The Unknown Wonders of Southwest Thailand

Koh Yao

SouthwesternThailand has the vacationer to offer more than the popular toppers such as Phuket and Krabi. Less well-known but certainly worth a visit are also the dream island of Koh Yao and Khao Sok, Thailand's largest national park.

Ideal for those who want to get to know the authentic life of the population and the beautiful nature full of exotic animals and plants.

The southwest of Thailand is one of the favorite holiday destinations of many Dutch people. And no wonder; except on the popular island of Phuket, sports enthusiasts as well as peace and nature lovers can indulge themselves in various places. The wide bay in the triangle of Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi is first and foremost an Eldorado for those who are addicted to water sports, both under and above water. But it is also a dream destination to enjoy spectacular nature in peace and quiet beaches and the authentic life of the population on large and small islands.

Take Koh Yao. Especially the smaller Koh Yao Noi in the middle of the bay of Phang-nga is a gem. The island is easily accessible from Krabi. There are accommodations at different levels, from simple huts on the beach to the 5-star plus. Such as the brand new Six Senses resort built against a mountainside, where service is elevated to an art and where some rooms even have their own swimming pool. Somewhere in between is the Koh Yao Island Resort, a luxurious haven of tranquility with a private beach and permanent views of the karst formations.

They rise from the bay like strangely shaped structures and have something fairytale like. Especially at sunset and early in the morning when there is a light mist over the water. From the resort you can go out to sea by canoe or traditional fishing boat, exploring the bay, discovering that you can enter some of those karst giants, as they are hollow, so to speak. At its core you will find a wonderful microworld between towering rock walls in which seabirds have built their nests, a tangle of mangroves in the rippleless water and a silence as intense as you can hardly imagine as a Westerner.

Koh Khai Nok

But excursions on the island itself are also worthwhile. Koh Yao Noi is relatively small (approx. 6 x 12 kilometers, 4000 inhabitants); you can drive around the island in a few hours. Get out in the cozy villages and fishing villages and enjoy the view of the sea, rice fields, rubber plantations and forest-covered low mountain ridges.

Is Koh Yao beautiful? Not in the sense of spectacular, but if you have an eye for the unique atmosphere. The environment has not yet been affected by mass tourism and the friendly residents who greet you without exception and are happy to give you a glimpse into their traditional way of life. If anything is certain, it is that Koh Yao Noi is authentic and that it is therefore completely different from busy Phuket, which is still relatively close by.

Memories of the tsunami

North of Phuket, with a view of the Andaman Sea, there are several seaside resorts that are not or hardly known to us, but therefore no less worthwhile. On the way to Khao Lak I am reminded several times of the tsunami, the disaster that took place here four years ago. That was Christmas 2004, but the traces are still clearly visible today. All houses have since been rebuilt and the damage is as good as repaired. But here and there ships are just lying around in the country – two traditional fishing boats, a police patrol boat. Sometimes more than a kilometer away from the sea, which she threw down here with unprecedented force at the fatal moment. They have been refurbished and now serve as a memorial to what happened.

A little further on, on a promontory protruding into the sea, I find a brand new monument, specially built as a reminder of the many victims, residents and bathers, who lost their lives in the tsunami. The memorial has the shape of a curved wall, a still wave if you will, with the names of the victims written on it. Nearby there is a small visitor center where photos testify to what happened. Outside, a level gauge indicates that the water was 5 meters high at the time of the disaster.

The Khao Lak Laguna Resort, where I am staying, is a large hotel complex right on the beach. This too suffered heavily during the tsunami, but it was completely rebuilt afterwards and is now considered one of the most beautiful accommodations in the region. It consists of several low buildings, in which the rooms are housed. Connected by flower-lined walkways, they are built in a terraced fashion, sloping down to the sea and a mile-long and wide beach. The whole complex has something of a medium-sized village in which everything you need as a holidaymaker is available. But it is definitely recommended to also take a walk through Khao Lak itself, a relatively small, friendly seaside town with a relaxed atmosphere, intimate restaurants and always smiling residents.

Elephants in Khao Sok

From Khao Lak it is not far to Khao Sok, a national park in a beautiful natural environment, one of the largest national parks in the country. Here, too, there are accommodations at different levels. I choose the luxurious Elephant Hills, mainly because I have a thing for elephants, and they have them here in abundance.

You stay in Elephant Hills, which is located in the middle of the rainforest, in tents, but they are certainly not simple shelters. The 2-person tents, of the model used in African safari camps, are spacious, furnished with Thai-style furniture, equipped with electric light, facilities for making tea and coffee, a fan and a real bathroom with accessories attached to the rear is mounted. Each tent is under a roof to prevent it from getting too hot inside. The reception and restaurant are open spaces that offer views of the surrounding jungle on all sides and where you can hear the nearby Sok River lapping gently.

In the evening after dinner everyone gathers around the campfire where experiences are exchanged over a drink and at night there is the relentless concert of crickets, mixed with other sounds of the rainforest.

The Sok is really a river to explore at your leisure and I do that in a canoe, where I don't have to paddle myself, but which is piloted by an employee of the resort. As a passenger all I have to do is enjoy myself and if there is something special to see, monkeys on the bank or a snake on an overhanging branch of one of the forest giants, my paddler has seen it long ago and gives me a good view. on. The journey downstream on the Sok is interrupted halfway through for refreshments and snacks brought with you, and an off-road vehicle awaits at the finish point to transport participants to the elephant camp a few miles away.

There is a whole line of pachyderms waiting for us. They are owned by the resort, no longer have to work in the woods as before and can enjoy a relaxed life in the camp undisturbed. I witness how their daily portion of food is prepared, consisting of various types of fruit and bamboo shoots, and I am allowed to stuff food into the eager trunks with my own hands. Afterwards we move to a nearby wash house where the animals get a wash and then are allowed to play in a water hole, something they do with obvious pleasure. After the bath there is even more to eat, because these jumbos eat about 250 kilos of feed per day and also drink about 100 liters of water.

The elephant camp at Elephant Hills Resort is the creation of Robert Greifenberg and his wife, who devoted themselves to the conservation and well-being of their favorite animal, the Thai elephant, with all their resources. The resort staff are deeply involved with the animals and are happy to answer any questions guests may have regarding the world's largest living land mammal.

On foot through the rainforest

The day after the visit to the elephant camp, I make a hike in the rainforest led by a ranger. To do this, you first have to cross the Sok on a bamboo raft and then it's on narrow jungle paths that are sometimes so slippery and slippery that the supplied stick comes in handy to keep me balanced. Along the way I get an explanation about the surrounding forest with its exotic, useful and sometimes poisonous plants and halfway there is peace in a high place, where, oh miracle, a complete lunch is served. There is great appreciation for the cook, who appears to have transported all the ingredients here under his own power. The trip ends back at the river, which we cross again by raft. This remains a somewhat wobbly undertaking and it seems that the few monkeys, who watch us from the bank, are anxiously waiting for someone to fall into the water, but we don't wish them that pleasure.

The Khao Sok National Park is a perfect destination for those who, for example, want to take a few days on an excursion from Phuket or Krabi to an environment where it is good to relax, where you are assured of optimal care and where you know that you are surrounded by numerous exotic animals and plants in a beautiful natural environment. Khao Sok, a name to remember.

Written by Henk Bouwman – www.reizenexclusive.nl

Koh Yao Island Resort