Khao Sok NP, Thailand

Ever since I came to SE Asia I've been dying to go as deep into the jungle as possible. When I posted about my first "jungle" experience I referred to different areas as "Jungle Level 2" or "Jungle Level 3"...what I've been after is at least a "Jungle Level 9"! In Khao Sok National Park, near Surat Thani, in Thailand I finally got what I was wishing for! I spent 3 days in a jungle, unmaneuverable unless you have a machete and know where you are going. A jungle littered with leeches and containing a plethora of wild animals such as tigers, gibbons, elephants, wild boar, leopards and hornbills. You know you're in deep when your guide, who lives, eats and breathes this park, tells you that he hasn't been where you are now in about 4 years. And when the group of local park rangers is astonished that you went that deep. Introducing my guide Mr. Toy (the gun is necessary...see plethora of wild animals above ;) )

Khao Sok National Park has an artificial lake (a dam was built about 30 years ago, flooding the rainforest valley) and it has these huge, beautiful limestone formations. We were heading to the very top of the lake, meaning we were cruising at full speed through the lake for about two hours to get to the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The border to get into the wildlife sanctuary

Our gear

The best way to navigate through deep rainforest is of course to follow the course of a river. Sometimes this requires crossing it at usually about waist deep to be able to continue walking on the other side. Easier said than done. It was freaking slippery and I was holding my new camera, which with one slip would've been kaput! The river looks easy to cross in the picture above, but in some areas there were rapids we had to get through! Introducing our camp site...

pre-flood

it rains...it floods

comin together nicely...just needs a fire

What about food...

Since I was obviously slower with the river crossings...Mr Toy would use that time to make sure we had plenty of dinner

good source of protein

fish and rice cooked in bamboo over an open fire

add some egg and you've got an awesome meal...enjoyed in the dark wearing headlights

the complete camp with army hammocks with built in mosquito nets. looks comfortable. for a whole night sleep...isn't

breakfast with coffee from a bamboo "cup"

good morning jungle

The next day we went to trek further and eventually made it to a pretty sweet waterfall. 

water got deep...save the camera and the cookies we brought!

while I hold my pants, Mr. Toy holds dinner for that night. guess who's the jungle expert

we'll be back for you

elephant poop

a waterfall, which no one else will see for a long time mwahaha

gotta climb it

We were originally going to stay one more night at the camp, but due to the incoming rain and the flood the day before Mr. Toy felt it wasn't safe to stay anymore. We headed back for a long day of trekking to get back to the boat and eventually head to the floating rafthouse/ranger station for the wildlife sanctuary where we would be staying that night. 

carrying my heavy bag and the huge fish through the jungle. oh the joys of life

a constant sight during those 2 days. leeches :)

randomly greeted by Mr. Toy's ranger friend, in the middle of nowhere. time for some more Thai rum

Staying in the floating rafthouse on the lake was one of the definite highlights of this trip. It was deep inside the wildlife sanctuary so the jungle noise was on high volume, most importantly the very cool gibbon calls. Swimming in the lake with nothing around you but jungle is something I won't forget for a long time. 

In the morning we went out on the boat for animal watching. During that and the rest of my time in the jungle I did manage to see quite a few animals. Of course, one of the first things you have to realize in the rainforest, especially as an animal lover like me, is that you won't get to see all too many of them. The area is huge and the forest is dense. I saw otters, oxen, monkeys, a great hornbill, deer, and wild boars. No tigers, no elephants and I was one second shy of seeing a gibbon :( . The awesomeness of the rest of the trip easily made up for the lack of sighting those beauties! 

Mr. Toy is one of those people who in my opinion should be the real superstars of this world. This man grew up in Khao Sok, grew up in the jungle. His family didn't use electricity until he was around 10, instead using a special type of tree sap that luminates when lit. He had malaria 5-6 times a year, and almost died when he was a boy. That's when he saw his first foreigners...doctors who were volunteering for malaria treatment. When he was in his 20's he went to Phuket for 10 years to give tours there. He then decided he would return to protect his beloved home, and according to him "I will protect this area until I die." The government of Thailand gave him an award for nature protection and another one when he saved a women from one of the caves by the lake. There was a flood which trapped a group of tourists inside the cave. He had to pass 7 bodies to finally get to the woman and save her. When the tsnuami hit the west coast of Thailand, he spent a week rescuing tourists and bringing them to the emergency camps. He did this until his car literally broke down. Beyond these amazing stories he is an incredible guide, who knows everything about the area! His lodge is called Pantoorat Mountain Lodge and I highly recommend it!

jungle game face