Khao Sok National Park
On Sunday morning we packed our bags and headed north, leaving the island of Phuket over the Sarasin Bridge. Our first stop was Wat Suwan Khana.
A wat is a Buddhist temple complex and this one happens to rest inside a huge cave. Here we are standing in front of the entrance.
Guardian at the gate.
A 50-foot reclining Buddha dominates the temple space.
Other figures
Inside the back of the Dark Cave is a long and steep stairway that leads to absolutely nowhere. Here we are at nowhere.
The name of the cave translates to Monkey Cave, as the monkeys climbing around the outside of the cave suggest. Despite massive signs asking people to not feed the wildlife, humans are not always the brightest of beings.
A separate temple just outside the cave.
The sky was dark and foreboding as we arrived in the park, so hiking seemed ill-advised. The unique shapes in the distance are some of the many peaks within the national park.
We opted for swimming in the hotel pool. Then it was off to the local 7-11 for snacks.
We had a light dinner at the Belong Jin The Dam Resort hotel. The hotel’s name is similar to our last name Johnson, which means “son of John.” In this case the name is “son of Jin.” Check out the bug bites on Will’s legs.
The glass for Will’s Sex on the Beach drink.
Dinner was surprisingly good. Afterward, John broke out an Uno deck and we played several spirited rounds. Congratulations to the winners: John, Will, Amanda, and Will.
Our hotel room was surprisingly spacious and comfortable. On Monday morning we drove to Cheow Lan Lake, the premier place to visit inside Khao Sok National Park. Will feed the fish at the pier.
Aboard our boat
Finally getting to see up close some of the formations we saw from our hotel last night.
The water takes its color from high concentrations of limestone.
I’ve yet to visit the impressive limestone formations in Halong Bay, Vietnam, but I imagine they are quite similar to here.
Limestone karsts are formations of rock that have been shaped by erosion, often creating unique and picturesque landscapes. These three rocks are known as Khao Sam Kloe, meaning “three mountain friends.”
Two sisters in front of the three friends.
Four family members in front of the three friends.
One Captain Jack Sparrow.
Yo ho ho and some cans of beer.
Such a good looking sun hat. 😂
Getting off the boat to visit Pra Kai Petch Cave.
Limestone formations inside the cave.
Other cave dwellers.
No cave is complete without bats.
Made it out alive.
Always looking for those perfect Instagram moments.
A final pit stop at one of the many floating hotels found along the lake. This is Klong Ka Raft Houses.
John is a card carrying Instagram Husband.
A traditional long-tail boat arriving at the dock.
Quite the view! Sabrina and John said they stayed in one of these places, but the constant movement of the water left Sabrina with motion sickness.
More pics for Karina’s socials.
Headed back to the marina.
At the main marina, Will found a fourth dime.
Although Thailand has never been colonialized by the Europeans or any other country, the British have had an influence in Thailand since the mid-1800s. The first car in Thailand was a gift from the British Royal Family and Thailand's road infrastructure was modeled after British standards. Surprisingly, I found some of Thailand’s roads to be in better overall condition than in the UK. Driving in Phuket was deeply chaotic to say the least, but driving on the left added to the challenge. This trusty Toyota Veloz minivan, with its tiny 16” wheels, safely carried us all over southern Thailand.
Nearly back home, we stopped at the Samet Nangshe Viewpoint.
