After making a quick dash through five different countries the past two months, we felt a unique sense of excitement arriving back in Thailand. It brought the comforts of a homecoming mixed with new curiosities since this time we'd be tackling the southern part of the country. However our stint didn't last long at our first stop, Phuket. A place eaten alive by fat western men in trashy tank tops waiting for their Thai girlfriend (who's probably a lady boy) in some skanky bar ornamented with tacky florescent lights. As you can tell I was really fond of the place. It took all of about two hours for us to begin choosing our next destination.
When we planned our route back in September and decided to tackle Bali and Thailand's southern islands back to back, I never imagined I would get tired of the beach. But I needed a little break from the sun, sand, and saltwater. Luckily our good 'ol traveling companion Georgie knows me so well and suggested I head to Khao Sok, a national park she visited in April. Still able to appreciate the salty air and sunsets, Jbo picked her next destination farther south in the islands. We parted ways, regretfully (tear), but optimistic at the chance to swap our stories within a few days. We informed the parentals of our short term solo travels, and although we could hear their nerves rattle even through emails, they remained supportive and resisted the temptation to remind their 25 year old "don't talk to strangers".
After a four hour bus ride the driver pulled to the side of the highway, looked back at me and shouted "Khao Sok!" Anxious to see who would be enjoying this hidden little jungle treasure with me, I looked around to see who else was grabbing their bags and getting off the bus. And that would be all of about hmmm. . .zero people. Images of the spiders, snakes and other poisonous creatures featured on the parks website began flashing through my head as I began reconsidering my destination choice.
As I reluctantly stepped off the bus, a swarm of guesthouse owners bombarded me with posters displaying pictures of their bungalows, offering a place to stay for the night. One sign stood out to me. Not the fanciest rooms or the one with the great view but the cheapest. "200 baht a night? I'll take it!" 
In the car ride to the bungalows I learned my hosts name was Gui (meaning chicken in Thai) and he's lived at his family owned bungalows in Khao Sok his whole life. I figured he'd be a perfect wealth of knowledge and 'inside' man to make my stay worth the trip. This ended up being more than true and quite possibly the reason my plans to stay two nights turned into seven.For the next week I soaked up what the world's oldest evergreen rainforest has to offer, which is quite the opposite from the beach town I left only days before. I exchanged the sounds of crashing waves for the sound gibbons howling in the trees. Walks on the sandy beach for walks through thick jungle terrain. Swimming in the ocean for swimming through pitch black caves. And in exchange for J and Georgie sleeping by my side at night, I held the company of mice, geckos, snakes and bats that so comfortably inhabited my tree house bungalow. Luckily my guesthouse included two watchdogs, Mac and Dado, who sat outside my bungalow most nights and barked at just about any sound that threatened my abode.
After lying on the beach the previous week my body begged for the exchange of some actual movement. I swam in the river, kayaked through murky waters, trekked through various parts of the park
Our two guides, Tu and Ja, did an excellent job leading us through the jungle. Having lived in Khao Sok their whole lives, they have learned a number of crafty skills! They used vines to make hats, bracelets and rings for us while we trekked, showed us how to get water from bamboo
and even made extra straps on my sandals when they decided that flip flops would not be suitable for the caving excursion.
Khao Sok quickly became my newest favorite place to visit. In addition to the unbeatable scenery and excitement, it was the people I met that made the place so enjoyable. I ate dinner with another single traveler from Britain, enjoyed great conversation at a coffee shop with a guy from the UK, made friends with a couple from Holland accompanying me on the overnight trip, listened to Johann, a guy from Belgium, describe his plans to conquer uncharted territories in the jungle. And as a result of staying so long I was able to make friends with a handful of locals. By the end of the week I was invited into their homes, enjoying dinner with their families or just sitting back for a night cap. They were some of the warmest, friendliest people I've met in the past eight months and made me feel well taken care of as a solo traveler.The last night I spent in Khao Sok, a live band came through town and one of the bars hosted a party for them. The other bars along the main strip in town closed up in order to support the party. Sitting back listening to great music with my new friends was a great finale to such an unforgettable week.
