Two hours later we arrived in Khao Sok National Forest and checked into our bungalow, which was so cool and cheap. The four of us had two beds to share, our own bathroom, and the bungalow was situate right on the riverfront. This was the perfect place for some detox after Koh Phagnan. We took it easy the first night and took in the jungle vibes, because the next day we were doing a tour of the lake and some jungle trekking.
An early morning wake up call from our tour guide and before we knew it we were on our way to the Ratchaprapha lake. It was about an hour drive, but it was one of the most scenic drives I've ever been on with mountains and limestone cliffs. Once we got to the lake we cruised on our little boat until we reached the other side where we would do our jungle trek. We had the option to rent some rubber shoes and despite by stubbornness to spend an extra dollar (which is a lot in Thailand) I decided that I probably should just be safe and rent some cheap shoes. I'm so beyond happy that I decided to rent shoes because there was mud everywhere and we had to cross a bunch of rivers until we finally got to the cave. Going in the cave was probably my favorite part, but also such a weird sensation since it was pitch black dark and all we had were our head lamps to light our way. We went about chest deep in the water and climbed up a waterfall and despite the fact that I hit my head and tripped a few times, there were absolutely no injuries. Mission accomplished! Once we finished exploring the cave we made our way back and by that time the day was nearly over, and we were exhausted.
When we got back to our bungalow we were desperately in need of some food so we went to grab some "quick" pizza. Note to self: nothing is quick in Thailand and food preparation takes a long time. We were literally watching her make the pizzas and counted the minutes it was in the oven and I kid you not, inhaled our pizzas! The lake tour really took it out of us and that pizza was just what we needed after a long day.
Our last night in Khao Sok consisted of deep talks and a few beers of course. We covered so many different topics but one that really resonated with me was even though we have completely different lives outside of this trip, we have developed something so genuine from traveling together. A relationship that can really only be created through suffering on long bus rides together or laughing at something that doesn't go according to plan. We are so different but this trip is unique for our individual experience together, and I think that it's so amazing how you can instantly become friends with random people when traveling. We put our trust in people so fast, and that in itself is taking a risk, but what is traveling without taking any risks? Through the relationship building that comes with traveling comes a timeless story that is unique to yourself, and it's something that money can never buy. So on that sappy note I think it's important to remember that it's the people you meet in life that make whatever experience you have, and everyone's a stranger until you say hello! Khao Sok was really what I needed and wanted, but our time had come to an end and we were off to Koh Phi Phi.