Ratchaprapha Dam (Chiao Lan Dam), Surat Thani Province, is located in Khao Sok National Park.

Nicknamed #Thai Guilin

When the energy in the body starts to run out, we start to recharge.

Start the journey

(Chiao Lan trip) A trip with blurry pictures but full of emotions

The journey began on the 11th in the morning. We stopped for a bite to eat in Surat Thani city and bought some personal necessities. We had an appointment to board the raft at noon. The journey from Surat Thani city to the pier was approximately 60 kilometers and took about 1.5 hours. Before turning into the dam, we stopped at a gas station to buy snacks and drinks. However, there is a convenience store at the pier if you don't want to buy anything here. Please note that there are no shops on the raft itself, so anything you need must be purchased on land and brought with you. With some time to spare, we checked in at the sign and enjoyed the scenic drive along the dam crest while waiting for the boat.

Upon arrival at the pier, you will need to park your car. There is a parking service available for all types of vehicles at a cost of 80 baht per car per night. After parking your car, carry your luggage to the pier and call the boat you booked. For the round-trip boat, the price is 2,500 baht, but if you want to visit the Diamond Cave as well, it will cost an additional 500 baht. We chose to visit the cave, so the boat fare was 3,000 baht. The boat is a long-tail boat that can accommodate up to 10 people. However, if you are traveling with only 1-2 people, you may be able to join another group. I joined another group of 6 people, so we shared the boat fare. Once we were all on board, we set sail for Ha Rak. The boat driver, a man named P'Bao from the south, took us to the Pa Klong Ka floating market.

While cruising, enjoy the birds, trees, and mountains.

The boat ride takes about 1 hour. The raft belongs to the National Park, not a private company. There are guesthouses available, including houses that can accommodate groups of 6-7 people with private bathrooms. However, I chose to stay in a small, cozy hut with a thatched roof and woven bamboo walls. Each hut can accommodate 1-3 people and has shared bathrooms. The price is 700 baht per person, including two meals: dinner and breakfast. Upon arrival at the raft, we reported to the park officials.

This is a detached house that can accommodate many people, making it perfect for families.

Let's go back to our accommodation with our belongings.

Here is our little hut.....with a thatched roof and woven bamboo walls.

Inside the small hut

Ambiance in front of the hut

You can go kayaking.

Free sunbed, no charge. Hehe...

While waiting to go to the Tham Prakai Phet cave, I walked around on the raft taking pictures.

Phra Kaew Cave, with its stunning stalactites and stalagmites, offers a refreshingly cool interior.

After exploring the cave, we returned to the raft as the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the water.

We couldn't resist jumping into the refreshing water.

The ice brought from the shore was dipped in water to cool it down, quenching the thirst that had begun to set in.

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"An old loincloth and old stories"

"The place is never old, but we often like to think of old stories…"

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After playing in the water, we showered and waited for dinner. I forgot to take pictures, haha! I was so hungry that I almost finished everything before remembering to take pictures. Sorry about that. Dinner consisted of yellow curry with catfish and pickled bamboo shoots in the southern style, omelet, fried mackerel, and stir-fried vegetables. All the food was included except the fried fish. Dessert was pineapple. During dinner, there was a shadow puppet show about the history of this place.

Electricity is available until 9:00 PM. After that, we will use the light of the moon and the stillness of the water.

We went into the small hut and lay down to sleep. Z Zzzz ZZ zzzz ZZz.

Waking up to the invigorating freshness of the morning air, lungs cleansed by the pure mountain breeze.

Sitting in front of the cabin, watching the wispy mist drift through the crevices of the mountains.

At first glance, I thought it was Pang Ung, but it turned out to be Saeng Lan. In the morning, at Pae Klong Ka, there is an activity called "Sitting on a raft, sipping coffee, and watching birds." You can sit and sip hot coffee while enjoying the light mist on the raft. As for bird watching, it depends on the situation. The service fee is 150 baht per person if there are less than 10 people, and 100 baht per person if there are more than 10 people. The raft departs at approximately 6:30 AM.

The atmosphere was perfect, a full 10/10. The morning air was crisp and refreshing, the temperature just right. We relaxed and stretched out before enjoying breakfast.

Our breakfast is simple: rice porridge, coffee, and a view of the light morning mist.

After finishing breakfast, we gathered our belongings and waited for the boat to take us back to the mainland. The boat arrived at the pier around 9:00 AM. On the way back, we stopped at a local landmark, Khao Sam Kler, a mountain in the Cheow Lan Dam. We took some thrilling photos and then returned to the mainland.

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End of trip "(Cheow Lan Trip) A trip with blurry pictures but full of emotions."

Equipment used:

• Canon 6D + 50mm f1.8 Canon + 35-105 Nikon manual lens.
• This lens is the reason for the hashtag #ทริปภาพไม่คมอารมณ์มาเต็ม (Trip with blurry pictures but full of emotions).

Contact information for booking:

• Pa Klong Ka Raft: Contact Ms. Ying at 081-077-7271. Bookings must be made 60 days in advance.
• S. Rungroj: Contact Mr. Rungroj at 087-882-5011.

#MustachePhotographer

See you again in the next post.

Let's see where Mr. Mustache will take us next. Stay tuned!

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