Rainy rainforest
Trip Start
Jan 16, 2008
1
25
49
Trip End
Jun 30, 2008
Khao Sok,
Thailand
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
We're still getting to grips with Thai transport. We managed to get a minivan to Khao Sok and got dropped off at some random place, some guy in his pick-up offered us a lift 'for free', only for him to receive commission on our room. What can you do.....
We were greeted by the very quirky German owner and we shacked up in a lovely little hut. We were going to go exploring after a spot of lunch but it started to rain and became a huuuuuge thunderstorm, we retired to our porch to admire it creating a pool around our hut. Absolutely phenomenal crack of lightning and rumbles of thunder!!!
We booked ourselves on a day trip up Chiaw Lan Lake and rose early the next morning to head off. We got a long-tail boat up the lake amidst fanastic scenery, jungle encrusted limestone cliffs, before arriving at a cluster of rafthouses. It was very quiet and secluded, we were allowed to do our own thing before lunch so we went for a quick canoe before plunging into the warm lake for a swim, it was lovely as pie.
After lunch we got our long-tail boat around the corner before hopping off to start our short trek to the Namataloo Caves (where 9people died last year). You can do a 1km trek through the caves to come out the other side which is safe in the dry season. However during the rainy season, the river which flows through it turns into a torrent and if you're inside when it rains heavily you're done for. Even now during the dry season when we went in a little the water was up to our necks, our guide didn't take us any further because of the recent storms (and we had two young children in our group of 6). Our guide, Lek, told us that further along there are parts where you have to swim holding onto a rope even in the dry season.
Our trek involved sloshing through lots of streams and rivers (becky wearing her trainers) and hopping over some large twisty tree roots. As we were nearly back at our boat it started raining, second day in a row. By the time we got back to the rafthouses we were drenched and went swimming again in the rain to warm up.
We were very tired by the end of the day, had a quick tea when we got back and were in bed before 9.
Up early again the next morning for a short trek to Wang Yao, a natural pool in the National Park. We managed to evade leeches except one which Luke flicked off before he started sucking blood, Becky stood and dithered like a big girl (although she did save Luke from a leech sat on his hat). Had a relaxing swim in what we think was the pool (we had followed the signs and it was deep enough to swim), we're not 100% though. Trekked back again, stopped for a late lunch on the way to our hut. We spent the remainder of the afternoon sat on our porch playing dominoes admiring yet another storm.
The next morning we left for Khao Lak xxxxxxx
Comments
Great Pics!
Great pictures, loved your little hut, looks more inviting than a tent?! What about bathroom facilities??
Swimming in the rain looked like fun shame about the leeches!!!Glad you decided against going through the cave!! Love mum
idyllic
sounds and looks idyllic, apart from the leeches.