Our final Khao Lak

Sadly our last day at Khao Lak. 

After our final beautiful buffet breakfast - the food here is extraordinary - we explored a nearby waterfall:

It looked too powerful to swim at the bottom but the local woman kept urging us in, so we gave it a go:

It felt like a tremendously powerful shower on our backs

Then back to the resort for the adventure Hamish had asked about on our first day:

(He doesn't have any photos to prove it but Shaun claims he was brave enough to have a ride as well - but will Ben believe him?)

After a final lunch we sadly said goodbye to Mai Khao Lak. 

We stopped at a famous temple on the way to the airport, but had sadly forgotten to check when it closed, and so couldn't go inside. Still quite a sight from the outside though.

Finally while we are waiting for baording, 'Mr McGreg Shaun' was called out over the loudspeaker. We had placed a powerbank in our checked-in luggage which at Phuket airport is a no-no. So down onto the tarmac with several other unknowing Aussies, plus a dad whose nerf gun had aroused suspicions (he claimed it was his daughter's). 

On the way back to the boys Shaun had to wait and watch the arrival of the King's sister on her private jet. Quite a final unexpected adventure!   

So thankful to our God to have had such a wonderful time together, and so thankful to arrive back home safely. 

 

Our Khao Sok (24/11)

Up early for our big day out to Khao Sok National Park, starting with a 2 hour drive through majestic mountains and past an elephant walking along the road.

Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok NP was formed 40 years ago to produce hydro-electrc power for an area that was expected to see rapid development through tourism – Phuket & Khao Lak. The result is an extraordinarily beautiful man-made lake with sheer soaring limestone cliffs and gorgeous emerald-green water. Many tourists stay in tiny cabins in isolated areas of the lake.

God blessed all of us with a sunny morning and Shaun with a settled stomach!

Hamish and Shaun loved the scenery and Elijah loved feeding the fish at the floating bungalows. 

The fish went into a frenzy every time we scattered corn into the water. Hamish and Elijah enjoyed sticking their feet in and Elijah claims he almost caught one with his bare hands.

Other highlights were seeing a Hornbill, whilst the driver called for help to jump-start our engine.    

Then we drove back to the main entrance to Khao Sok Village, where we engaged Thoo, our local guide for a 6km jungle trek. 

Born and bred in the village, Thoo had a keen eye to spot and explain the local flora and fauna, including leeches, Tarachulas, Jumping Spiders, Gordon Spiders, camouflaged creatures

and jungle pigmis

And the highlight at the end … Spectacled Langur Monkeys

We were amazed that Thoo had only been learning English on the job since we changed from rubber farming two years ago. Surprisingly he didn’t seem to know anything about ‘covid-19’ or the pandemic.

A great day out followed by another delicious Thai dinner and a game of table tennis.  

More Khao Lak

Highlights today:

A morning run for Hamish and Shaun, which included crossing a local bridge which only yesterday was unsafe to cross. 

Elijah catching a fish with a hermit crab for bait

Khao Lak markets with Hamish discovering an unusual delicacy and the joy of haggling

Watching an incredibly beautiful sunset

Our Khao Lak

After a long day we arrived at Mai Khao Lak resort and flopped into bed – for us it was 3am - but we did adjust to the 4 hour time difference quite quickly. 

Some highlights from our first 4 days:

A long beautiful expanse of beach in either direction with water that glistens emerald green when the sun shines. We’ve loved three long walks and two morning jogs (Shaun) broken up with multiple dips to cool off. 37 000 steps today left Shaun a little sore-legged. Great fun body-surfing together in the small waves. 

Wonderful shells and hermit carbs, plus we were fascinated by the way these tiny crabs eat: 

We enquired at the resort about fishing trips and were discretely advised to talk to the locals down the beach. At Mr Bao’s restaurant, we were introduced to Mr Bao himself, who offered to take Elijah on a private charter – well, Mr Bao and his friend in his small long boat. Mum and dad were a bit nervous but were excited for Elijah. 

Elijah coped well when we turned up early the next morning and were told the swell was too big to go out. We were confused because the sea looked flat to us. Thankfully we were down there in the afternoon and were told tomorrow would be fine. It wasn’t that the swell was too big, but that the tide hadn’t been big enough to release Mr Bao’s boat from the blocked-off lagoon. So the next day Elijah sailed excitedly off to the reef; there wasn’t much English being spoken and the fish they caught weren’t as big as Elijah had hoped, but he definitely enjoyed it.

Unlike in Fiji and Vanuatu, the guests are mainly from Scandinavia, and the activities team are mostly from there too. Apparently Tui Blu is one of the two big vacation companies there and their teams come to work for 6 months during the northern hemisphere winter; the hotel gets their activities sorted and a ready supply of Northern European guests who like the familiar brand and staff who speak their languages.  

Sports: Aquafit and beach yoga for Danielle, Beach Volleyball and Football for the boys. 

The Food! Probably the most abundant and varied buffet breakfast and dinners we have ever had, with plenty of unusual vegetable dishes to delight Danielle. 

The drinks! Unlimited drinks, including mocktails and cocktails.  

Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to more fishing, water slides and checking out the local markets.