Day 2 Whitewater Rafting Fitness Test at Khao Thong Mountain

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"Narathiwat" Welcome to Day 1: The southernmost tip of the axe at Su-ngai Kolok

Narathiwat: A Warm Welcome - Day 3: Exploring Bang Nara

Start your day with a taste of authentic Bak Kut Teh at A-One Bak Kut Teh. Order according to the number of people in your group, and you'll be presented with a massive hot pot – so big, you might just cry for mercy. The generous portions of pork ribs are seemingly endless, and the accompanying plate of youtiao (fried dough fritters) is equally impressive. A word of advice: when ordering, consider subtracting one person from the total count to avoid overindulging. You'll still be left with a satisfying and delicious meal.

The tranquil morning atmosphere of the city of Sungai Kolok.

Having missed the hike to Phrue To Daeng yesterday, we made it our top priority today, fearing we wouldn't make it back in time after the whitewater rafting.

Peat soil is formed by the accumulation of organic matter, such as leaf litter and wood, over a long period of time. This thick layer of organic matter protects the underlying marine clay soil, which contains pyrite, a sulfur compound, from releasing its acidity into the upper soil layers. The thickness of this organic layer ranges from 0.5 to 5.0 meters.

The peat swamp forest is home to over 470 plant species, including edible plants (sago, ferns, red ginger), medicinal plants (keruing, grurauperi), and commercially valuable plants (tangon, setiew, elephant's ear, red betel nut).

The image below shows red betel nut.

Despite the abundance of lush greenery and the vibrant green hues that surround us, the air is surprisingly hot and humid, defying our expectations of a cool and refreshing atmosphere.

This is the tower that Phi Sun said he helped build 30 years ago, but it is no longer open to the public.

The diverse fauna encountered in this area included large ants, snakes, and monkeys. The presence of monkeys in their natural habitat was particularly remarkable, although their high perch in the trees made them difficult to capture on camera.

After a leisurely stroll of about an hour, you will find yourself back at the starting point.

We continued our journey by car to Su-ngai Kolok district, passing barbed wire fences, bunkers, and checkpoints along the way.

Visit Suan Luang Rama IX Park, a royal residence where the Queen Mother once stayed during her visit to the Southern Development Self-Reliance Settlement Project in Narathiwat Province.

The atmosphere was quiet and uneventful, but there were still soldiers guarding the area with strict vigilance.

It also features Dao Oh leaves, also known as golden leaves.

Continuing on to Ban Phu Khao Thong, the roadside is lined with lush fern forests, a testament to the area's abundant moisture.

We arrived at Erawan Farm, the starting point for our Phu Khao Thong rafting adventure.

The rafting trip here takes 2 hours and covers a distance of 7 kilometers. You will be paddling the entire way, so it is recommended that you eat a full meal before you go rafting. The price of the rafting trip is very cheap, only 200 baht per person. You will also receive a 50 baht coupon that you can use to buy food at the shops in the area.

The atmosphere was excellent, although the weather was a bit stifling, making the sight of the water particularly tempting.

Change clothes and take a car back to the starting point for whitewater rafting.

In this single-person kayak, you paddle solo, avoiding any interference with the person in front. While some sections are calm, as pictured, paddling can be tiring. However, rapids and waterfalls provide excitement, requiring constant vigilance to avoid hitting the banks, rocks, or trees. The most thrilling moment was when we collided with a riverbank where a water monitor lizard was waiting with its tongue flickering. We feared it might jump into our boat and hastily pushed away.

Once, while napping under a tree, I smiled with relief, thinking, "The trees are so thick, how did we get through so easily?" I turned around and realized... my buddy had fallen into the water with the boat and paddle. I was completely shocked.

If the boat is heavily loaded with two people, it may get stuck on the rapids more often, especially during the dry season when the water level is low. Paddling alone is the easiest option. When encountering rapids, lie down while paddling to easily navigate through them.

If your arms get tired, stop by to watch the people panning for gold along the way.

Navigating the 7 kilometers was no easy feat, even with occasional assistance. Despite the soaking, it was an enjoyable experience filled with laughter and excitement. It's highly recommended to have a hearty meal before embarking on this whitewater adventure, as hunger pangs are sure to strike upon completion.

After leaving Golden Mountain around 4 pm, we drove to Su-ngai Kolok. We saw a durian shop and everyone agreed to stop. We bought 4-5 kg of durian and 3 kg of mangosteen. We asked the shop to set up a table and we ate it right there. We were serious about it. To avoid being too rude to Brother Sun, we waved him over to join us.

As dusk settled and we were still some distance from the city center, we decided to try a restaurant called Nud Pob Yoong Thong, located at the Tak Bai-Su-ngai Kolok intersection. We asked Sun if it would be safe to stop for a meal and then continue on to the city. After receiving confirmation that it was safe, we made a stop. When we arrived, the restaurant was completely empty and eerily quiet, leading us to question whether it was truly a renowned establishment.

The walls are adorned with photographs of prominent figures and celebrities who have graced this establishment.

This includes the set of food and the royal chair that the shop has kept as a memento of His Holiness Somdet Phra Thep.

The restaurant's menu features authentic Southern Thai cuisine, with every dish bursting with flavor. A must-try is the **น้ำพริกบูดู** (shrimp paste chili dip), best enjoyed with fresh, exotic vegetables like **ผักเปาะ** and grilled **สะตอ** (stink beans).

We ended the night with a must-try meal. Since we were in the south, we couldn't miss a tea shop. We stopped by **ร้านแอโรตี** because we saw that it was the only shop still open.
My friends all waved goodbye and turned away, leaving me to enjoy the roti and hot tea alone.

The bustling atmosphere in front of the tea shop. At that moment, as I ate, I couldn't help but feel a sense of fear, worried that I might encounter something similar to what I had seen in the news.

The hot tea I ordered with less sugar is incredibly sweet, enough to last me until next week in terms of calorie intake.

Banana roti, so delicious, even after being full, I still want more!

While waiting for my friend to pick up medication, I stopped by the color-changing clock tower.

As we drove past the scene of the incident, Brother Sun would recount when it had occurred and whether anyone still lived there. There were several such places. Gulp.

Our accommodation for the night is the Phak Sina Home Hotel, located outside the city center in a bustling area with a karaoke bar and a 7-Eleven at the entrance.

Outside the room at night, only a few dim lights were on, making it almost impossible to see the way.

The room is not very spacious. The lighting is dim with an orange hue, which is not ideal. At night, the room is located near the water pump, resulting in the constant sound of the pump throughout the night. However, this is not a major issue.

The air conditioning was extremely cold, and the blanket was not warm enough. However, my friend said that she felt comfortable and slept well. I don't understand how she could feel comfortable at 18 degrees Celsius. Perhaps she is used to sleeping in a cold environment. The coldness prevented me from sleeping from 3 am onwards, and I was wide awake until dawn.

The other couple's room was located right next to the kitchen of a karaoke bar. They could hear the kitchen staff working all night, including the clanging of pots and pans and occasional screams.

The bathroom was quite small, and the water pressure was weak. As a result, we had to endure the unpleasantness of keeping our dirty hair until we could wash it back in Bangkok.

However, the price of the room is almost half the price of the room last night. Don't worry about it.

The morning atmosphere outside the room.

The murals are adorable, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

We meet again in the next episode, the last episode of our trip to Narathiwat.

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