Khao Sok National Park

DREAM ADVENTURE 23: Visit Khao Sok National Park in Thailand

Khao Sok national park (Thai: เขาสก) is located in Surat Thani province in Thailand. The park comprises the largest area of virgin forest in Southern Thailand and is a remnant of rainforest which is older and more diverse than the Amazon Rainforest. The wild mammals include, Malayan Tapir, Asian Elephant, Tiger, Sambar Deer, Bear, Guar, Banteng, Serow, Wild Boar, Pig Tailed Macaque, Langur, White handed Gibbon, Squirrel, Muntjak and Mouse Deer.It is perhaps most famous for the Bua Phut (Rafflesia kerrii) flower which grows within the park. In addition to its exotic flora, Khao Sok is inhabited by a wide variety of animals, including gibbons and barking deer.

"Khao Sok is connected to two other national parks, Kaeng Krung and Phang-Nga, as well as the Khlong Saen and Khlong Nakha wildlife sanctuaries. Together, these reserves form the largest contiguous nature preserve – around 4000 sq km – on the Thai peninsula. A major watershed for the south, the park is filled with lianas, bamboo, ferns and rattan, including the wǎi tào phráw (giant rattan) with a stem more than 10cm in diameter. A floral rarity in the park is the Rafflesia kerrii Meijer, known to the Thais as bua phút (wild lotus), one of the largest flowers in the world. Found only in Khao Sok and an adjacent wildlife sanctuary (different varieties of the same species are present in Malaysia and Indonesia), mature specimens can reach 80cm in diameter. The flower has no roots or leaves of its own; instead it lives parasitically inside the roots of the liana, a jungle vine. From October to December buds burst forth from the liana root and swell to football size. When the bud blooms in January and February it emits a potent stench resembling rotten meat, which attracts pollinating insects." -LonelyPlanet.com

All the pictures just like stunning. If you want more information, check the park's offical website: http://www.khaosok.com/



There is lots of stuff to do during a short stay here: kayaking, jungle trekking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, caving, birdwatching, swimming and hiking. And zomg! Wild elephants!!!

I've read that the best times to go visit are between December and April but it's a nice spot regardless year round. Just at certain times you're going to have to put up with a lot of rain.

Upon arrival, you'd have to set yourself up with a floating bamboo hut on Cheow Lan Lake.



One interesting excursion was the Nam Thalu cave. You get there by kayak and you have a short walk til you reach the cave and I've read that the cave has absolutely amazing stalactites, stalagmites and limestone formations and an amazing colony of bats and a stream that runs through the middle of it.

Information about their bungalows: http://www.khaosok.net/

Smack Nightclub

DREAM ADVENTURE NUMBER 22: VISIT SMACK NIGHTCLUB

If I ever go to the United Kingdom, I will definitely have some fun at this place. I do not have the words the explain how awesome epic this nightclub is.



other video

Camel Journey

picking up from my previous Timbuktu dream adventure leads us to...

DREAM ADVENTURE NUMBER 21: Timbuktu to Taoudenni via the Salt Road on camels



WHEN: November to February
HOW LONG: about 2 weeks, some 500 miles

"Join a Touareg caravan leaving from Timbuktu for a journey of a lifetime. There is austere beauty in the desert, and little sound other than the soft shoe shuffle of camels moving over hard sand and sharp stones. Sleeping under the stars (could you even imagine the view?!) in the immense silence of the desert is a profound experience. Days begin before sun up, and the caravan travels doggedly until darkness falls. Strong, sweet mint tea is frequently brewed and beings to taste like nectar from the gods. At night, rice and dried meat is cooked and eaten, with a sprinkling of sand thrown in. Reaching the halfway point of Arouane, a tiny settlement en route, feels like a great achievement. From there on in, the desert is empty -- no grass, no trees, just sand stretching to the horizon. There is little wildlife -- desert rats, lizards, beetles and perhaps gazelles, but you may pass camel bones: bleached by the sun they underline the fact that your life is in the hands of your guide. When the stony desert becomes sand dunes, you know you are within reach of Taoudenni. Here, in a vast basin that was once a sea, a couple hundred men dig for salt, living in primitive, almost Biblical conditions. However, within 24 hours the camels are fully loaded with their heavy cargo, and are ready to being the trek back to Timbuktu and civilization."
*501 Must-Take Journeys. London: Octopus Publishing Group Lmtd, 2008.

You can also rent 4x4s to do the journey and it takes about 3 days but I'd really want the whole experience of being part of a camel caravan. With nothing else to do, think about the realizations and thinking about yourself and life that you can accomplish. To me, after completing that journey, I'd feel like I'd just climb a mountain or something. Plus the temperatures there can reach 120 degrees. Holy shit. It'd be such a savage journey.

You can also arrange with Tuaregs to take you out on tours for relatively cheap if you want to go on one shorter than 2 weeks.

Raft Trip: Upano River

DREAM ADVENTURE NUMBER 20: Visit Ecuador and raft the Upano River

WHEN: November to January. However from May to August, water levels fluctuate due to rain and it can change Upano's usual class III rapids into IV or V.

HOW LONG: 5 days, including put in and take out.

WITH WHO: there are many rafting agencies who will provide all raft and safety equipment. 1 backpack is allowed per person.

HIGHLIGHTS:

"On its swift-flowing path from the Andes to the Ecuadorian Amazon, the Upano River becomes broad jungle waterway spun with thrilling rapids. Occasional clearings in the dense forest on its banks are home to the indigenous Shuar people, whose frail balsa rafts are the only river traffic. The descending river powers through canyons trialed with vines and foliage, then twists into a narrow gorge chocked by massive boulders. A dozen waterfalls crash hundreds of feet from the high canyon walls, adding their sparkle to the drenching spume of contorted water. It's spectacular, ecstatic, breathtaking -- one of the best white-water rafting adventures in the whole world.



Everything about the legendary five-day Upano raft trip is perfect. You join the river at the frontier town of Macas, where it runs broad, , a flight path for egrets, parrots, raptors and the darting brightness of songbirds galore. Shuar guides share their knowledge of the forest and of culture in the headwaters of the Amazon. After the Patuca Bridge, the Upano enters a series of rocky gorges, culminating in the Canyon of Sacred Waterfalls. These are grade IV and V rapids, and all the more exciting because you have been well prepared for them. Better still, there are lots of them, they come in groups, so you won't get completely battered or exhausted. By the time you leave the river at Santiago, 65 miles downstream, you fell exhilarated not jut by the speed thrills of distance rafting, but by the the feeling of having learned a bit about the Shuar and the Amazon rain forest from the amazing side-trips and the evenings in camp."
*501 Must-Take Journeys. London: Octopus Publishing Group Lmtd, 2008.

Also quickly found this website for trips on the river and it's relatively cheap at a little over $600 a person.

http://www.detourdestinations.com/products/The_Upano_River_Expedition__6_Days_16248.html

Visit the Netherlands

I haven't done one of these in awhile but I still have been daydreaming as always. I've come to believe that working a mundane retail job leaves lots of room for daydreaming in order to get your mind off work for the sole purpose of not going insane. Of course this may not be the most smartest thing to be thinking about at work but...

DREAM ADVENTURE NUMBER 19: visit the Netherlands.

I've already been kinda planning it out in my head for 2011. I'd need enough time to save up money because I'd go in Novemeber and that's kind of short notice now; especially because a couple of my friends said they'd be down to join me.

Looking up airfare (of course I wouldn't be buying it for another year or so but just for an idea at the moment) but the cheapest I found was under $1000 roundtrip so that's not that bad. Plus I already have my passport but you don't even need a visa to get in the country... or a return ticket... :P

I've had a layover at Amsterdam when I was travelling to Ghana. Schiphol is an amazing airport with a whole mall, casinos in it and of course Heineken...

First thing, I'd get a pint of Heineken -- from tap.

Secondly, attend Qlimax -- an annual event held by the Dutch entertainment enterprise, Q-Dance. It is considered one of the leading hardstyle events on the calendar and a major attraction of Q-Dance and contains some of the most sophisticated production and setup for any event AKA zOhMyGawd LAZERS!



I'd be a judge in the Cannabis Cup.

"The High Times Cannabis Cup is the world’s preeminent Cannabis festival. Founded in 1987 by Steven Hager, the High Times Cannabis Cup takes place each November in Amsterdam. The event allows judges from around the world to sample and vote for their favorite marijuana strains. These judges-at-large decide the Cannabis Cup (overall winner in the cannabis strain competition), best new product, best booth, best glass, best hash and best Nederhash. A team of VIP judges decide which seed company has grown the best marijuana. The High Times Cannabis Cup also includes live music, comedy and an expo for marijuana-related products from cannabis-oriented businesses. Beginning with the 6th Cup, Hager began fusing counterculture spirituality into the event and using the time 420 (cannabis culture) as an important ceremonial moment. "Most of what I learned about spirituality came from Stephen and Ina May Gaskin and from attending National Rainbow Family Gatherings," says Hager.

The event is widely endorsed by activists who fight for decriminalization of marijuana.

Marijuana use is decriminalized in most parts of The Netherlands. Much of the marijuana present at the Cup is from the different coffee shops around Amsterdam. Usually the High Times Cannabis Cup features a surprise strain of marijuana that is new to the culture and will be tested by the judges. Many tourists go to Amsterdam specifically to attend the festival."

Visit the Red Light District.
and the erotic museum.



Visit the Artis Zoo.

"A regal entrance detailed with gilded eagles and ornate gates welcomes visitors to this intriguing zoo, which was instituted in 1838 and still boasts a 19th century ambience. With more than 6000 animals representing 700-some species, the zoo offers a glimpse of wildlife from around the world that's sure to prove enlightening to kids and adults alike. On the grounds, you'll also find (at no extra charge) an aquarium, planetarium, botanical gardens, and two museums devoted to zoology and geology."

Shop for an amazing piece.

Eat breakfast with an amazing view on the Euromast.



Have a few more pints of Heineken.
and perhaps visit the Heineken museum.

Visit the Floating Flower Market.

"The flower market on the Singel between the Munt tower and the Koningsplein is one of the most colourful, sweet-smelling sightseeing attractions in Amsterdam. The Singel is one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam. Of special mention are the goods which are set out on floating stalls. A tradition stemming from the time when all flowers and plants were daily transported by boat, fresh from the horticultural regions around Amsterdam. The flowers are still delivered daily but trucks have now replaced the water transport.

Since 1862 this market has developed into one of the most famous flower markets in Holland. Everything that grows or blooms can de found here - from Dutch tulips and geraniums to indoor cypresses and 'mano' bulbs from the Easter Islands."

excerpt from www.bugeurope.com (FANTASTIC SITE!!)

Visit the Anne Frank House.

Visit Hortus Botanicus.

"The modern incarnation of an early medicinal garden cultivated for physicians, Hortus Botanicus has been in existence at this location since 1682. Seafaring traders brought from their journeys exotic plants, which found their way to the garden and were the beginnings of a collection that now numbers 8000+ species. Visitors will find both outside and within specially-built greenhouses rare palms and plants representing tropical, sub-tropical and desert environments. Abundant flowers, water features, mature trees, and plantings for herbs and roses also fill the garden's pastoral acreage. Be sure to step inside the small greenhouse full of live butterflies."

Visit Giethoorn- a place in Holland, where you will never find a single road, because all, I mean it all transportation are done by boats alone.



Visit the Hash, Marijauna and Hemp Museum.


Visit the Van Gogh Museum.