After finishing off an engineering course in Phuket, we linked up with Dave, who I had vaguely met while doing a sailing course in Cape Town. It was purely coincidental to bump into someone a few years later on the other side of the world!
We drove North from Phuket to the Khao Sok National Park, which supposedly is one of the top places to go explore in Southern Thailand. After a two hour drive we arrived at our accommodation at Khao Sok Cabana Resort, locates next to a river. The accommodation was comfortable and uniquely set in the natural environment.
Our accommodation for the night was walking distance from a whole range of restaurants, travel information centres, the national park itself and various other accommodation options. It is easy to get around and definitely a place to visit if you find yourself in southern Thailand near Phuket.
After dropping our bags off and feeling hot and sweaty, we decided it was a good idea to go for a walk to the river and water fall within the Khao Sok National Park. It cost 300 Thai Baht to get in, a small fee given the quality of the park and it’s up-keep.
Before long we were walking on the dust road/footpath in the shade of the bamboo forest, which was a relief seeing that it was ‘steeming’ hot (see what I did there? 🌽🌽)!
The bamboo forest was large and impressively beautiful. I felt like I was in Jurassic Park or in some sort of movie..
After some time the bamboo forest turned into a more diverse rainforest, with massive trees towering overhead. Apparently there are even wild elephants that still roam within that area. Unfortunately we did not see any or come across any signs of them being there.
The first pit stop was a little river bank, shaded over by some trees. We started having a swim, when we noticed a gang of Makaks bolting for our belongings. We briskly got out the water to protect all our valuables! After some sizing each other up, the opportunists realised that there was no chance they would get anything from us. One youngster decided it was time for a swim, after which all of them followed suit! It was an amazing experience, that I never expected to be lucky enough to witness! The babies played with each other and climbed up into the trees to jump into the water. I placed myself strategically in the water with my telephoto lens, which was totally worth the risk!
There were also plenty of fish swimming in the crystal clear waters, here is a close-up of one taken from above the water.
After the monkeys left, we had a peaceful swim and then walked further upstream to the waterfall. It was a cascading waterfall that was beautiful, and I can imagine it being even more impressive after rainfall.
On the way back we came across an amazing lizard perched on the base of a bamboo stalk. He was not afraid at all, which allowed me to take a picture from up close.
What was very refreshing is that there was no plastic or rubbish lying around! It seems that the place was well looked after, people who go there respect Mother Nature and/or there are some efficient clean-up operations. After your hike you can even throw your rubbish in the appropriate recycle bin! Well done Khao Sok National Park!
