Southern Thailand - Khao Sok National Park

From Bangkok we took the overnight train south to Khao Sok National Park.  The train was a good time.  Lots of travelers looking to party and plenty of Chang beer for all.  The drive to the park was really nice through lush rural areas through valleys between impressive mountains with sheer rock faces.  Our accommodations there were bungalows set back in the rain forest.  Each had a hammock out on the porch surrounded by tropical flowers.  Really amazing spot.  It was called the Misty Morning Resort.

Part of the group on the longtail

So the first afternoon we took a hike through the park that was about an hour long.  Honestly I was a little bit disappointed by this walk.  It was a well traveled trail and we didn't see much wildlife except leeches!  Lucky me I was the first to get one and got a few more.  They were not quite as gross as the ones in the States; they look more like small earthworms.  Still not pretty but apparently they are harmless.  We attempted to hike up to a waterfall but had to turn back due to time.

It was ridiculously hot so once we returned from the hike we went tubing in the river that runs through the park.  The group may not have been as redneck or intoxicated as Missouri float trips can be but it was definitely just as fun.  It felt so refreshing to cool off from the hot and sticky jungle.  We even saw some monkeys and snake overhead as we floated down stream.  At one point we found a rope swing that everybody tried.  I had one scare along the way as I was bitten by something under the water and all I could imagine was those snakes we had seen earlier!  No cause for worry though as the guide said it is common for the fish to do that.

Later that night we had drinks at a bar overlooking the river while bats flew by.  The bartender was playing classic American rock as we all traded stories as we drank Chang.  It was all kind of surreal.

The next day we woke up early and took a longtail boat through the lake to an isolated lodge with beach huts for rent.  The ride couldn't have been more scenic; the mountains were rising straight out of the water.  Looked like the pictures I've seen of Ha-Long bay in Vietnam only on clear fresh water.  One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  Before a lunch of fried, local Gourami at the lodge we went for a swim in the lake.  Finally we went with a guide on a pretty serious hike through the rainforest.  We waded through streams and thick jungle.  The bamboo there was poisonous so we had to be careful what we touched.  Along the way we saw huge caterpillars and even a chameleon.  Very beautiful.  At the end of the hike we went into a cave where we waded through chest high water with headlamps in the pitch black.  Not going to lie it was a little scary when you couldn't see and things were floating past you in the water.  On the ceilings were stalactites and huge hunter spiders about 6 inches in diameter.  Not poisonous but they would definitely put the hurt on if you were bitten.

Khao Sok was one of the most spectacular places I have ever seen and it would be totally worth the trek to get there on your next trip to Thailand.

From there we headed to Krabi on the southern coast of Thailand and Phi Phi island.  I'm going to try to make a post soon but the computer at the internet cafe corrupted the memory card to my point and shoot camera.  Really hope I can show the photos though because I think they are some of the best yet.