Ban Sok

The rain is definitely louder in the jungle, more surfaces to bounce off of. It rained pretty much all night and morning. I’d decided to go bamboo rafting this morning and wondered if it would cancelled. It wasn’t. While I’d rather have gone when it wasn’t rainy, it was still something to do. Solo travelling challenge comes back as activities have a 2 person min. Luckily another party had booked the rafting as well so I didn’t have to pay extra.

The bamboo rafts are basic with no cover but the gentleman steering provided a dry seat cover. Each raft takes 2 people so I ended up with my own. The ride is idyllic as we float down the river, admiring the scenery.

When we pulled to a stop, I thought it was over too soon, fortunately it was just our coffee break. The going up was a bit slippery but we made it to a cave which had a covered area that ensured we stayed dry. Our steering men proceeded to make a fire and heat water in a bamboo tube. Tea (or coffee if you so choose) was served in a bamboo cup and came with a bamboo spoon as well which we were to take home as a souvenir.

On the second half of the ride we saw some monkeys in the trees as we floated along. All in all, a nice morning. I had a nap after before grabbing lunch and walking to and through the nearby town.

Town is probably not the right word but a section of town with restaurants, accommodations and a couple of mini marts along with massage places. Im curious what the nearby accommodations are like. Yesterday I was chatting with the GM at Our Jungle House where Im staying. She’s a lovely woman and we were talking about the rustic-ness of the place as some guests had just left as it was too much for them. I suppose people forget we are in the jungle so certain luxuries aren’t to be had.

One of the places that peaked my interest was a dome camp, Smiley Dome. It’s on the main road of ‘town’ and I would’ve paid half of what I did at the treehouse. A bit of a hard pill to swallow but then it is a different experience all together and I’d really wanted to stay in a treehouse. I’m curious what their overnight lake options are as I know ours is basic and in a remote corner of the lake.

There’s also a number of river huts and lodges that look appealing as well. I think at the end of the day, it really depends on what you’re looking for. While I can’t imagine a full week here, I think the two nights are great in addition to the lake. Guess I’m a city girl at heart. You can take the girls l out of the city but you can’t take the city of the girl no matter how much she likes nature.Lue lisää