Two Days and One Night in Khao Sok

This is a post from Andrew's Tumblr (I would have written essentially the same thing). I have added some pictures:

After 6 amazing days on Koh Tao, it was time to move on. We booked a night ferry to Surat Thani where we would then board a bus to Khao Sok National Park and figure it out from there. The scene at the pier was almost comical. The ferry had two stories and many of the westerners were hoarded onto the bottom floor. With the ceiling being not much higher than 4 feet, we had to crouch and crawl to make it to our bed. The mattresses were only slightly wider than the width of a human body, and about 20of them lined the floor in a row. I now know how human smuggling works. My one lucky break was that a fan was above my mattress, so at least I was able to stay moderately cool as I bumped elbows with the person next to me.

Night ferry to Surat Thani (did not mean to take a picture of a couple making out)

One ambien later I awoke at the pier in Surat Thani at about 5am. We were quickly bearded off to a bus station where we waited about 1 hr before boarding a bus.
After passing out close to immediately on the bus, I awoke dazed and confused in Khao Sok, not knowing what time it was or where I would be staying. We arranged for a taxi driver to take us to a hostel for free, and when we reached the hostel we were greeted by a friendly guide who was leading a 2 day, 1 night tour in the national park. We also found out that it was 8:50am and that the tour departed in about 10 minutes. After quickly consulting our lonely planet guide, we agreed and were off - sometimes things fall together perfectly, even after a nights sleep in the bottom of a boat.

Long tail boat ride through the National Park

During the next two days I reconnected with my childhood self, feeling like a mix between Huck Finn and Mowgli from the jungle book. We were on Chieow Laan lake which is navigated only by longtail boat and surrounded by high rising cliffs and the jungle interior. We were staying at a village of raft houses, essentially a series of connected bamboo bungalows that floated on logs and stilts in the lake. A sketchy wooden walkway connected the bungalows together and to the main dining hall and to the mainland and bathroom. While the bungalows themselves were very simple and only had one light that functioned for only a few hrs at night, the novelty of being able to dive right into the lake from your front porch made it well worth it. 

Our guide, Ya-Ya, took us on two treks through the jungle. Our group also consisted of a couple from England, a couple from Switzerland/Austria, and two German girls.The first day we hiked for about an hour to reach a cave where Thai Communists used to hideout in back in the 70s. As we walked through the jungle, Ya-Ya would point out things that the untrained eye would gloss right over - chameleons, birds, interesting insects and vegetation. Just as impressive was his ability to maneuver swiftly through the jungle while barefoot and holding a large knife.

On the second day we started by making a similar trek through the jungle - climbing over fallen trees, wading through streams, and following Ya-Ya on the rugged path. During the hike everyone in the group got at least one leach on their foot….which was less disgusting after you pulled it off and experienced it once. We were lead to a different cave - except this time we were following a path straight through the cave. Once everyone in the group took out their headlamps, we were off.
I’ve been to a few large caves before - in South Africa and America - that were very touristy, having railings, electricity, and exit signs inside.This was a completely different experience. We started by walking on dry rocks and through a shallow stream with bats hanging overhead and large spiders and insects crawling on the walls. After about 15 minutes, we huddled together and Ya-Ya instructed everyone in the group to turn their torches off. It was pitch black, so dark that you couldn’t make out your own hand by waving it in front of your face. With the headlights back on, we moved forward following the stream. It progressively got deeper - first we were walking through knee-deep water, than waist deep, than after climbing through narrow rocks, we took a big step into neck-deep cold cave water. While I’m sure some people would hate going through a dark cave, Jess and myself both found it really exhilarating and interesting. It took about 1 hr to reach the other side of the cave.

Besides the two jungle treks, cave expedition, and swimming in the lake, we also went on two safaris on the lake by longtail, one at night and one in the morning. While we didn’t see much more than some birds, an eagle, and some monkeys, being able to slowly glide through the water at night under bright stars and to hear the sounds of the jungle the following morning made the trips worthwhile.

Monkey with her baby grabbing on to her!

We were slightly nervous that we would have two consecutive nights of terrible sleep since the raft bungalows had no fan and only a mosquito net. Yet once the sun went down there was a cool breeze off the lake. We were also advised by locals that there aren’t any Mosquitos (something about the water being too deep for them to lay eggs), so Jess and I kept our door and window open through the night, allowing the breeze to come straight through. It actually ended up being one of our most comfortable night sleeps so far. 

The food was delicious and we were with a great group of people

All in all, our journey through Khao Sok was a great experience and our first taste of life in the jungle. Check out the other recent posts for pictures from the trip.