We booked a small bamboo hut in Khao Sok. This is a place, where one of the oldest evergreen rainforests resides. It is at least as old as the Amazonas. Some believe it might even be older and about 160 million years old.

This is supposed to be a secret travel tip to experience the Jungle. However, all the restaurants and tourist shops tell us a different story about this ‘secret’ tip. Even worse, Khao Sok gets four months of sun and then eight months of rain. The four month just passed and the season is slowly changing. It’s showing, when we arrive, as it is already pouring down. We decide to head to the hot springs close by. These hot springs are specifically hot! They have pools reaching from 40°C to 45°C. The locals were enjoying their thermal bath in this quiet area. We were the only tourists there and the locals even asked to take pictures with us. We saw some of them sitting in the 45°C pool. For us it was unbearable until they told us the secret on how to sit in the 45°C water. The secret is getting in and not moving. I tried it anxiously. At first it felt too hot, but then the body acclimatized. To my surprise it became actually bearable for some time.

What an experience! When we get back to the scooter we notice our misfortune. The key hole of our scooter is blocked. Usually you can open it with the key again. In this case the key is too worn out to open it. I was sweating like a pig from the 45°C water. We tried to open the keyhole, while the sweat drops from my face. After 15 minutes we gave up. It’s closed. We realize, that we are stuck at the hot springs. Some friendly Thai people tried to help us, as well. After a while they also gave up and called the owner of the scooter. He brought us another key thirty minutes later. In the meantime I went back to the hot springs to buy a coke. This was the moment I saw the funniest sign placed at the entrance. The sign said ‘Do not boil egg’. I had to laugh. These are the things you only encounter in Asia. Behind every sign there is a story… After that we drove under the star light back to our accomodation.

One special thing about Khao Sok is the nearby lake. The lake was created when the Thai government build a dam to capture the water in the 1980s. We researched different ways to get to the lake, but the only way seemed to book a tour. We get picked up by a van and of course stop at some tourist shop. This is why I usually hate booked tours. You get no freedom. I need to move in my own pace at my own will. I am the happiest, when I can move my body all day. The worst for me is sitting and waiting all day. We are out of luck, as this tour almost only seems to be sitting. From the van we got hoarded into a longboat. We cross beautiful lime stones that are covered with green plant life. It almost seems that these things reach the sky. We can’t wait to get moving in the Jungle. We have to be patient, though. The boat is cruising for another hour over the lake. The engine is the only noise we hear after a while. So far we were just sitting all day. After a long wait we finally arrive at the bamboo huts.

Later that day we finally went hiking. For this we had to take the boat again to get to the hiking spot. Spirits are still high and the group starts to get to know each other. The engine is blaring and we skip through the water and pass more lime stones, monkeys and rainforest.

We started the hike to one of the caves inside the jungle. These caves were used by communist in the 1980s to hide from the government. After a bit we arrived at the trek. We hike through small rivers and the jungle. On the way we saw a big black scorpion. It had it’s stinger ready for an attack. What a crazy animal. At some point we arrive at the cave. You almost miss the entrance and you have to take a closer look as it is just a small hole on the cliff. There is a river running through the cave. Usually you can hike through and continue trekking on the other side. Because of the rainy season; it becomes more dangerous to pass through. The river can get unpredictable and the water level can rise pretty quickly. So we just enter the cave for a few minutes and go back out again. We spent the rest of the day at the bamboo huts. At night I heard a cockroach crawling close to my head. This is one of the most disgusting sounds I have ever heard. The clacking of the legs directly next to my head was too much. I didn’t sleep much the rest of the night. After that we head to Khao Lak.

Khao Lak is a famous place. Not only for it’s beauty, but also for the tsunami that hit the coast in 2004. Four thousand people died in that disaster unfortunately. Today Khao Lak is mostly rebuild. You can still see some watermarks at some of the older buildings. Unbelievable, you can even spot them kilometers inland. There are also some buildings, that were abandoned afterwards. Great places, that had life in it always have a weird vibe. Nature suddenly takes over and becomes a bit spooky. This resort was build like a temple. Now it is only a temple for mosquitoes and place slowly falls apart. It’s still full of life. Just not human life.

There is a police boat, that got carried away from the tsunami. It was left as a reminder for the tsunami victims. Today it is a small landmark in Khao Lak. We enter the place with a weird feeling. This puts many things in perspective. This must have been such a crazy disaster. There must have been so much water everywhere! The police boat is literally kilometers away from the sea. Our stomachs turn at the thought to be caught in such a natural disaster. Drowning must be one of the most unpleasant deaths. Imagine grasping for air and your lungs soak full of water. We get the chills, just from thinking about it. There are a few small stalls next to the police boat. They show you pictures of the tsunami and the magnitude. What we didn’t expect was to see uncensored corpses in these pictures. Now our stomachs completely turned. Looking at the dead people lying at the beach. It was probably supposed to be their dream vacation and it quickly turned into their nightmare. We leave this place with a little bit more understanding on how terrifying it must have been. May the families of the victims be at peace.

I heard there is a surf spot nearby. This spot is supposed to fire up in June during monsoon season. How convenient to be there at the right time. Mostly wind swells arrive here. I have to check it out for sure! We rent a scooter and we are off to the spot. Renting a scooter in monsoon season is a fun thing to do. You never know, when the next rain is coming. We did often get wet, because it starts to rain so fast so abruptly. A good indicator is to look at the locals. If they are suddenly packing and hurrying it is going to rain pretty soon, so you can prepare.

For the surf spot you have to pass a beautiful pine forest. The spot seems to be hidden, yet very developed. There are several board rentals at the beach. I’m even more surprised about the board quality. The boards are all in a good shape. Almost no dings. There are even some restaurants with a some good prices here. We know we are going to have a good time here!

We find a small bungalow in the middle of nowhere. It is close to the surf spot and hidden in a banana plantation. We enjoy a few days surfing exploring and chilling. Here we meet a South African, that was working in the oil industry. He has worked in most countries and has finally moved to Thailand. He has opened a café, which is close by our accommodation. We often did go there and listened to the stories he had to tell. The vibe is relaxed and enjoy the quiet times. We had good food, smaller adventures to a waterfall and surf. The waves were even getting pretty good. I had some head high waves, where you could do some decent turns on. What is better, than finding a surf spot in a country you didn’t expect to be surfing in? That’s right an empty line up in a country you didn’t expect to be surfing in.

Thanks for reading and until next time.