Khao Sok Safari

After an early pickup in Khao Sok Safai.We were driven to the nearby  town of Takuapa, where we spent some time exploring the morning market where local Thai’s come to buy their fresh produce.  Seeing the array of colours and the vast selection of tropical fruits was a great way to awaken the senses after our early start!

Takuapa Market

From Takuapa we made a quick stop at a roadside viewpoint for the obligatory selfie and another stop at a Buddhist temple which was teeming with monkeys – adults and cute babies – who showed off and played together in the temple grounds.

River Sok

Next stop was the River Sok where we spent a leisurely 90minutes in a surprisingly comfortable river canoe being paddled through mangroves and stunning scenery while our guide pointed out some of the flora, fauna and wildlife that lines the riverbanks.

Elephant Camp in Khao Sok

After a delicious lunch consisting of 4 different Thai dishes and fresh fruit we set off to Baan Chang Elephant Camp in Khao Sok National Park for an elephant trek through the rainforest.  The hour-long trek was a combination of pure wonderment and sheer terror!  The views of Khao Sok were spectacular, and the huge elephant we were riding seemed happy and confident, however looking down from the back of the elephant when she was hiking up and down the steep and rough terrain was quite terrifying! Once we were back at the camp (and our jelly legs could support us again) we had the opportunity to feed the elephants and spend some time with them, which was a real treat.

On our way back to Khao Lak we made another stop at Takuapa , but this time it was to wander through the Old Town which has a lively Walking Street Market every Sunday where traditional  Thai street food is prepared, cooked and sold by local vendors and small coffee houses serve piping-hot, delicious local coffee.