Khao Sok National Park is the world’s oldest rainforest officially designated as a national park in 1980. This park has an area of about 739 square kilometers is wider than the Ta Ban Kun Park, Phanom, and Khiri Ratniyom District.
Around the park, there are limestone mountains with waterfalls, steep cliffs, caves, and hidden lakes. The limestone mountains surrounding the park also earned the nickname “Guilin Thailand” because of the sloping limestone shapes that look alike limestone in Guilin, China.
When you just enter the garden area you will be immediately greeted by the sound of water flowing from Mae Namtok Ya (Waterfall Mae Ya). The water is quite clear and fresh when you put it on your face. The park is only four kilometers from this waterfall.
There are still other more magnificent waterfall and also the cave beside the Mae Namtok Ya waterfall. Almost all parts of the park can only be accessed by walking, which is good for the health because the atmosphere of the park is really natural.
In addition, this park also has protected endangered species such as Malayan bears, elephants, tigers, leopards, and bulls. For bird lovers, you will be fascinated while visiting bird breeding because there are 180 species of birds with beautiful feathers that you can see.
In the south area of the park, there are various plants such as ferns and bamboo, and all the trees are more than 10 cm in diameter. Other rare plants contained in this park is Bua Phut or more familiar with the title Rafflesia Flower. Bua Phut in this park is also claimed as the largest Rafflesia Flowers in the world because when the flowers bloom, the width of the flowers is about 80 cm in diameter and can weigh up to 10 kg.
This smelling plant is a rootless parasite plant that relies solely on the roots of the vine forests to survive. Unfortunately, this flower has a short life cycle. After waiting for bloom for approximately nine months, this flower only blooms 5 to 7 days before it dies.
On the other side of the park, there is Chew Lan, a beautiful lake hidden away with its clear greenish water. Cool air and shades of green around will make you feel more calm, especially if you enjoy the lake with a tour using canoe or bamboo rafting.
On the outskirts of the lake, there are also bungalows that can be used if you want to spend the night in this park. The building is very distinctive, with woven bamboo walls and natural roofs.
If you are tired of walking around the park, now is the time to enjoy delicious Thai food at Khao Sok Discovery Restaurant. The shape is Not like a restaurant in general, this place integrates with no natural barriers or walls, only tables and wooden benches under high cliffs. Not only that the presentation of food and beverages here also use the natural materials of bamboo.
Despite Indonesia’s size is beyond Thailand, now Thailand has shown an increase in forests area in 2002, in agriculture areas increased by 4.3 percent with a 10-year period alone, besides that the area of the plantation is also increasing rapidly.
Indonesia should be able to learn from Thailand because the country is able to maintain its forest area, and also can increase the area of plantation and agriculture. One of them is encouraged by the existence of various national parks that are always maintained and preserved. Khao Sok National Park is a park with tropical rainforest area that helps to balance the ecosystem in the world.