Khao Sok - "The Light of the Kingdom"

Greetings Everyone,

On March 20 we were to fly from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai but the smoke from all the local forest fires obscured the runway and our flight was canceled.  We piled into a van along with 6 other stranded passengers for the 5-hour drive to Chiang Mai.  Our route took us along narrow winding roads and after popping four Dramamine tablets, Marc was able to curb his car sickness while the guy next to him read on his tablet.  The draw to Chiang Mai is the 1000's of temples that adorn the city.  We chose to visit 5 of the more well-known sites.  Our guide, Arm, picked us up early the next morning so we could avoid the worst heat of the day.  Our first stop was Wat Chedi Luang (lit. temple of the big stupa).  The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there and it took until the mid-15th century to be finished.  It was then 82 meters high and had a base diameter of 54 meters, at that time the largest building in the medieval kingdom of Lanna.  In 1545, the upper 30 meters of the structure collapsed after an earthquake.

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chiang Mai was built by King Mangrai in 1297 as the first temple of Chiang Mai.  Chedi Chang Lom, the 'Elephant Chedi', is the oldest construction within the temple complex. The square base supports a second level which has the front half of 15 life-sized brick-and-stucco elephants (not original) emerging from it.

Chedi Chang Lom

The most interesting temple was made of silver.  We're not sure of its silver quality, whether it is silver plating or even silver paint but Wat Sri Suphan had a lot of it.  Women weren't allowed inside the main chamber but it didn't matter for me as it was closed for restoration work.

Wat Sri Suphan

Our fifth and final temple was Wat Suan Dok.  This is a very important temple in Chiang Mai as there is a large gold chedi where supposedly relics of the Buddha are enshrined.  The smaller whitewashed stupas contain the remains of Chiang Mai's royalty.  

Wat Suan Dok

We went inside sala kan prian, the main assembly hall built in 1932 by the famous monk Phra Krubra Srivichai.  A large group of novice monks were attending school.  At the end of class they appeared to be taught how to tie their robes.

Novice Monks Folding Robes

The final stop on our Thailand tour was a treehouse resort, Our Jungle House, at the entrance to Khao Sok National Park.  To get here we flew from Chiang Mai to the island of Phuket and drove two hours north to the resort.  Most people come here to relax or visit the National Park to swim in its lake but our main objective was to get our last fix of Asian wildlife.  Thailand's animals are very difficult to see as they are very wary of humans and tend to stay hidden in the last few tracts of protected rainforest.  Khao Sok National Park provides a unique way to see wildlife without having to trek for hours through the dense jungle.  

Map of Cheow Lan Lake

The park was established in 1980 by The Royal Forest Department.  Two years later Khao Sok was changed forever by the construction of the Rajjaprabha Dam, meaning "the light of the kingdom" coined by the King at the opening ceremony on his 60th birthday.  At the time the future of the park did not seem so bright.  The dam blocked the Klong Saeng River and it took about one year until it completely flooded the 165 square metres (1,780 sq ft) basin.  To flood this large area, 385 families of Ban Chiew Lan village were resettled.  A resettlement of animals took place by boat and helicopter to prevent them from drowning or starving on newly created islands.  Today Cheow Lan Lake attracts tourists from all over the world and has become a bright spot for Thailand's endangered wildlife. When we got to the dock it was a zoo.  There were many long-tail boats waiting to take hordes of people onto the lake.  A big group of kids on spring break, some from the US, were already drunk.  They were yelling and using foul language.  It was not the nature experience I was expecting.  

Busy Pier at Cheow Lan Lake

Once we got out on the lake the boat traffic dispersed and it was actually pleasant.  The limestone formations lining the lake were reminiscent of Halong Bay in Vietnam, creating some pretty dramatic scenery.

Limestone Formations on Cheow Lan Lake

Most people spend a night or two on the lake in floating bamboo huts.  It took about an hour to reach our raft house, Krae Son.  

Raft Houses at Krae Son

At 2:00 PM we left with our guide, Dang, for our first boat safari into Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary deep within the Park.  It was still hot so we weren't seeing much except for birds: Osprey, Lesser Fish Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle and lots of swifts/swallows.  We saw elephant tracks along the lake and then suddenly an elephant appeared.   A lone male was bathing in the mud near the shore.  We got a little too close and he disappeared into the forest. 

Lone Male Elephant Mud-bathing

We continued to the far reaches of the reservoir where we stopped to wait for the sun to get a little lower.  While waiting I spotted some macaques on the far shore.  We went closer and could see they were Pig-tailed Macaques.  There were also 2 Wild Boar, Dusky Leaf Monkeys also known as Spectacled Langurs, a Gaur or Indian Bison on the far shore and Long-tailed Macaques.  The animals were beginning to reveal themselves.  

Gaur or Indian Bison

Unfortunately, we had to head back to the raft house before it got dark.  Navigating these waters in the dark can be treacherous due to the many submerged trees and logs.  On the way Dang spotted another elephant along the shore and we headed straight for him.  I thought for sure he would run away like the previous elephant but he appeared to be approaching us!  Dang explained that this elephant is Kankluy and that he was orphaned at the age of 3.  No one expected him to survive but against all odds he did.  Over the past 9 years he has been adopted by the rangers and guides who bring him pineapples.  Dang had brought a pineapple which he tossed to the waiting elephant.   

Dang Offering a Pineapple to Kankluy

Kankluy is still a wild elephant so you have to keep your distance but it was amazing to watch a wild Asian Elephant that had grown to trust humans and to even seek their company!

Kankluy Eating a Pineapple

The next morning we went to search for Lar Gibbons whose wailing calls we could hear from our raft house.  The Lar Gibbon, also known as the White-handed Gibbon, is an endangered primate classified as a lesser ape.  They are true brachiators, swinging from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms.  They were quite low but hidden in the vegetation.  We waited and a youngster showed himself and then we got a quick look at mom.  

Lar Gibbon

After breakfast we headed for the mountainous side of the Lake.  Here limestone cliffs towered above us creating beautiful scenes.  

Limestone Pinnacles near Pra Kay Petch Cave

We turned into a small lagoon and docked at Pra Kay Petch Cave or Diamond Cave.  We were the only ones there.  We climbed up some rocks then up some metal steps to enter the cave.  

Pra Kay Petch Cave

There were many small bats and a cave spider protecting her egg sac with spiderlings emerging inside.

Bats in the Cave

Cave Spider Protecting her Egg Sac

We returned to "Our Jungle House" for the night but had already made plans to return to Cheow Lan Lake the following day and stay at the Klong Saeng Raft House deep within the Sanctuary.  The following morning we drove with our new guide, Ed, to the dock where it was even more of a zoo than on Friday.  We met our boat driver, Pau, who was with us on our first visit and cruised to the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary.  Being mid-day we weren't expecting to see much but there were 2 Gaur or Indian Bison on the shore.  As we neared the raft house we ran into 2 elephants, the one with tusks was new to us.  

Elephant with Tusks

The one with the missing tail tassel was named Cha Ba Kao whom we had seen on our first visit was also there.  We got to the raft house around 1:30 and were shown to our cozy bamboo hut.

Our Bamboo Hut at Klong Saeng

At 3:00 PM we headed down the same channel that Dang had taken us down two evenings ago.  We didn't see much at first but then the Wild Boar, Long-tailed and Pig-tailed Macaques, Spectacled Langur (one with a baby) and Sambar Deer started to show up.  

Mother and Baby Spectacled Langur

We also saw a few new birds: Black-capped and Stork-billed Kingfisher, Rufus Woodpecker, Red-wattled Lapwing and Greater Coucal and Water Monitor lizards.  We stopped at a sandbar and waited for darkness so we could head out with spotlights to look for nocturnal mammals.  It was tricky navigating through the dead trees killed by flooding the basin back in 1982.  We didn't see much except for Sambar Deer and a Buffy Fish Owl on the bank.

Buffy Fish Owl

The next morning was very quiet.  The scenery was beautiful with the mist rising from the lake but there weren't many animals.  

Morning Mist over Cheow Lan Lake

We saw the usual wildlife:  Wild Boar, Sambar, Long-tailed Macaque and Spectacled Langur.  We heard the Lar Gibbons but did not see them. We headed up the main channel and found a fruiting fig tree where a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills were feeding.  We watched as a troop of Long-tailed Macaques walked along the bank and climbed up to eat the figs.  We went to see if Kankluy was home and he was.  He was almost completely submerged in the lake but came out as we approached and Ed gave him 2 pineapples.

Kankluy in Cheow Lan Lake

On our last afternoon boat safari we spotted some Pig-tailed Macaques on the bank.  We stopped to take some photos and noticed a troop of Long-tailed Macaques nearby.  The two groups appeared to be interacting, something Ed claims does not happen.  Surprisingly a male Pig-tailed Macaque approached a female Long-tailed Macaque and proceeded to mate with her!  

Male Pig-tailed Macaque and Female Long-tailed Macaque

What on earth is going on?  This female mated with at least 2 different young Pig-tailed Macaque males.  She even groomed one.  If I'm interpreting their behavior correctly when a young female Pig-tailed Macaque displayed herself to one of these young males she was aggressively chased off by the dominant male Pig-tailed Macaque.  A group of female Long-tailed Macaques comforted an infant that was clearly frightened by all the commotion.  It was very interesting behavior to watch!

Long-tailed Macaque Females and Babies

When we returned to the raft house I did some research on whether or not Long and Pig-tailed Macaques interbreed (yes, even in this remote location we have access to the Internet!).  I found an article written by a professor at  Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok that implied that they might.  I found that she was on Facebook and sent her a message.  Almost immediately she replied, confirming that it was possible.  Ah - the marvels of modern technology!  We carried on an electronic conversation.  She was deeply touched that I had reached out to her and offered to send her photos even though I didn't know her.

On our last morning boat safari we returned to the fruiting fig tree.  There were a few langurs and macaques still feeding but the gibbons were in a tall tree behind.  Two youngsters were swinging through the trees while an adult rested nearby.  

Lar Gibbon Juveniles

We thought they had finished eating but as we were getting ready to leave one of the adults, came back to the fig tree to feed.  

Lar Gibbon Adult

We returned to "Our Jungle House" where we showed our photos to some of the staff.  They were amazed at the wildlife we saw.  Most tourists that go to the lake don't venture far enough into the Sanctuary or take the time needed to spot wildlife.  We gave Nat many photos to use for their marketing materials:  Facebook, their web site and possibly a poster of the Park's wildlife.  Hopefully Marc's photos will inspire others to seek out Thailand's elusive mammals and provide incentive to protect this unique haven of nature in Khao Sok National Park.  Thanks to our wonderful guides Dang and Ed for showing us some of  Thailand's amazing animals.  Thanks to Pau who drove us all over Cheow Lan Lake day and night in our wildlife quest.   Finally thanks to Nat, Mandy and all the staff at "Our Jungle House" for taking such good care of us and for accommodating our wildlife watching whims!

We hope all is well back home,

Peggy and Marc

Our route:

      Khao Sok National Park Mammal List

No.	Species	Scientific Name	Notes
1	Asian Elephant	Elephas maximus	Khao Sok
2	Gaur	Bos gaurus	Khao Sok
3	Southern Pig-tailed Macaque.	Macaca  nemestrina	Khao Sok
4	Wild Boar	Sus scrofa	Khao Sok
5	Spectacled Langur	Trachypithecus obscurus	Khao Sok
6	Long-tailed Macaque	Macaca fascicularis	Our Jungle House, Khao Sok
7	Lar Gibbon	Hylobates lar	Khao Sok
8	Bat	Sp.?	Khao Sok
9	Sambar Deer	Rusa unicolor	Khao Sok
10	Himalayan Striped Squirrel	Tamiops  macclellandii	Our Jungle House

Mae Hong Son - The Land of Three Mists

After a very exciting 6 weeks in India it was time to move on.  On March 12 we flew from New Delhi to Bangkok, Thailand where we spent the night.  The next morning we flew via Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand where we would spend the next week.  Our base was the Fern Resort 7 km outside of town.  Here we quickly made new friends including the giant Tokay Geckos that visited our bungalow at night.

Tokay Gecko

The resort is right next to Mae Surin National Park and we took a walk along the Mae Sakud Nature Trail to explore a piece of the Park.  During this time of year it is very hot and dry.  The temperature soared to over 100 degrees and most of the trees had lost their leaves.  There were many fires burning in the forest and even along our path in the forest.  We later learned that the locals set fire to the forest understory for two reasons:  One, it clears the forest floor of the dry leaves that crunch underfoot allowing for better hunting;  two, it promotes the growth of a particular mushroom that fetches a hefty price.  We climbed up to a viewpoint where we couldn't see much because of all the haze and smoke before heading back to the resort.

 

Mae Surin National Park

We met our local guide, Ball, the following morning for a day tour north of Mae Hong Son.  First on our agenda was a 2-hour bamboo raft ride on the Pai River.  We had never been on a bamboo raft before but them seemed very stable even when negotiating the tiny rapids along our way.

Heading for a Rapid on the Pai River

Next up was a visit to the Chinese Village of Bak Thai near the border with Myanmar.  The Kuomintang in Burma (KMT) Chinese Nationalist fighters fled here from Yunnan province in 1949 after their defeat to the Communists in the Chinese Civil War.  In the past this town was notorious for growing opium and smuggling it to Burma.  The King of Thailand visited here and convinced the locals to convert from growing poppies and selling opium to tourism.  

Bak Thai Village

 

We later visited a Hmong and Shan village, a sustainable agricultural project supported by the Royal Family, a waterfall and an abysmal zoo before returning to the resort.  Apparently this "zoo" is another one of the Royal Family's projects.  If so it is failing miserably and needs to be shut down or vastly improved.

The following day we drove for about 2 hours north of town to visit Thom Lod Cave near Soppong.  A short walk brought us to the entrance where we boarded a bamboo raft.  We had purchased food to feed the fish and now I could see why there were loads of them waiting for a hand out.  Ball threw them some food and a feeding frenzy ensued.  

Fish in Thom Lod Cave

We had to take a guide with a lantern - a good thing as it supports the local economy and protects the cave.  We stopped at the first big chamber more than 50 meters high where giant limestone pillars are formed when stalagmites and stalactites merge.  

Pillar in Thom Lod Cave

 

We crossed the Nam Lang river on a bamboo bridge and climbed 90 stairs to the second or Doll Chamber.  There was a faint painting of a deer on a rock supposedly 2-3000 years old.  The limestone formations here resembled dolls hence the name.  

Limestone Formations in "Doll Chamber"

One formation looked like a flying saucer and another resembled a crocodile.  

Limestone Crocodile

We climbed back down and boarded a different bamboo raft and continued to the third chamber while feeding the fish along the way.  This chamber is near the exit and thousands of swifts were flying around.  The stench from their guano was quite overpowering.  We had to climb stairs again and the railings were covered in guano.  In this chamber were broken teak wood coffins made by the Lawa people thousands of years ago.

Teak Wood Coffins

After lunch we visited the Black Lahu village of Jabo.  This village is part of a community based tourism project.  Locals are encouraged to open their homes to tourists for a minimal cost to share their culture.  When we arrived the place seemed deserted.  The lady of the house, Nagor, appeared and took us upstairs to her living room to show us some of the clothes she had made.  She is a very talented seamstress and had been selected to go to Chiang Mai to teach her sewing methods at the museum.  She was very proud and rightfully so.  

Nagor Displays her Handiwork

Her husband, Jaha, repaired and played the local gourd mouth organ called a norjurlae or simply naw.   He was the only man in this area who knows how to repair these instruments.  People from other villages bring their naw to him for repair.  The naw is made from gourds and bamboo.  In each bamboo tube there is a reed also made of bamboo.  There are different types of naw for love songs, dancing, funerals, etc.  Jaha played us several songs.

Jaha Playing the Naw

 Here is a video of Jaha playing the naw.

The next morning we met Ball for our final tour.  It started with an elephant ride on 38-year old Maeka.  We traveled along the road before veering off and heading along a stream.  Maeka kept wanting to graze which was OK with us.  At one point our mahout got off to take photos of us and it was a little scary being on an elephant with no mahout.  

Going Solo on Maeka

He went ahead and coaxed Maeka along but she was more interested in eating.  We returned to the mounting platform where Ball was waiting with sugarcane to feed Maeka.  

Peggy & Maeka

A group of locals pulled up in a pickup truck.  They wanted to see Maeka and a few brave souls got on her back.  Others weren't so sure and kept their distance.  The head guy wanted his photo taken with Marc and Maeka.  

The Locals Meet Maeka

We drove to the Karyn village of Huay Sue Tao.  I had mixed feelings about visiting the Karyn (also known as the Padaung) woman as it perpetuates the archaic custom of wearing heavy brass coils around their necks, compressing their rib cages and giving them the appearance of having very long necks.  They mainly do it now for the tourists.  But without our money how would they make a living?  Would I visit if they didn't wear brass coils?  

Karyn Matriarch

To get a better idea of how the woman were faring we visited a row of stalls that had been set up by them to sell their handicrafts.  We stopped at the first stall where a young mother was weaving.  I bought a scarf from her.

Karyn Woman Weaving

I ended up buying 4 more scarves including one from another young mother at the end of the street. She had her 2 children with her.  Her 5-year girl was precious and it was heartbreaking to see she was already wearing brass neck coils.  Clearly her mother was using her to attract business and it was working.  Ball noticed that her coils were cut so that they could be easily removed unlike the traditional ones that are one piece.  That made me feel a little better.  I will not include a picture of her as I feel it will add to her exploitation.   I asked the little girl's mother where her husband was and through Ball she said she was divorced and raising the kids on her own.  This may explain why she was using daughter to help earn money for the family.  Very sad I thought.

Single Mom Weaves to Support her Family

We talked to another young woman who spoke good English.  She gave the impression that life in Mae Hong Son had improved over the years and that even though most Karyn people are refugees from Myanmar they now have more freedom to move around Thailand  and to possibly get better jobs.  Returning to Myanmar didn't seem like a desired option.  We didn't have to pay admission to visit this village and I hope that all the money we spent will stay with the women and not go to some Thai middleman who is exploiting them.

Karyn Woman

We returned to the car and drove to a temple on Kong Mu Hill overlooking Mae Hong Son.  Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu (also  known as Wat Phai Doi) is a Shan-style temple.  There were 2 pagodas here built in the Burmese style.  The large pagoda was built in 1860 to house the remains of Monks brought from Myanmar.  The small pagoda was built in 1875 by Phraya Sihanat Racha, the first ruler of Mae Hong Son. 

Pagodas of Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu

We drove to Jong Kham Lake in the center of Mae Hong Son where 2 more temples were located. The first was Wat Jong Kham or Chong Kham.  Wat Chong Kham was originally built in 1827 by Tai Yai (Shan) artisans during the rule of Phraya Singharat Racha, the first governor of Mae Hong Son. The second temple was Wat Jong Klang or Chong Klang.  Construction of Wat Chong Klang was carried out from 1867-71 as an offering to Burmese monks who were visiting Mae Hong Son for the funeral of an important abbot.  Wat Jong Klang has the prominent white and gold chedi.  

Wats Jong Kham and Klang

The curiosity of Wat Jong Klang is probably the wicker Buddha sitting in its viharn or wiharn (assembly hall).  The eyes were quite creepy.  

Wicker Buddha

An opportunistic cat took advantage of a glass of water left as an offering (Cat in the Wat).  Cute!  

Cat in the Wat

We drove back to the resort and said our final goodbye to Ball.  I noticed that Lidia who works at the front desk was making a shirt in the traditional White Karen (the ethnic group she belongs to) style. She saw me admiring it and said she would have it completed for me by the time we left.  

Lidia Sewing

I also ended up buying a shirt (modeled below) made by Auria who works in the kitchen.  It will be a nice way remember the wonderful woman who work at Fern Resort!

Nuria, Peggy & Auria

On our last night at the resort, we went into town for dinner.  After dinner we walked to the center of town to photograph Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang reflected in Jong Kham Lake!  

Wats Jong Kham and Klang at Night

What a beautiful end to our visit to Mae Hong Song.  Thanks to the wonderful staff at Fern Resort and to our guide Ball for sharing their wonderful home with us and teaching us about the many ethnic groups that make northern Thailand so vibrant!

We hope all is well back home.

Peggy and Marc

Here is a map of our route: