Thailand – August 2023
After disembarking from the night train from Bangkok in Surat Thani, the journey to my destination isn‘t over. The next challenge is to find the right bus to take me to Khao Sok. I follow the crowd walking along the tracks to the station exit. Unlike an Eastern-Asian looking backpacking couple, I decide to skip the station’s information office and step outside into the morning heat. According to my online research, there should be a local bus leaving for the national park sometime soon. However, there is no sign marking the departure location. So the only way to find out is asking my way around.
Of course, the many people trying to catch us travelers’ attention are all trying to sell tickets for their own, private transfers. Laminated pictures of sparkling clean minivans and microbuses promising air-conditioning are shoved under my nose. Not ready to spend a large amount of my weekly budget on the relatively short transfer, I keep asking for the local bus. No-one seems to know the departure time, or everyone just tries to distract me by offering to add amenities like bottled water to their own services for free. One by one, the other travelers disappear inside the small cars, heading to the ferry for one of the islands or to Phuket and Krabi. Eventually, just me and the Taiwanese backpackers are left. With joint efforts, the three of us manage to locate the small shack in front of which 30 minutes later a large orange bus pulls up.
Equipped with some 7-11 snacks and drinks, we board the vehicle and pay the much lower fare to the conductor in cash. A few Thai people board and announcing the departure with a blow of the horn, the bus driver races across the station square and out of Surat Thani. With impressive speed, we soon make it onto the single road leading west, away from the Gulf of Thailand towards the Andaman Sea. Outside, small settlements pass by, with kids playing on the roadside, women selling food and fruit juices at small shacks and dogs and chickens running around freely. Behind lush rice paddies, palm trees rise, only to be towered once again by high limestone peaks. The Thai music playing on the radio and the small ceiling fans provide just the right atmosphere for the Taiwanese couple and me to get to know each other.
Lie tells me that she usually travels on her own during the semester break. But this year, her boyfriend wanted to join for his first trip abroad. For 3 weeks, they are visiting many areas around southern Thailand — she’s already been to the northern provinces the previous year. After all, she’s majoring in tourism with a minor in Thai language. As we get closer to our destination, we try to figure out how to get to our respective accommodations. It turns out that we go in different directions at the Khao Sok bus stop, but we agree that we will not be paying for an over-priced transfer and rather walk the 2 kilometers each. So after exchanging Instagram, we wave goodbye and I trek back along the main road for a bit before turning right onto the small jungle road leading to the Silver Cliff Resort.
Once I make it past the pack of half-domesticated dogs guarding the area around their houses, I reach a small clearing with a number of wooden thatched houses. At the entrance of the largest one, I am warmly welcomed by the American owner. After I finish my welcome juice and complimentary share of snake fruit, Dan shows me to my bungalow. Covered with a blue tin roof, the wooden hut is situated right next to the small stream running along the edge of the resort. Tired from the long journey, I drop my luggage in a corner, switch on the ceiling fan, and then take a short nap on the generous queen-size bed. When I wake up, I take one of the water bottles from the dresser and sit outside on the small balcony to read my new book. Trying to practice my rusty French, I picked up the novel “Le pays des autres” playing in the 1900s Morocco at the last hostel.
Given the accommodation’s remote location, I opt for a dinner of pad thai by the resident chef. Then I cuddle the local cat while listening to Dan talking about his experience starting off in northern Thailand as an English teacher. Only a few years later, Dan decided to move to the hospitality industry with his Belgian business partner, whom he met at the local school he first taught at. After a long monologue, Dan then switches to his sales pitch, trying to figure out what kind of tour I might be open to buy. Since I came to the area specifically to visit the rainforest, I’m easily persuaded to join the next day’s group tour to the nearby lake. The pickup is scheduled for 7.30am, so I head back to my bungalow early. The small path is pitch black and I can see lots of stars in the sky high above me. That helps to reduce the slowly emerging anxiety about what might be lurking in the dark.
After a good night’s sleep (thanks to the mosquito net) I board the minivan that arrives in the driveway at 7.45am. There are already 2 German girls, a French couple and Dutch family with a baby looking out the sliding door with sleepy eyes. I sit down next to the Germans and off we go to Cheow-Lan Lake. Since I’m not a morning person, I keep to myself for the time being. We only briefly stop once along the way for a bathroom break. Then we’re off again until we arrive at the ferry terminal, where a bunch of other tour groups are already in the process of embarking on the wooden long-tail boats. The 8 of us receive bright orange life vests and are then told to get on one of the waiting half-empty boats. As soon as all the seats (or rather planks) are taken, the guide jumps on in the back and the driver speeds away from the wooden gangway.
Moments later, we cruise along giant limestone pinnacles that are overgrown with dense forest. I’m finally fully awake now and can’t help but gush over the sheer natural beauty of the park. Then we suddenly stop for a photo break and everyone is invited to take turns posing on the ship’s bow. Along with the 2 Germans, I pass on this opportunity, which immediately gives us a sense of comfort. By the time we get to the floating village, where a lunch buffet is already waiting for us, we are already in deep conversation about our respective trips & past travel experiences in Asia. Everyone digs into the typical Thai dishes and fruits available, and whenever a plate threatens to empty, the hosts refill it once again. This game continues for a while until our guide finally gestures us that it’s time to head back onto the boat to continue to tour.
Because now, it’s time to get hiking. My only previous jungle hike experience was an exploration of the Amazon rainforest, which turned out to be more of a walk on a muddy but flat path. Not sure what to expect, I asked Dan for advice on shoes to bring, and he suggested sandals. Glad that I took his advice, I follow Chantal and Andrea onto the rocky path. They, too, opted for Tevas while others soon regret their decision to wear sneakers or other closed shoes. The trail is flat, but has us crossing a muddy stream back and forth a bunch of times. On multiple occasions, the current is quite strong, and the water comes up to my calves. Unable to see what’s under the surface, we frequently slip and within 30 minutes, there is hardly anyone left with dry clothes. Suddenly, the trees lining the path give way to a small clearing.
However, the stream continues. Right into a cave, which the guide now wants us to enter. Placing nonessential clothing and gear in a pile at the entrance, most of us bravely follow the guide into the dark. Flashlights provide a bit of reassurance that we can make it back out alive. But the quickly rising water levels, cause more than 1 person to reconsider their decision and head back out early. After we reach an area where we all can’t reach the floor with our feet anymore, the guide agrees that it’s time to turn around. We reunite with those left behind outside and return to the long-tail boat on the same muddy path we came from. With a clearer idea of what to expect, everyone visibly brightens up. Even the unpleasant discovery of leeches stuck to some of our feet can’t break our spirits and we just laugh it off as we remove the creatures from our bodies and toss them back where they came from.
The boat takes us back to the floating village, where we have some time to dry our wet hiking clothes, take a swim in the clear lake water, go for a kayak ride, or simply sip on fruit juice and chill. After about an hour of idle relaxation, the guide gathers everyone at the wooden boat. Here we take a commemorative picture before we race across the lake one last time. This time, there is no photo break included to enjoy the limestones, but we spot a pretty rainbow high above us. On the way back to the settlement by minivan, I chat some more with Chantal and Andrea. They tell me about their respective careers as teachers in Germany and we discuss the differences and similarities in our school system. Before I get off at my accommodation, we exchange phone numbers and promise to keep in touch. I wave goodbye to the rest of the group and slowly walk back to my jungle hut. This evening, too, the starry sky above me is simply marvelous and I wish I had a better camera to capture it properly.
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