Khao Sok National Park

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We took the overnight train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, breakfasted slowly at the bus and train station, then got a bus through to Khao Sok national park. We were lucky that a shuttle took us right to our accomodation in Khao Sok, where we arrived about lunchtime. We were staying in a little house on stilts in a garden setting, and Fred's cousin Tony and family staying in the house on stilts nextdoor. The accomodation has a nice restuarant and is run by a friendly Thai family. They will organise the trips and transport for guests.
Tony, Dida and Galvin arrived by motorbike from Ranong a few hours later. Tony has been living in Thailand about 20 years now, and it is the first time we have met his Burmese partner Dida and 2 year old son Galvin. Galvin is into everything and so all 4 adults spent a lot of time keeping him safe and happy, and preventing the restuarant from being trashed! It was fun to spend time with a little child again.
That night the cicados were really loud. They sounded almost like some bit of machinery as they were so loud. We went to sleep to the sounds of the jungle.
The next day we enquired about the trip tubing down the river; but were told it is too shallow just now. We went instead to a river swimming hole nearby with a rope swing, bit of a current to float on, and shallow enough for Galvin to be safe. We passed lots of lovely tropical flowers similar to ones we had seen in Raratonga on our walk. We also passed plantations of palm trees (for making palm oil) and rubber trees with little coconut cups tied to them to collect the sap. The swimming hole has a restuarant beside it, where we were told we would see monkeys come down to bathe in the evening. We ate there in the evening, had a very nice meal, but saw no monkeys.
Following day we booked another adventurous trip. We were picked up from our accomodation by bus and driven to the reservoir dam. Here we boarded a long tailed boat which drove us over the reservoir past amazing scenery of limestone cliffs, reminiscent of pictures of China and Vietnam, to a floating restuarant on a bamboo raft. There we had a nice lunch before Tony Fred and I went on a walk through the jungle to some caves. Dida and Galvin, who was now asleep, stayed back on the rafts. The jungle we walked through was mainly bamboo. There was a fun stop to swing on a creeper over a stream. The best part of the outing was was walking through the limestone caves, which meant wading along through an underground stream with head lamps to light our way, and at one point swimming a few yards. In the caves we saw stalactites, stalacmites and lots of bats hanging upside down to sleep. (except when they got flashed by the headlamps, when they flapped and flew about.) Then back to the raft house to meet Dida and Galvin and go swimming, before eating some fruit and going back to the accomodation by boat and bus. A funny thing happened as we were driving back on the bus....Galvin pulled off his shorts and wanted a wee. (No time to stop the bus, as when he wants to go, he wants to go immediately). The only available receptacle was an empty crisp packet! which then had to be carried off at the end of the journey.

Final day in Kaho Sok Tony had to leave early on the bike to get back to Ranong. Fred Dida Galvin and I took the bus. (with again, the crisp packet coming into use). This journey was 2 buses - one tourist shuttle and one local bus. The first bus was overcrowded, until a couple remembered they had left one of their bags back at the hotel....a heated discussion took place before they asked to get off. (After this there were enough seats for everybody! ) The second bus journey was very very hot, but we were lucky that Galvin slept most of that journey. Arriving in Ranong we took yet another little bus, a songthaew, (Galvin's favourite) to get to the house.

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Photos

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On the bus laughing about the crisp packet potty!

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In the songthaew