Khao Sok National Parc

After reading good reviews about the treks offered by Mr. Toy at his Pantoorat Mountain Lodge, we settled for a 3 day 2 night jungle expedition to the wildlife sanctuary at Khao Sok National Parc.



Pantoorat Mountain Lodge

We drive about 65 km to the pier, stopping at a traditional thai fresh market to buy food for the trip. We then take a 2 hour longtail boat ride to the northest point of Khao Sok Lake to a floating village of 10 bungalows, a shared kitchen and bathroom.   

The fishing village in the morning



Chieow laan lake (located in the Khao Sok national park) is an artifical lake created by the construction of a dam in 1982 blocking the Pasaeng river. The construction of the dam flooded 165 square km of rainforest, creating a lake with dead trees coming out of it.

An estimation of 52 fish species died because they weren't adapted to deep water, not mentionning all the land species chassed away and isolated as the water raised. The dam was built to provide a source of electricity to the south, it also give a chance to tourists and rangers to explore the forest further, the usual 1-2 month trek became a 2 hour ride in a longtail boat. Tourism has affected the south part of the lake but the north is still just about untouched.

We settle into our little bamboo hut before we take a swim in the first clear water we've seen in Thailand and then we are called to lunch.


Our bamboo hut

 After lunch, we went fishing with Mr. Toy. He harpooned a 7kg Snake head fish that became the main ingredient for supper. This supper, or should I say feast was amazing! 

Snake head fish

Tom Yum made from scratch, fried fish, veggies in peanut sauve, green curry with porc, steamed rice and fruits..absolutely delicious authentic thai food! and it was all ready and waiting for when we got back from an animal watching boat trip where we saw bisons, wild pigs, deers and eagles.

On day 2 we went trekking in the 175 million year old rainforest. Some trees we saw were very old and the size of their trunks were huge!


Big ass tree



Mr. Toy had created a jungle potion the night before composed of tobacco and water. This smelly juice was suppose to stop the leeches from biting... it ended up just being smelly..even days after the trek Lana's shoes that were drenched in the juice still smelled like the never fading stench of excrements. I enjoyed the trek while it was an epic fight against the leeches for Lana . We walked behind the guide while he was chopping bamboos with his huge machete. Mr. Toy caught another fish that day but because it was too big to cook on the spot, he put the fish on a leash and tied it to a tree so it would stay fresh and we could pick it up on the way back.
We stopped for lunch around noon, cooking jungle style in bamboo.

 

Epic Meal Jungle style

For a nice jungle feast all you need is a) a Machete b) green aged bamboo c) a saw d) large leaves e) a source of water.... Basically you use bamboo as a recipient, you wrap the food in leaves and you add water in the bamboo and block the top part with more leaves to make a steamer that you then put it in the fire while making sure the bamboo dont completly burn.. delicious.. we even had what Lana and me called jungle asparagus. Hand picked by Jungle boy Mr. Toy.
Because Lana is such a puss, Mr. Toy took us on an easier trail. As we followed the stream back to the boat, we picked up fish that was caught earlier.



Gus with the fish on a leash



Needless to say, the fish was eaten for supper and was delicious. After supper that night, we went on a night safari. We stayed on the boat as Mr. Toy pointed his spotlight at the surrounding animals which were easily spotted because of their shinning eyes. We even saw a troup of bisons, 15 of them or so, stampeding into the jungle and a troup of deer all resting in a circle.

The last day, we woke up before sunrise for some more animal watching. Although we didn't see many animals, the morning mist over the jungle peaks and the animals morning calls were worth the early wake up call.



Misty mountain tops at sunrise

 This trek was all in all an amazing, once in a lifetime exprience that neither of us will soon forget.

Oh and this is Mr. Toy (born and raised in the jungle)by the way picking wild asparagus...