Day 4 - Elephant Hills

With our bamboo sticks and safari shirts (which we got for free for booking online - lucky us!) we were ready for our morning trek through the jungle with Ant. There was meant to be 10 of us but due to various aches, pains and lack of appropriate footwear only 5 of us set off into the jungle.

Before we could start we had a very quick trip across the river in a canoe. As we walked throught the jungle, trying to avoid getting wet feet in the jungle stream, Ant pointed out various jungle flora and fauna including jungle palm with its dreadlock like fruits, rubber trees in which the locals were collecting rubber and bamboo. The walk was a little tricky in places, having to clamber over sharp rocks and steep inclines. The 3 older ladies in our group found it a little difficult but we were happy to mooch along at the back.

Lunch today would be served jungle style so after around an hour and a half we stopped at a bamboo hut where a man was preparing our lunch over an open fire. On the fire was some pork and tofu and mushrooms for me (being the only veggie and after he went to the trouble to cook it over a fire I had to eat some mushrooms which wasn't pleasant). They then set about making a coconut chicken curry and a delicious dip for the pork and tofu and showed us how to make it. To start with the man showed us how they traditionally make coconut milk by scraping out the inside of the coconut, adding water and squeezing out the pulp before putting in through a sieve. This would form the basis of the curry. This was then added to a pan with tumeric, thai ginger, chilli (always lots of chilli), kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and garlic and brought to the boil over the fire before adding in the chicken. Lunch was serviced out of coconut bowls which was really nice! After lunch it was a short 20 minute walk back to camp.

It was then back to our tent for a shower (we were ridiculously sweaty) and pack our bags as our jungle adventure is sadly over. After checking out we were taken back to Ao Nang in the mini bus for another night at the iRest before heading to Koh Lanta in the morning.

We arrived back in Ao Nang around 5pm so grabbed a couple of Changs to enjoy on the balcony whilst playing Monopoly cards. For dinner we consulted Trip Advisor and decided upon a Thai restaurant called KoDam Kitchen which was around a 20 minute walk from our hotel. It was a little off the main street down a very long and dark side road so not something you would have easily stumbled across just walking around. Despite that it was really busy but they managed to squeeze us in. For starter we shared some roti and peanut sauce, very closey followed by a whole red talapia and pineapple fried rice. Now the name should have given it away really but it really was a whole fish, head, flippers and all. I saw it and thought no way was Simon going to eat that but fair play to the boy he gave it a good go! My pineapple fried rice came in a hollowed out pineapple which looked very impressive, all of which was delicious!Read more