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Home > Educational Adventure Tours > Wet, Wild, and Wonderful Weekend Tours > Khao Sok Explorer > Day 2 Keystone Species / Rainforest Ecology / Cave Ecology

    Detailed Itinerary and Images      
trip overview   day 1   day 2   day 3      

Trip Overview
Detailed Itinerary and Images
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
 
 
 
 
 
 
Day 2 Study Focus: Keystone Species / Rainforest Ecology / Cave Ecology

 

  • Everyone’s up early to view a spectacular sunrise and enjoy a snack of banana bread and hot chocolate (or coffee) before departing on our Dawn Safari

.


  • Armed with binoculars, maps and note books, we survey the lakeshore in search of hornbills and their nesting sites, as well as Lar gibbon families. This census is the first ever conducted at Khao Sok, and provides an important bench mark for monitoring impacts on wildlife from poaching.

  • Wildlife sightings during Dawn Safari usually include: several species of hornbills, Lar gibbons, Dusky and Silver langurs, Long-tail macaques, Pig-tail macaques, White-bellied sea eagles, Osprey, Lesser fish eagles, mynas, Greater coucals, Jungle fowl, Chinese pond herons, kingfishers and a wealth of songbirds.



  • Returning to our raft house for breakfast we then have several hours for formal studies, swimming, and kayaking before our afternoon adventure begins.
  • We set off by boat before noon to cross the vast lake to the trail head to Namtaloo Cave, and begin a 2-3 hour study trek through primary tropical forest. Along the trail we will stop to learn about liana vines, bamboo, giant tree buttresses, termite mounds, fig tree pollination, and many other lessons.








  • Weather permitting, there's the option of preparing our lunch "forest dweller" - style. This requires folding rice into leaves, cutting bamboo, building a fire and steaming our food inside sections of bamboo.













  • Then we enjoy a picnic lunch at the entrance to the cave before entering the 500 meter long cave passage, carved out by a river. Cave wildlife sightings will include: several species of insectivorous bats, giant cave crickets, scorpion spiders, cave hunter spiders, cave fish, shrimp, crabs, and giant cave toads







  • A waterfall entering the cave mid way through, marks the end of studies and the beginning of a real Indiana Jones-style adventure as we negotiate our way through narrow passages and chilly water to the exit. (Note: High water levels do not allow the complete cave passage)


  • Returning through the forest to our boats, we set off for Tone Tuey Raft House for a clean up and some well deserved refreshments. We then boat back to Kraisorn Raft House during the sunset, stopping along the way to witness the spectacle of tens of thousands giant fruit bats setting off from their tree roosts on their nightly feeding forays.


  • Dinner is followed by a wonderful evening of shadow-puppet theatre. Student teams will use a wide range of animal puppets to create and present their own shows.

  • A closing ceremony for our final night together will highlight each participants special accomplishments, and award them with a wildlife patch should they choose to become a gibbon, hornbill or giant fruit bat “guardian” for life.
 

If you are interested in any of the tours above, you must ensure you carefully read, fill and sign the registration, medical and legal forms. These documents must be submitted with your deposit or full payment for any tours you plan to attend. If you have any questions, you can contact Thom Henley by email (thomhenley@gmail.com).

Registration Form Down load the registration form for any of the tours. Legal Forms Down load the legal forms.
Medical Form Down load the medical forms. Summary of Tour Dates and Costs Down load the summary of all tours cost.

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Web Page Last Updated:  July 18, 2010