With rainy season starting in the Gulf of Thailand, and a monsoon about to bear down on Koh Phanagan, I decided to head to the other side of the peninsula and take in some of the islands in the Andaman sea. But first, I wanted to explore some of the worlds oldest rainforests.
Leaving Koh Phanagan by ferry, I noticed that my earlier observations that the full moon party was relatively tame was in error. Occupying the seats surrounding me were a number of people with bandages or on crutches. No doubt another example of the nothing good every happens after 2AM…. After reaching Donask Pier I got on a mini bus and made my way thru the roaming hills and jagged mountains arriving in Khao Sok slightly after sunset.
Khao Sok is essentially one street. At one end is the highway and at the other end is the National Park. In between are a number of restaurants and hotels/hostels, but really there isn’t much else around, which there-in-lies the charm of the place. It’s a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Koh Phanagan and the wilderness is amazing.
I ended up spending a few days there, with the first day spent walking around the edge of the parking and helping another Canadian who had lost his bank card get money so that he could get back to Bangkok.
The second day I made a day trip to the nearby Cheow Lan Lake, which is a 165km² man-made lake that was made following the construction of a hydroelectric dam. I took a tour which takes you thru the lakes by speedboat and then takes you on a jungle trek to some caves. I guess the routes vary depending on the season.
Our guide led us thru this exotic jungle pointing out spider nests, wild boar paths and evidence of monkeys but we saw little in the way of actual wildlife, besides a number of beautiful bright butterflies.
After treking for an hour or so we made our way to some caves and leaving our gear there waded into them. It was a pretty cool experience, made only better by the fact that the water was, well, cool! After treking back we swam at a floating village before making our way back to Khao Sok for the evening.
Khao Sok National Park
I spent the last day getting laundry done, working on my blog, and figuring out where to go next – finally deciding on Koh Lanta, which was supposed to be beautiful but not nearly as busy as the neighbouring islands of Koh Phi Phi or Phuket. It didn’t disappoint!
The Travelling Scientist 