Frans Betgem has been working in the adventure travel industry for more than 30 years. He manages several companies and websites. He is a frequent visitor of Anurak Lodge and loves the outdoors.
Fantastic Khao Sok Jungle Trek
I went on a full day Khao Sok Jungle Trek in with Anurak Lodge. The lodge is not far from a ranger station that gives access to a much lesser visited part of Khao Sok National park than if you enter the park at the main entrance. My guide met me at the lodge for my Khao Sok Jungle Trek, something I had been looking forward to.
It is only half an hour drive from the lodge to the start of the trek. With my guide we followed a trail into the forest. We had to cross a small stream several times without getting our feet wet. Slowly the trail started to go uphill. The forest was dense but we also had magnificent views now and then. We heard the morning call of the gibbon. It’s a sound you will never forget. My guide was knowledgeable. We took our time to stop at Pandanus trees and rattan palms. He explained about the use of these. There is so much to see and enjoy in the jungle if you take your time. The trail was quite easy to follow. It went up and down but it was never difficult. Good shoes make all the difference. After about 1,5 hours we arrived at the entrance of a small cave. Here I got my feet wet. Sandals with straps are ideal for this. We saw bats and frogs in this cave. The water was not too deep and it took us about 20 minutes to get to the other side. It was real adventure. To get out of the cave we had to climb over rocks but it was not too difficult. We passed a clearing where there was a sign warning that wild gaurs visit this area. Fortunately we didn’t meet one.
We had our lunch packed in banana leaves and enjoyed the cool air of the forest. The “swoosh swoosh” sound made us look up. A majestic giant hornbill flew over, a fantastic sight. We were so lucky. We continued our Khao Sok Jungle Trek after lunch. We took our time hoping to spot some wildlife. We followed the same trail back to the park office where we arrived in the afternoon. Opposite the park office there is a small stream where we washed our feet and enjoyed the silence of the forest. The silence was disturbed by a van that brought two trekkers and their guide. They were the first visitors we saw that day…My guide escorted me back to Anurak Community Lodge after a great Khao Sok Jungle Trek.
