Khao Sok National Park

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Today we are off to the Khao Sok National Park for 4 days and 3 nights. We get picked up from our hotel by a private 4wd air con pick up truck - very nice - for a 2 1/2 hour drive to a place called Treetops which is on the edge of the National Park. After driving for about 1 1/2 hours we pass a resort where our driver tells us about 4500 people died in the tsunami. We drive past a 20 metre or so police boat that was washed 1.5km inland by the tsunami and is now a memorial. The boat is very large and you realise how bad the destruction was even though most places have now been rebuilt. Another feature we saw on the drive was many large pictures of the King of Thailand, not something we saw on the smaller islands we visited. When we reach Treetops Jungle Safari hotel the wow factor starts. We go into the reception area which is huge and has a jungle theme. The resort has not been fully completed yet and we find our treehouse has been upgraded to the Deluxe version, which is nothing like the one Jo stayed in 2 years ago. It is basically a bungalow 20 metres up in the trees! it even has air con and a basic hot shower.

After a quick lunch we have some free time so go for a swim in the huge fresh water freeform pool. We are then taken off for the afternoons activities. First we are driven down to the Khao Sok river where there is a canoe waiting for us with our own paddler. We climb in and are given some fish food which attracts many fish around our canoe. We set off for a 2 hour slow ride down the river seeing many different birds, including lots of White Egrets - unfortuately these were a bit skittish and we could not get close enough for a photo. The scenery was amazing with great rock formations, pinnacles and sheer cliffs, a land based version of the Ao Phangnga National Park we visited a few days ago 😊 It was very peaceful and relaxing, we thought we were the only people on the river but eventually passed a few local boys in the river and one group of tourists in rubber tyre inner tubes floating down the river also. When our trip comes to an end we get off the canoe at the river bank where a Thai women is waiting for us with cold towels for us to refresh ourselves and the ever present souvenier photo, which we feel obliged to buy. We are then directed to our transport which is waiting for us up the path and taken to a view point which looks out over the National Park. We took some photos but it was very hazy over the hills. Our final stop was to a local temple where there is a colony of monkeys - our driver has a loaf of bread which we are to feed to the monkeys - they all start appearing at the sight of food and gather around us to grab the bread. We were not offered the chance to go into the temple but saw some monks sitting outside.

Back to our treetop room for a rest before dinner at 7pm. We are sat in the huge open air dining room on our own table and served a thai meal consisting of soup, tempura vegetables, green chicken curry, sweet potatoe curry (our favourite) and a green leafy plate, very tasty but also very hot and spicy!! There is a rudimetary bar here, but we decide to take a few days off the booze and stick to plain old water - Bill thinks this will make him sick 😞

We did not have a very good nights sleep, heard something scratching in the room and in the morning we found bark scratchings on the floor around the tree trunk!! we also saw a bat flying around our verranda, it couldn't find its way!! Anyway off we go to breakfast not sure what to expect and we are served with three pancakes and a bowl of honey with tea. After breakfast its off in the mini bus towards the lake. We stop on the way at a local market for our guide to buy the food for our stay at the lake. We then drive to the pier to transfer onto a longtail boat to take us over to our "floating hotel". The boat was pretty overloaded with 4 large suitcases, 15 people plus the guides and our food for the next 2 days. The scenery on the way was quite stunning. Eventually we see our accommodation in front of us, basically 12 ramshackle shanty town raft houses - totally open with a thin mattress on the floor, 2 pillows, 2 thin blankets, a sheet which looked like it had been eaten by mice! and a mosquito net over the mattress. We were told it was basic accommodation, we were not expecting quite as basic and felt rather dissappointed. We decided to make the most of it as we were there for 2 nights, so we put our swimmers on and got in the lake for a swim before lunch. Our lunch was chicken fried rice, not so much chicken, and fresh pineapple which was very nice.

Afternoon activities scheduled for us were a trip to a fishing village followed by a swim in a bat cave. So off we go in the longtail boat again. The lake is much wider here but there is still a significant mist around the rocks and islands which made it look very spooky, especially with the dead trees sticking out of the water. We get to the fishing village, which is basically a few raft houses used by the local fishermen. We are shown a couple of holding pens, one with catfish and are told all the local fishermen on the lake bring their catch to the boss here who then transports it out and sells it. Not a very exciting visit. Then off we go again by longtail boat to the bat cave. About 10 of us get in the deep water for the 40m swim, but not a bat to be seen!! The afternoon was rather disappointing but the scenery was fantastic. When we get back to our accommodation we have a 3 hour wait for dinner so sit around reading and dozing in the sun. Dinner arrives and its clear chicken soup followed by crispy battered sweet potato, chicken and onion, sweet and sour chicken and sweet potato curry with boiled rice, very tasty food. After dinner we are taken on a night safari walk for about 40 mins. It is pitch black apart from our torches and deadly quiet. We walk along a dirt track amongst green bamboo, it was very eerie. Our guide spots a small green snake on a bamboo and also shows us a tarantula hole but the spider hides right inside, so no photos. Not a very long walk but very humid and it did walk off the huge dinner. Back at the bar a german guy and a couple of others who did not want to walk, probably because they had been drinking beers all afternoon, were playing the guitar and "singing". He was actually murdering every song - we got so fed up with the noise we went to bed early. Unfortunately we could still here him in our raft house, we think it finally went quiet when the generator went off at midnight. Bill set his alarm on his mobile to make sure we woke him up at 06.30am for early morning canoeing 😉

After a poor nights sleep due to the loud drunk german, scratching animal noises and water sounds, oh and the uncomfy mattress, we get into our 2 man canoes at 06.30 and set off round the island looking for animals or birds and taking in the scenery. No sun out yet, everything grey and misty but very peaceful. We saw some monkeys high up in the trees but not much else. About an hour later we arrive back for breakfast - expecting pancakes again. We are surprised to be served fried eggs and toast and jams - the eggs were cold and the toast was more like warm bread but we were hungry. A lazy morning - sitting in the sun and reading and dozing until lunch at 12.00. Luckily the noisy germans left that morning so it was very peaceful. Our lunch was noodles and chicken with more pineapple and water melon, very nice.

The afternoons activity was a 3 hour jungle walk. Off we go in the longtail boat again to a nearby island. Before we left Sue asked the guide how difficult the walk was and was told 'easy'. We don't think he got the translation quite right. We set off up the forest dirt track for the 90 minute uphill walk over rough terrain with jungle on both sides - 2 short stops and 40 mins later we are allowed a 5 minute break and are told by the guide 300 metres to go, 200 earth and 100 rock climbing!! Anyway off we go and the dirt track gets quite hard to climb, we are left behind the other 6 people who don't seem to be finding it very difficult. We catch up with them at the rock section - there is no path and its very steep with jagged edges everywhere, averaging 70 degrees up with very steep and long drops onto more jagged rock. It looked very scary but we had no choice but to follow the others, we are quickly left behind again and the guide comes back to show us the way up. We finally reach the top and the views were spectacular and made the climb seem worthwhile. Looking down the route we came it seems we have done entry level rock climbing!! We start to descend very slowly and are left behind again but the guide stays with us, he points out a Hawksbill which immediately flys off with big wing movements like air thumps. We both made it to the bottom eventually and are glad we did. One slip and we would be dead - if we were lucky and only badly injured the place is so remote and difficult to access that rescue would be very difficult. Even though we found it hard the views made it worthwhile and it was agreat achievement 😊

Back to our raft house for dinner and an early night. We declined the night walk this time!!

Up for breakfast at 8.30 then luggage onto the longtail boat for our trip back to Phuket. A long wait at the pier for our large backpacks to turn up from Treetops, then into a mini bus for the 3 hour trip back. The driver did not know where he was going and Bill had to direct him to our hotel. We were glad to get back and have a decent shower and eat something other than Thai food. Our last night in Phuket and a flight tomorrow to Bangkok.

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Photos

Inside Our Treehouse
There are trees through the middle - but these are really just for show as the whole building is securely built on metal struts

The Hotel Pool
So big & deep it shows green - wonder what is swimming in there !

A Cow on the Riverbank
Just never know what is round the corner on the river

Khao Sok Viewpoint
Shame its a bit hazy

Long Tail Monkey
One of about 70 at the temple - they seem to like the bread

View Across the Lake
On the boat ride to the "floating hotel" - it was very misty - and it was the same every day

Our Raft House
Its the middle one - but they are all the same a thin matress, two pillows, a moskito net and bamboo walls and roof - all totally open

Sue is a bit disappointed
As is Bill !

Sue Relaxing in the Lake
Its a very big lake - more like an inland sea

Looking Down
This only shows a small section of the 100 meter rock climb - on slip and you are dead. Even if you get lucky and are only injured it is so remote and impossible to get that you would probably not survive

Our Guide
Balancing at the top - easy for him

The Peak We Climbed
We got to just below the peak on the right hand side of front face of the peak on the right. It was a long way up - especially if you looked down