This trip was initiated by a friend who had previously traveled with us.
We will experience the most pristine rainforest in the southernmost province of Thailand.
Home to hornbills and various rare wildlife,
and a place known as the Amazon of Asia, located in Narathiwat Province.
Here it is, the forest of "Bala-Hala".

We departed in the late afternoon from Don Mueang Airport, heading to Hat Yai Airport, arriving just in time for the evening.

After a short flight, we arrived at Hat Yai Airport.
Without wasting any time, we hopped on a songthaew to head to the Red Planet Hotel.

We will stay in Hat Yai city for one night.
Before we leave early in the morning at Hat Yai Junction Railway Station.

The sky was already dark, so we went out to find something to eat.
The most famous snack here is probably the fried buns from Ko Awn's shop.
The dough is thick, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was really good, I'm glad I came here to eat.

After a satisfying walk and meal, it's time to head back and get some rest.
We have to wake up early tomorrow to catch the earliest train, which departs at 6:30 AM sharp!

This is the same as the original text, as there is nothing to translate.

We woke up feeling extremely groggy and walked out of the hotel to catch a train to Hat Yai Junction Station. It wasn't far, so we could walk comfortably.

Most people here travel by train. People come to use the service early in the morning.

After buying the tickets, let's get on the train.
Disappointed with the short queue, let's buy some sticky rice with fried chicken instead.

The soldiers are on duty to maintain security at the station. They are working in a good mood.

He wouldn't even turn to face us.

Our destination today is heading to Sungai Kolok Railway Station.

As the train pulls out of the station, we have no idea what we will encounter today.
With new routes and new people, this southern train line is full of surprises.

The morning atmosphere by the railway, with green trees and fresh air,
hitting our faces, the first feeling we experience together.

Enjoying the scenery along the way, I caught a glimpse of someone familiar.
It was none other than our travel companion!
They were already in high spirits early in the morning.

And then the sun came out to greet us.

Sipping iced tea in this kind of atmosphere
makes me feel really happy.

And so, our journey of learning about the lives of people on the train began.

This gentleman sitting next to us is a teacher at Thepa and Rueso districts.
The place where he teaches is a small community college that provides opportunities for people in the community to study close to home.
It is considered a place that saves educational expenses well, as most people here work mainly as rubber tappers.

Behind us, this old man is a retired teacher.
No matter what place we ask, what we want to know, the old man can answer us all.

After a while, the train took us into Pattani province.
The name of the station that many people must be familiar with.

The number of passengers on the train gradually increased.
These young people are on their way to a wedding.

And then we entered Narathiwat Province. The waving green flag
was a good sign that the journey was still moving forward.

Passengers who are getting off at this station, please disembark at Tanyong Mas.

A beautiful friendship that blossomed on a train.

After sitting for several hours, we finally arrived at our destination,
Sungai Kolok Railway Station. The people here use the train service very heavily.

The children here are so adorable. They came up to me to take photos without any shyness.

Hey, isn't that Brother Winson, the Monkey King?
Just seeing his face makes me smile.

The soldiers greeted us with a friendly smile.

We're here.
Let's take a picture with the soldiers as a souvenir.

Our next mission is to set a marker in the Balahala forest.
We're ready, so let's rent a songthaew and go!

Along the way, there will be checkpoints like this all the way to ensure strict security.

We have arrived at the Halabala Wildlife Sanctuary.
Many people may wonder why some people call it Halabala and others call it Balahala.
From what we asked the officials, Halabala is a 2-part rainforest that is not continuous but has a paired name.
Halabala Forest is a forest located in Yala Province, while Balahala Forest is a forest located in Narathiwat Province.

Our accommodation is simple and comfortable.

The bathrooms here are spacious and clean.

For those who wish to enter the area to study nature here,
You must submit a letter of intent in advance to the Halabala Wildlife Sanctuary.
P.O. Box 3, Waeng District, Narathiwat Province 96160.

Dressed up and ready to go.

Today we will go to the project to explore and collect wild ornamental plants in the southern region.

Let's go see rare plant species.

This officer's name is Bang Air.

Along the way, we will encounter a variety of plant species.

As they walked, some people were unknowingly bitten by leeches, which sucked their blood.
It was just like what happened to this officer, who got stuck.

And then, out of the blue, the hornbill appeared before us.
During this survey project, it was surprisingly tame and didn't fly away at all.

The officer then pointed out the bird to us. Taking a picture with our camera wouldn't work.
It's better to use the officer's binoculars, they're much clearer.

This is Bang Ree. No bird can escape his sight.

This bird is called a Black-winged Kite.

And then we stopped by the waterfall, at Sirinthorn Waterfall.

The waterfall here is not a waterfall that flows from a high cliff.

It is a stream that slowly flows from the forest.

There is a rock pool where you can sit and relax.

After a refreshing swim, we will head to the viewpoint on the Balahala forest to watch the sunset.
Everyone still has energy, so let's have a running competition!

Not yet, not yet, not yet, they're still jumping.
How fit are they going to be?

Let's take a look at another angle.
These guys are hungry now.
Look at their faces, they can't take it anymore. They want to go home. Hahaha.

Please wait!!! We turned to see this flower right here
Hiding our eyes in the grass
We asked the officer and found out that this flower is called Nang Yai Tho flower.

The sun has set, it's time to go home for dinner.

Our dinner.

Some people still have energy left, so they sit and gossip for a long time.

We can't talk for too long tonight, as we need to wake up early tomorrow to see the sea of mist.
The place we're going to just officially opened to the public on February 14th.

Not yet fully asleep, it's time to push ourselves
and continue our journey.

The path leading up to the sea of mist here is well-maintained.
It is a safe staircase.

As the sun begins to shine, the beautiful natural things

It has been released for us to see.

This scenic viewpoint offers panoramic views of the sea of mist covering both sides of the mountain range.
The mountains are the Sankalakhiri Range, which straddles the border between Thailand and Malaysia, with the Sungai Golok River flowing through the valley below.

The children here came to take pictures with us. The small smiles that came from the local people turned into happiness that we were able to see.

After enjoying the sea of fog to the fullest,
Let's go back to the house to recharge for a bit. We still have many places to go.

Suddenly, the hornbill appeared again.
It flew to the banyan tree to eat ripe banyan fruit.
It's in our backyard. This one is called a hornbill, the largest hornbill species.

Before going to the field, some of the older brothers and sisters did their homework very well.
They had bird guidebooks and were very well prepared.

The first place we're going to today
is the animal viewing point in the Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary.
Hey, I'm not an animal, why are you pointing at me?!

Along the way, we also looked for animals.
We walked and enjoyed the nature.

And then this bird appeared before us. The officers really have good eyes.

This bird is called a brown shrike.

This is an orange-breasted cuckoo.

After enjoying the nature to the fullest, we will go play in the waterfall.
The path before going to the waterfall, we will have to pass through a grass tunnel like this.
Many people were scratched by leaves and grass.

We've arrived at Rainbow Waterfall. It was worth the scratches we got on the way here.

The waterfall here is not officially open to the public yet. Only authorized personnel can enter.

The waterfall slide here made us smile
and enjoy what nature has to offer.

After having fun playing in the water, we will continue to the Phu Khao Thong Forest Protection Unit, which is a sub-unit of the Halabala Wildlife Sanctuary. We will go see the largest rare tree species here.

Along the way, we also encountered strange flowers popping up along the path.
Like this one, called the "Pud" flower.

The shortcut cuts through the reservoir, passing by the waterfall, which is a pleasant sight.

And then we came across a rare species of tree here.
This tree is called "Sompong" or "Giant Kapong". Its trunk is so big that it takes 27 people to hug it.

On this path to Ban Phu Khao Thong,

Another wonder that awaits us is the Mystery Hill.

At first glance, this place looks like a normal sloping hill.
But the magic of this hill is that when we put a car, motorcycle,
or any object on it, it will look like it is flowing uphill,
even though in reality the object should flow from a higher place to a lower place.

Many people may not be able to imagine it. Try watching this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEoFPWrYC_Y

After being amazed by this wonder, we are hungry again.
Today we are going to eat roti in the city. It would be a shame not to eat it while we are here.
Come on, stop smiling and get in the car. I'm hungry now. Hahaha.

And the highlight of our day today happened on the way

The hornbill appeared to us.

The official told us that this hornbill is a full-grown adult.

The adorable sight we witnessed today was a pair of hornbills perched on a tree, playfully interacting with each other in a truly romantic way.

This hornbill we see here is a rhinoceros hornbill.

Seeing hornbills in this forest is a good indicator of its abundance.
Some even call it a virgin forest.

After being impressed by the hornbills,
We will go into the city to see the way of life of the people in Waeng District, Narathiwat Province.

As for the birdcages you see here, they are a common household item.
No matter which house we pass, we will see this birdcage hanging in every house.

The roti everyone has been waiting for, after complaining all day that they wanted to eat it.

There is a wide variety of food to choose from here.
You can walk around and buy from almost every shop. Most importantly, the prices are very affordable.

After we finished shopping, we stopped by the officer's house for a meal.
Everyone ate with great relish.

It's time to return to our accommodation.
Our last night together is coming to an end.

We slept soundly before returning this morning, as we didn't have to wake up early like we usually do.

Last breakfast before returning home.

These two housekeepers have been taking care of our food for the past three days.

Access to this area is strictly controlled.
Because this is not a national park, but a wildlife sanctuary.

It's time to say goodbye to our officers. The friendship, smiles, and memories, every feeling we've soaked in, have become unforgettable impressions. We will definitely never forget this forest.

Our journey to the southernmost province of Yala, at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, exposed us to diverse lifestyles and perspectives.

The unrest that outsiders see has become a fascinating charm to explore.

There are still many stories that the southern border provinces want to tell us.
When we have the opportunity, we will return again...

"Travel helps us
Overcome many fears
Just open our hearts to learn
What we receive is more than
Letting the starting point
Be just a stagnant thought"

Expense details

Round-trip flight from Don Mueang to Hat Yai 1,420 baht

Round trip Narathiwat - Don Mueang 1,205 baht

Train fare from Hat Yai to Sungai Kolok is 92 baht.

The fare for a shared taxi from Hat Yai Airport to Red Planet Hotel is 200 baht per person.

Journey from Sungai Kolok Railway Station - Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary

Return from Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary - Narathiwat Airport

Renting a car for 3 days costs 3,500 baht. For two people, the average cost is 350 baht per person.

The cost of a room at Red Planet for 1 night is 800 baht. The room can accommodate 2 people, so the cost per person is 400 baht.

The cost of accommodation at the Halabala Wildlife Sanctuary is 600 baht per night for 2 nights, totaling 1,200 baht. This averages out to 60 baht per person.

Food and beverage expenses are 1,800 baht per person.

A total of 20 people went, with a total cost of 5,347 baht per person.

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