both Khao Yai National Park and Yaeyama Islands are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The beaches and the natural beauty are the main draw to Yaeyama Islands this time of year. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Yai National Park because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

Yaeyama Islands is cooler than Khao Yai National Park in the spring. The daily temperature in Yaeyama Islands averages around 23°C (74°F) in April, and Khao Yai National Park fluctuates around 30°C (87°F).

It's quite sunny in Khao Yai National Park. Yaeyama Islands usually receives less sunshine than Khao Yai National Park during spring. Yaeyama Islands gets 154 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Yai National Park receives 262 hours of full sun in the spring.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Khao Yai National Park. It's quite rainy in Yaeyama Islands. In April, Yaeyama Islands usually receives more rain than Khao Yai National Park. Yaeyama Islands gets 147 mm (5.8 in) of rain, while Khao Yai National Park receives 128 mm (5.1 in) of rain each month for the spring. The rainy season in Yaeyama Islands is May to June.

Typical Weather for Khao Yai National Park and Yaeyama Islands