Living in floating huts and kayaking at Khao Sok

[Beachlover]

Anyone been to Khao Sok National Park in Thailand? This isnтАЩt recent... ItтАЩs something I did a few years back on one of my earlier backpacking trips.

Khao Sok is a great place if youтАЩre looking to do something active outdoors or want a more back to basics romantic getaway. ItтАЩs a few hoursтАЩ drive North of Phuket.

Really beautiful area to experience some pristine jungle wilderness in Thailand.

As far as I know, they built this great big dam there a few decades ago, which flooded over all the villages below and created the massive inland lake that is the centrepiece of the area today. Apparently, communist insurgents used to hide out in the area too.

You can go there and stay in these floating raft houses or bungalows on the lake. The areaтАЩs popular for kayaking, trekking and wildlife watching.

I did some trekking and a lot of kayaking. The awesome thing about kayaking is the water is unbelievably flat and calm. If youтАЩre a strong paddler, you can go screaming silently across this silky mirror-like surface on a kayak for kilometres on end without stopping...

Apparently you can see elephants, bears and tigers on rare occasions. All I saw were lots of monkeys and gibbons, a wild pig, snakes and heaps of birds. ItтАЩs famous for hornbill birds. IтАЩve no interest in bird watching but these things were spectacular тАУ massive ancient-looking birds that look like theyтАЩre from the dinosaur age. When they flew overhead their wings sounded like mini jet engines whooshing.

If you decide to check out the caves and underground rivers, DO NOT go in (as the warning signs say) if itтАЩs raining as theyтАЩre prone to flash flooding and several tourists and guides were killed this way a few years ago.

I used two different cameras and unfortunately, one of them (the waterproof one) was crap at focusing... sorry.

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/P1110128.jpg
Passing by some spectacular limestone formations on the long tail ride in

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/IMG_0537.jpg
Approaching the floating huts in the long tail

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/IMG_0542.jpg
Floating huts close up

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/IMG_0573.jpg
Looking out from the communal eating area

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/IMG_0561.jpg
The view from my bed - Awesome being able to roll out of bed and plunge into the fresh water each morning

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/P1120224.jpg
It's never easy to hold a camera steady while treading water...

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/IMG_0551.jpg
At dawn

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/IMG_0571.jpg
Trekked up through the jungle to get to this nice look out spot overlooking Khao Sok National Park

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/IMG_0526.jpg
When there was no wind the lake got to be like a mirror

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/P1120178.jpg
Kayaking at sunset

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/P1120182.jpg

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g419/beachloversphotos/Misc%20Posts/Khao%20Sok/P1130231.jpg
Kayaking through the jungle at dawn

[jimnbkk]

Beautiful place BL. Thanks for the pictures.

[elephantspike]

Amazing fantastic images, Beachlover! Please do post some in the Gallery!

[Beachlover]

Thanks, Jimnbkk/Spike... It's great that you've got the gallery working again but I find it more streamlined to just chuck them in Photobucket and link them here. It won't take up your hosting this way either!