Our Asia Trip Diary – Part Twenty Seven
We started our week slowly with a rest day on Monday. On Tuesday we left Ao Nang behind and took a bus to Khao Sok. This is the northernmost point of Thailand (in the south of Thailand) that we’re going to visit before heading back home!
This bus ride would only take two hours, but in reality, it took about five hours to get to our accommodation due to stops and waiting times. We slept in a bungalow and we had the most lovely guesthouse family. We only paid about €14 a night and this included dinner and breakfast for both of us! But, it’s also back to basic. No aircon, no hot water, also no shower! And that last one was new for us. We could refreshen ourselves with a barrel of water. I thought it was fun but I don’t think Marnick would agree.
Wednesday morning we started a Khao Sok tour on Cheow Lan Lake. This gorgeous nature reserve is why we came here. We were picked up in the morning at our hotel (maybe camping is a better description). Before heading to the lake, we stopped at a local market. That part was not necessary for us, we saw tons of markets and this one was just not worth it. Also, we just wanted to see the lake!!
At noon we finally boarded the longtail boat. Via a scenic route on the boat, we arrived at our next accommodation, a floating bungalow! First, we got buffet-style lunch and then we had a little jump in the water before heading out to a cave. We would take the boat and then hike to a cave.
This whole cave experience was unforgettable! Mostly, when we hike with locals, it’s not far at all. But this time, it was! After a 45 minutes hike, we misunderstood our guides and made the worst mistake. I think one of the worst ones of our whole travels. We thought they said we would be walking for about twenty minutes INSIDE a cave and through water (including swimming). So, we thought it was best to take off our shoes. Instead, it was twenty minutes more walking TO the cave… And that’s how we ended up hiking barefoot in the jungle and doing our first-ever caving BAREFOOT.
Okay, so twenty minutes walking barefoot in the jungle wasn’t too bad. But the cave… oh. We were also not aware it would be caving instead of walking! And that’s how we ended up hiking barefoot in the jungle and doing our first-ever caving BAREFOOT.
We took the longtail boat back to the floating bungalows and got some fresh fried fish. I might have fallen asleep at 10 pm.
Thursday I woke up early to see the sunrise in front of our bungalow. I took some time to wake up but I couldn’t resist jumping into the water again. How nice was this?? Marnick quickly follows me into the water.
After this morning dip, we went on a morning safari. Nothing too special, but the lake and its surroundings are just gorgeous. We didn’t spot any big animals though, and we hoped to see elephants so badly. We did spot some monkeys, yay! Back at the floating bungalows, we got pancakes for breakfast and some free time before heading back to the mainland.
We just took our time to relax while we watched others kayaking on the lake. At 10 am it was already time to leave. The longtail boat first brought us to the highlight of the lake, Khao Sam Kloe. It’s three rocks coming out of the water, just like on a postcard. Actually, it was just a short stay.
In the late afternoon, the owner of the camping asked if anyone wanted to join him swimming in the river. We were already tired but couldn’t resist. So, we jumped on the back of his pickup and drove to the river together. The owner actually came to here to wash himself! What a unique experience.
Friday we had a travel day from Khao Sok to the small village of Phang Nga. We choose this little village because we wanted to drive a scooter in the surrounding area.
So on Saturday, we leave in the morning on our scooter and our first destination is the Samet Nangshe Viewpoint. While driving to this viewpoint we drove through some beautiful landscapes. It started with lots of limestone rock formations and transitioned into rubber and palm oil plantations. When Marnick went off-street to see a local dock near the river, we had a flat tire. In the middle of nowhere. We thought our day would be ruined and it would take forever to get some help out there. But luckily, a local villager spotted us and helped us get to his friend’s house who fixed our tire in no time! The people here are incredibly resourceful and helpful, were incredibly grateful for their help.
When we reached the entrance of the viewpoint, the sun was starting to burn incredibly hard. We choose the option to take a local taxi up the hill to the viewpoint instead of walking (taking your own vehicle wasn’t allowed). The view from the top was incredible! We had an “Italian Soda” (fancy words for a lemonade) at the bar and enjoyed the view.
Afterwards, we continued our journey with the scooter. We made a nice tour through the landscape and went back to our hotel. This was the first time we were really sweating while on the scooter! Thailand is currently incredibly hot, and we are not used to this heat!
In the evening we went to a small but cute restaurant and had some western food again. It has been a while and we were craving it! Afterwards, we passed this really cute local night market! We had a crepe and a juice here as dessert.
Today, on Sunday, we took a minivan to the final destination of our Asia Trip. Phuket.
We first will be discovering the old town and then we think we will be visiting some beaches. Next week is our flight home and it is crazy how fast time is going now. Next week’s blog we will be writing on the plane!
