Arrived in Surat Thani really early from our overnight bus. We stopped at a wee cafe and got some well needed breakfast. No time to waste we hopped onto a "Songthaew" which is basically a pickup truck with two bench seats fixed along either side of the back of the truck with a roof fitted over the rear of the vehicle. We travelled 2hours in this which was great craic...the wind blasting around us and holding on for dearlife!! It was funny. Then we arrived in Khao Sok woohoo!!
Our guesthouse was great, it sat by a river at the edge of the Khao Sok tropical jungle. The wee bungalows that we stayed in were small and rustic, and the sound of the jungle surrounding them was just amazing. This rainforest is one of the best remaining and is older and more diverse than that of the Amazon Rainforest!! The only thing bad was that we had only cold showers...ooh they were like ice...frrrrezzing! but it was one way of getting me woke up in the mornings lol.
That evening we went "Tubing". It was brilliant craic floating down the river on a big tube for a few hours and taking in the sound and sights of the jungle. Seen a few snakes and monkeys as well which was pretty cool.
That night we had dinner and headed to a close local bar for a few cocktails by the river and watched the sunset over the jungle....it was just so beautiful. That night's sleep was interesting to say the least, the sounds of the jungle are just so weird and wonderful and I found myself just lying there trying to imagine what kind of animal could be making the noises. For instance, there is this wee wee tiny insect...i really mean so tiny that makes the highest pitched squeeling nose i have ever heard! It would drive you mad after a while lol!
Got up early the next morning and had my lovely cold shower. Got food into me and headed off in the Songthaew to the ELEPHANT camp! I was so so excited about this i just love elephants! We got there and hopped up on top of the elephant on this wee seat and off we went into the jungle...."Hup two three four, Keep it up two three four".
It was brilliant, we trekked through the rainforest, through rivers, streams, past waterfalls, down steep banks etc. For such a massive animal, i was amazed at how careful and percise they are at placing their feet. For example we went through really narrow gaps that were barely wide enough for a couple of people standing beside each other to fit through and they did it with such grace and ease...it was so stunning to watch. Sitting on the seat was hard work especially up and down the steep parts. Was some craic trying to hold on and not slide out of the seat lol.
We stopped at a beautiful waterfall to let the elephants cool off and take a swim. It was so refreshing. We then headed back a slightly different way that we went. This time i got the chance to sit on the elephant!! It was brilliant. Its big ears flapping on my legs and its long trunk coming up to get fed some bananas...i loved it. Its wee hairs were so prickly but so cute, i just didnt want to get off and it was far nicer sitting there than on the seat. My elephant did a good job so i fed it some well deserved bananas that he just loved to bits. And that was the end of it...i was so sad to leave!
On our way back to guesthouse we stopped at another stunning waterfall and a viewpoint over the valley, it was stunning.
later that eveing me and Tina went to go for a dip in the river and then heavens just opened on us...i have never seen rain like it, it wasnt even taking time to rain. The thunder and lightening was spectacular. It didnt stop all night so we just chilled out and took in what was happening around us. We went for a bbq across the road at the reggie bar, it was nice sitting munching away watching the lightening light up the sky. It was a great day another one i will never forget!
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