Phraya Nakhon Cave in the Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park

On Sunday (11/4) we took a break from the busy life of Bangkok and enjoyed some of the beautiful nature that Thailand has to offer. Spending the first part of our day doing what I love best, we went to a beach and went on a hike to the Phraya Nakhon Cave in the Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park. To all readers of this post, we did not go to the same kind of caves that made national news earlier this year. In these caves, no water was found and but instead there was the most beautiful plant life, limestone rock formations, and numerous ceremonial structures and statues. Here in this cave the air felt heavy and peaceful. The sun shining down from the hole in the top of the cave filtered the light so beautifully and created this timeless effect...our moments spent here were nothing short from relaxing and spiritual. On our way back from the hike we stopped to swim in the ocean. The water was incredibly warm but still refreshing and the slow gradient of the ocean floor made small waves gently crash both far away and closer to the shoreline. This excursion was the perfect way to end our first weekend in Thailand. As eagerly as I submerged myself in their ocean, I'm excited to immerse myself into more cultural experiences over these next three weeks.

~Natalie Underdown