One of the Global Tick It readers wrote with a question about Khao Sok National Park and Thailand. He was contemplating a trip to Thailand and wanted my advice. Here it is...

First, congratulations on taking such a great trip, you're going to have a great time. There is one thing to beware of before you go... you may find that you want to take more than three weeks once you're there!

Thailand is a really great place to travel. The basics: Be AWARE of where your belongings are at all times. We found it easiest if one of us stayed with the bags while the other sorted out the current pressing need [ie: haggling for taxis/ travel arrangements /getting money/checking out the hostel/getting food/ etc.]

Other than that, it is a VERY SAFE PLACE, if you are aware and careful. There is no special problem being an American (I am from Philadelphia).

To get to Khao Sok, we went via Koh Pha Ngan (off Koh Samui). Once we got off the ferry a bus picked us up and was SUPPOSED to drop us off at the 'BUS STOP' However, it wasn't the CITY BUS STATION they dropped us off at, it was the 'MINI BUS STATION' which was still miles away from the city, let alone it's center.

The dilemma was that it was expensive to get a minibus to take you ANYWHERE. So we, along with six other backpackers walked out of the MINIBUS STATION and began the long walk into town.

Not far along the highway we flagged a tuktuk, and then another and together we drove into the city. AGAIN the tuktuk drivers tried to drop us off at TRAVEL AGENTS, which would mean another minibus and a high fee.

After a ridiculously long time we found the bus station, by asking some locals in rudimentary Thai.

From there we found the bus heading out of Surat Thani across the peninsula towards the Andaman Sea.

Half way across, the bus stops at Khao Sok National Park. There is NOTHING THERE but a road and mountains and if it wasn't for the herds of bungalow owners touting business we'd not have known we were there.

My recommendation: look through a Rough Guide to Thailand for bus times to Khao Sok. Call ahead, if possible, and ask them to pick you up at the bus stop.

Our friends Francis and Tim no longer run 'Our Jungle House' but they have a nice place up in the Khao Sok Valleys. I've emailed Francis to see if he's ready to take bookings. I recommend the Jungle Trek with a guide, and canoeing on the river (if the weather is to your liking).

Enjoy enjoy enjoy.

~ Vibodha Clark
www.globaltickit.com

PS: We'd love to hear your experience of Thailand and Khao Sok. We'd also recommend Koh Pha Ngan (if the weather is going to be nice), and if you go to Bangkok, get the address and phone number of the New Siam II guesthouse. It's the best in the city. ~~

PSS: I've put all this information into our website for other travelers. Let us know if you have anything to add once you're there. Enjoy ~~

-----Original Message-----
From: bhatnasx@yahoo.com [mailto:bhatnasx@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 10:56 AM
Subject: Khao Sok National Park

name: Samir

subjectofemail: Khao Sok National Park Question

textarea: I have searched the internet and there isn't a lot of information available on Khao Sok. I will be backpacking Thailand for 3 weeks in January and was wondering if you could give me basic information on how you got there (your pictures are amazing!) and whether it's a relatively safe place (for Americans) to go to. I'll be in Bangers & Koh Samui & Koh Phangan for a little while, and we'd really like to make Khao Sok National Park part of our itinerary. Any information on how to get there would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks and Safe Travels,

Samir Bhatnagar
(Washington DC, USA)

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