Rainy Season Promise

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As September approaches, I am reminded of my trip to Khao Sok National Park.

This trip was organized to celebrate the birthday of our dear friend. (It was a long way to go, wasn't it?) To be honest, we were just looking for an excuse to travel. 555+

A total of 4 people traveled.

A walk on September 14-16, 2014 (it's only been 2 years, how fast!).

Accommodation

- Day 14: Stay at Panvaree Resort in Khao Sok National Park.

- Day 15: Stay at Baan Sivilai, Khanom Beach

- Day 16: Stay at Chic Hotel, a charming accommodation in Mueang Surat Thani district.

Four of us traveled from Don Mueang Airport. We got round-trip tickets from Don Mueang to Surat Thani for around 800 baht.

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Upon arrival at Surat Thani Airport, the most convenient way to reach Ratchaprapha Dam is to pre-arrange a van pick-up service. Contact details for van operators can be found on the airport's website. The driver will be punctual and will transport you directly to your destination. Unfortunately, I do not recall the exact fare.

For the return trip, if you want to take the same boat back, you can inform the staff in advance. Let them know the date you plan to return and they will pick you up at the dam.

Journey from the pier to the Panwarin Floating Market

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We had already made an appointment with the resort before our trip. We booked our accommodation about a month in advance.
At first, it was very difficult to find accommodation because my colleague told me that the floating houses were scary. If you are a woman traveling alone, you should find a good floating house, such as one with a private bathroom.
It will be safer. Also, there is no phone signal inside the dam.

After searching and searching, I found the floating house I really wanted to stay in, which had a beautiful view. It was the Kiree Warin Floating House and the Pawanwaree Floating House. However, the room we were looking at at the Kiree Warin Floating House was fully booked, so we booked the Pawanwaree Floating House instead. The view was amazing! We chose the middle floating house, which cost 8,000 baht per night for 4 people, including 2 meals (breakfast and 1 meal) and a boat transfer (but not a tour of the inner sea). If you want to go up the mountain to see the cave in the inner sea, there is a boat service available for hire.

It doesn't take long to get to the dam from the pier.
The resort is absolutely stunning. It's the only one where the accommodations are right next to the limestone mountains, making the water there crystal clear.
Once we arrived, we dropped off our belongings and were then invited by the staff to have lunch.
The resort's restaurant served us about 3-4 dishes. I remember there was clear soup, stir-fried pork with curry paste, and fried chicken... It was delicious.
I recommend bringing your own snacks and drinks, as there's nowhere to buy them inside. The resort also doesn't sell some items.

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Despite the rain, our water activities were not hindered.

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After we had our fill of swimming and kayaking, we had to hurry to shower and go for dinner.
Note: Dinner starts around 6:30 p.m. There are many dishes to choose from, but my absolute favorite, which I had several servings of, was stir-fried bai liang with egg.
It was sooooooooo delicious!

Evening atmosphere. . . . . . .

Waking up early, showering, getting dressed, and waiting for breakfast (rice porridge, coffee, and bread). Then, waiting to return to shore to continue resting in Khanom.

It's time to go back, but the rain hasn't stopped yet.

On the way back, the resort's boat will take us to visit Guilin, Thailand. The surrounding views are like heaven.

After the van dropped us off in Khanom District, we checked into our accommodation for the second night, Baan Sivilai. The view, atmosphere, and rooms were all beautiful. The price was 1,500 baht per room for two people, excluding breakfast. We booked two rooms in total: one with a sea view and one with a pool view.

On the morning of September 16, 2014, we woke up early to meet the car that would take us to see the pink dolphins. We had to take a boat to get there. (The cost of the car and the boat are separate.) You can inform the resort where you want the car to take you. The boat to see the dolphins is operated by local villagers. I don't remember the price, but it wasn't too expensive. We shared the cost among four people. (The boat trip included dolphin watching, seeing the Pha Phabia Rocks, and visiting the statue of Luang Pu Thuat walking on the freshwater sea.)

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After breakfast, we checked out and waited for the chartered pickup truck (a 4-door pickup truck) to pick us up from the resort and take us to the pier. We then waited for the same truck to pick us up again and take us to the Chic Hotel in the city center for our last night.

Although the port is adorned with the iconic pink dolphin statue, a symbol of the area, ...

Today's plan: 1. Visit Khao Hin Pha Phap 2. Pay homage to Luang Pu Thuat 3. Park the boat and wait to see dolphins.

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The rock formations resemble a crepe cake, and they are truly stunning. If the sun were shining brighter, the photos would be even more beautiful.

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We arrived after enjoying the scenery for a while.

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Behold, a freshwater spring in the middle of the sea! I tasted it, and it's not salty! 5555555++

After paying respects to Luang Pu, the final stop of the day was a boat trip to see the pink dolphins. Five minutes passed, and they still hadn't arrived. Ten minutes passed, and they still hadn't arrived. Asking the fishing uncle if he had seen them today, he replied that he had seen two this morning at 8 am, but that if we came at this time, we wouldn't see them.

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After our heartbreak from the pink dolphin,

The driver dropped us off at our accommodation for the last night, which was "C h i c H o t e l".
The accommodation was very cute. We got a family room with 2 double beds for 4 people for 800 baht / 1 night (which was great value, and it was also close to the night market).

Pack your bags and clothes, and in the evening we'll go to the night market.

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After strolling through the market and sampling various treats, we celebrated our friend's birthday at a trendy restaurant in Surat Thani.

The restaurant named "Chey" is a popular spot in Surat Thani. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is reminiscent of Phuket.

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Farewell, Surat Thani.

On the last morning of our trip, we checked out of the Chic Hotel. Initially, we planned to take a van from the hotel directly to the airport.
However, the hotel owner suggested that we hire a car from the hotel to take us there. He explained that it would be cheaper for the four of us to split the cost, and we could also stop by to buy some souvenirs.
We all agreed, and it turned out to be a great decision.

In the end... Thank you for watching. I hope this post will be useful to someone. It might be a guideline for traveling for those who don't have a private car.

Lastly... Thank you to the Samsung S3 phone camera that recorded our trip for us to see, even though it was sometimes blurry and sometimes clear...

Finally... Thank you for following. I promise that Surat Thani won't be our last time. Next time we'll bring a good camera to take pictures of you.

L o v e

Surat Thani Rainy Day