January 20th to 22nd- Jungle Magic Tour

The jungle magic tour was amazing. Caught another overnight train down to Surat Thani where we were met by our driver. He took us to our first nights accomodation at Art's Riverview Lodge which was right in the middle of the jungle. Our rooms were treehouses over-looking a river and huge cliff where monkeys gather in the evening. The bathroom was also incredible, no ceiling, loads of plants, and a shower that falls down over rocks like a waterfall, could imagine a monkey dropping down from the overhanging trees while you're on the loo. Had a guided canoe trip in the afternoon where we saw all sorts of wildlife. The scenery is amazing here, huge jagged cliffs jut out of the ground like someone has stuck them there. Figs were growing on the riverside trees, ended up throwing the ones that had fallen into the river at eachothers boats.. I got completely picked on by Ben and Lissa and their super-throwing guide and was dodging the figs flying at me until their guide threw one that had been rotting in the river slightly too long.. hit the side of the canoe and exploded sending rotting, slimy, stinking fig all over me. They all found this hilarious and took advantage of my hysterical laughter/ distressed wailing 'get it offff meeee' by throwing more and more. Was very funny but SO gross and our lovely guide kindly jumped into the water to come and help wash off the slimy fig that was everywhere.. Stopped to swim in the river, swinging off rope swings. 
   Got home and had a Thai dinner at Art's restaurant while we watched the monkeys gathering on the cliff. The naughty guide that threw the exploding fig appeared at our table with something behind his back.. We all jumped back as he placed a HUGE toad on our table, by huge I mean the size of a foot ball. It sat their croaking and watching us eat, us all sat on the edge of our seats convinced it was going to leap at us any second. He came back to take it to show another table just in time, as he presented it to another lady it shot a huge amount of wee all over her leg. Lots of screaming that night from Emily and Saydi's room at the lizard that was inside their mosquito net, and the bat screeching around their heads.
  Up early the next day for our transfer to Chieow Lan lake. A gorgeous lake in the mountains. Caught a long-tail boat for an hour to our raftrooms. Floating between two islands was a row of lovely little bamboo huts that were our bedrooms. Everything was so peaceful and beautiful. Step out of our room and you can dive (or pathetic flop jump in my case) straight into the clear, fresh water of the lake. Spent a lot of time messing about in the water, then jumping out to sunbathe on the bamboo platforms. All meals were included and for lunch they presented us with the most delicious selection of Thai food we've had so far, and any empty plates they hurriedly piled on more. In the afternoon we went on a walk through the jungle. Our guide showed us an intricate trap door created by a spider to catch it's prey, and tapped on the entrance to other tarantula homes which made them come creeping out to pounce on the stick. Gave me shivvers but was very cool to see. Also spotted monkeys dropping through trees and chameleons running along the ground. Sleeping in the bamboo huts gently rocking on the lake was so lovely and peaceful. Desperate for the loo in the middle of the night and too scared to navigate the wobbly walking platform through the lake to the toilets in the pitch black by myself, so dragged ben with me. Lots of rustling and movement in the trees right next to the toilets had us moving very fast back to our hut.
   The next day we did some more wildlife spotting before breakfast in kayaks, and during the day by long-tail boat. So much fun. We were very sad to say goodbye to this idylic place but had to get our transfer to Don Sak ferry port for the ferry to Ko Samui.