Thailand (March 2008)
Khao Sok National Park: Rainforest
I stayed for two days at Our Jungle House just outside Khao Sok National Park, Thailand. The picture below shows my treehouse, which was right next to the river and under a huge limestone cliff.
Khao Sok National Park covers an area of 740 square kilometers of ancient rainforest in southern Thailand, about 100km from Surat Thani. The park is home to around 200 species of birds, and 50 species of mammals, including tigers, leopards, elephants, and gibbons. I was only there for two days, so I wasn't able to go far into the jungle, but I still managed to see quite a lot (mainly insects and reptiles). I only walked about 5km along the main forest trail but it was pretty popular with other visitors, often in groups, so it wasn't particularly conducive to wildlife watching. I didn't see any mammals, but I certainly heard the gibbons calling at night! Next time I go there, I'm planning to hire a local naturalist guide and ask him to take me deep into the jungle for a few days. Dealing with the leeches might not be fun, but I'd see a lot more of the birds and mammals I hope.
My treehouse at Our Jungle House.
View from my treehouse bedroom. Mosquito net above the bed.
Walking along the path to my treehouse.
The approach road to Our Jungle House.
The reception and restaurant at Our Jungle House.
Wonderful food at Our Jungle House.
The trail from Our Jungle House to Khao Sok village.
Looking back at the huge cliff above my treehouse.
Breadfruit.
Roadside altar in Khao Sok village.
Motorbike for rent.
One of the bars in the village.
Entrance to Khao Sok National Park.
Khao Sok visitors' Center.
Khao Sok trail map.
View of the river in the jungle.
Bridge across the jungle river.
Bridge across the jungle river.
Big tree with buttresses.
The main trail from the park headquarters.
Insects eat a lot!
White-rumped munia.
White-rumped munia.
Asian Drongo Cuckoo.
Greenbilled malkoha glimpsed through the trees.
Greenbilled malkoha glimpsed through the trees.
Flower
Common bronzeback
Common bronzeback
Common bronzeback
This 25cm-long Tokay (Gekko gecko) was up in the rafters of my treehouse.
I took a photo of this Tokay (Gekko gecko) by torchlight in my treehouse.
Another species of large gecko in my treehouse.
Mountain horned dragon (Acanthosaura crucigera).
Mountain horned dragon (Acanthosaura crucigera).
Mountain horned dragon (Acanthosaura crucigera).
Forest crested lizard (Calotes emma).
Forest crested lizard (Calotes emma).
Forest crested lizard (Calotes emma).
There were geckos hunting for insects at every light in the restaurant.
There were geckos hunting for insects at every light in the restaurant.
Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) on a rock near the park entrance
Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) on a rock near the park entrance
Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) on a rock near the park entrance
I watched this water monitor (Varanus salvator) catch and eat a frog.
I watched this water monitor (Varanus salvator) catch and eat a frog.
I watched this water monitor (Varanus salvator) catch and eat a frog.
I put a video on Youtube of this water monitor eating a frog.
Young Skink
Skink eating a small worm.
Skink
Frog
Beautiful snail outside my treehouse door (on the tree trunk)
Beautiful snail outside my treehouse door (on the tree trunk)
Spider
Spider
Very large spider
Millipede
Small red ants hauling a dead black ant to their nest.
Large black carpenter bee
Large black carpenter bee
A species of Dart Butterfly (Potanthus sp.)
Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita)
Gray Pansy (Junonia atlites)
Gray Pansy (Junonia atlites)
Butterfly
Rustic (Cupha erymanthis)
Butterfly
Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea lynceus)
Lycaenid Butterfly
Banded Yeoman (Cirrochroa orissa)
Banded Yeoman (Cirrochroa orissa)
Yellow butterfly (Eurema sp.)
Click beetle
Chafer
Chafer
Leaf beetle
Weevil mimicking a bird dropping
Tiger beetle
Tiger beetle
Tiger beetle
Tiger beetle
Small leaf beetle
Small leaf beetle
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Damselfly
Damselfly
Damselfly
Bugs covering a plant
Red bug
Fly
Fly
LINKS
Official homepage for Khao Sok National Park
More information on Khao Sok National Park
Our Jungle House (accommodation)
Bird Conservation Society of Thailand
Siam Insect Museum (good for insect identification)
Butterflies of Singapore (good for butterfly identification)
Hong Kong Lepidopterists' Society (many of the same species of butterflies to Thailand)