Just occasionally, a day comes along which makes you think: if I had my choice to re live any day as my last on earth, it would be this one. Yesterday we woke up in a tent on the floating Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp in Khao Sok National Park in southern mainland Thailand. Before I even opened my eyes I lay listening to the multitude of bird song, chirping cicadas and gibbons calling in the jungle 20 metres or so away. We had the tent (one of 10) at the end of the pontoon, and had left the flaps open, no one to see us apart from the odd passing bird, and so my first sight through the mosquito netting was the still lake reflecting clear blue sky and the giant limestone formations, the predominant geographical feature of the park.
After a long lazy breakfast of fresh tropical fruit and yoghurt, chatting with new but now firm friends, Matt and I set off in the kayak moored off the floating platform our tent sat on. Having been out the day before in a group, we were now a (little) bit more accomplished and were keen to explore on our own. We spent an hour or so paddling around with no sound other than the splash of our oars and the jungle all around us. We sat for a while watching a large troop of monkeys playing amongst the trees, the violently shaking branches normally the first clue as to there whereabouts, and spotted a flying squirrel plummeting ten feet or so between branches.
Reluctantly we headed back to camp to re pack our bags, ready to check out and sat reading our books on our decking area until lunch. Elephant Hills were fabulous about catering for my gluten intolerance and each meal made several dishes especially for me, leaving out the ever present soy and oyster sauces. This time it was a fabulously creamy coconut chicken soup, freshly stir fried vegetables and several marinated chicken dishes.
We boarded a long tail boat which was to be the first part of our transfer and zipped across the park to the main pier; more stunning views of the dramatic limestone scenery. We’d sat over lunch, and the previous night’s dinner swapping travelling stories with other guests and I had a yearning in my gut for more travel, more adventure. Like knowledge, where the more you know, the more you realise there is to know; I had rediscovered how much of the world I still longed to see. One couple we met at Elephant Hills, and spent a fair amount of time with, were in their mid 60s, he had turned 65 on new year’s eve and were celebrating his retirement with a three month-long trip encompassing parts of south and southeast Asia, and Australia. This was post a quadruple heart bypass and hip replacement in the last several years. Together they had seen a huge part of the world over the years, and it was really inspiring to remember that travel isn’t just something for gap-year kids with backpacks, there are ways to do it in all times of life, and despite prior health problems. I spent the next part of our transfer by road to our hotel at Khao Lak reflecting on the last few days, brainstorming ways to fit more travel into our lives, and watching rural Thailand speed by.
The Sarojin hotel was one of the reasons we’d chosen to come to Thailand rather than stay in Malaysia after our four nights in Kuala Lumpur and so far it’s exceeded our already very high expectations (slightly helped by being met by the manager on arrival and given a complimentary room upgrade). The hotel is absolutely stunning, set in beautiful gardens filled with lotus ponds leading to a picture book white sandy beach with a turquoise shimmering sea. I was presented with a posy of cream orchids and we were sat in reception with a tropical cocktail and ice cold towels whilst we were checked in.
Our room could not be more luxurious, the large stone bath filled with beautifully coloured petals and surrounded by candles, a terrace with a small plunge pool, a fruit basket, silk dressing gowns and slippers, our own beach bag, toiletries nicer than we’d brought ourselves, I could go on. The lady who showed us to our room ran through a brain boggling list of options of things to do and options available, including breakfast being served in our room, or on our balcony at no extra charge. It seems there is nothing they haven’t thought of to make one’s stay the height of luxury.
We had a wander around to stretch our legs, dip our toes in the sea (warmer than bath water) and get our bearings. The rooms are in small blocks of three or four, ours takes up the first floor of one cluster, and are so cleverly interspersed amongst the gardens that it was hard to see initially where the accommodation was. After a bath amongst the lotus petals, it had to be done, we headed to the beach for a candlelit seafood bbq. We had king prawns and Phuket lobster grilled to order with a raft of accompaniments washed down with a bottle of chenin blanc under the stars.
The service was amazingly attentive without being oppressive, nothing was too much trouble, whilst we both felt slightly guilty at being the impetus for so much effort. It was a day of contrasts, waking in an eco-style camp in the rainforest with virtually no electricity, to an enormous room filled with dozens of spotlights, a fountain in the pool permanently running and blasting air conditioning, knowing that each towel we so much as touched would be replaced without a thought. Yet I think it was the stark contrast that made both places and the day itself, perfect and even more appreciated. And we have a few more to go yet!
Ps – apologies for the lack of pictures, you’ll have to wait until we’re back to be bored by the holiday snaps. I remembered to pack my especially-purchased ipad connector kit for my camera, but in trying to take some of the weight out of my camera bag, left my usb cable which I needed to attach to it at home….. packing fail!
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