The jungle of Khao Sok is long behind us but its sweet memory is still clinging to me. Its tranquility is replaced by the hustle and bustle of Trang and I yarn for its vast forest with million shades of green, giant trees, bamboo groves and haunting jungle sounds. The lady who sold us the bus tickets to Khao Sok told us that 3 days will be plenty to explore the area. We stayed a week and enjoyed every moment of it.
The photos below are from our overnight stay at the floating bungalows of Cheow Larn Lake in the heart of the jungle. We shared the experience with our guide Ouf, a goofy Thai dude who didn’t fail to entertain us, Swen (representing Germany) and a couple from Switzerland. Here we are all loaded up in the longboat and ready to go.
Ouf handed everyone a morning snack of sweet sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf and took his spot at the front of the boat. Our journey began.
We first stopped in a secluded bay where a path was leading up the vertical jungle hills. We were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forests, water as far as the eye can see and the blabbering of Ouf. He was pretty loud so there was no chance we will spot any wild animals while hiking up to an amazing giant tree.
The scenery of the lake itself was stunning: virgin rain forest, magnificent limestone mountains and beautiful waterfalls. This jungle is a remnant of a 160 million year-old forest ecosystem, one much older than and richer than the Amazon or the rain forests of central Africa.It is 200 000 times older than Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and it’s still alive, functioning and evolving.
After 45 minute boat ride we spotted the floating bungalows, our home for the night.
Yap, these bungalows were National Park accommodations and still they were barely holding and were constructed with zero concern for safety and structural stability. The floating houses were as if taken from a fairy tale, all crooked and wonderfully organic. I am sure that many of you are wincing as to how unsafe it all looks. Yet, the place was full of children who were navigating its uneven boardwalk with confidence and enthusiasm even in the dark and were jumping into the clear lake waters squealing with joy. The food was surprisingly good, the beds were comfortable and in the morning we were awakened by gibbons whooping, cicadas singing and horn bills calling.
Next on our list is the city jungle of Bangkok with its political unrest, crazy traffic and variety probably matching that of the southern jungle of Thailand. I am grateful for the wonderful diversity of our day to day experiences. The world is an amazing place indeed and it’s richness knows no boundaries.
We are living each day with gusto.
