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Khao Sok National Park is a nature reserve located in the south of Thailand in Surat Thani province. It is a popular stopover for southern and eastern Thailand travellers along with Khao Lak in Phang Nga province.
The highlight of Khao Sok National Park is Cheow Lan Lake. It is a 185-square-kilometre artificial lake. Breathtaking limestone cliffs and centuries-old rainforests surround it.
Besides beautiful hiking trails and many outdoor activities, Cheow Lan Lake also offers gorgeous resorts on the water. Getting up in a floating bungalow and then enjoying the wonderful nature must be a unique feeling. It is also known as the Guilin Bay of Thailand.
Cheow Lan Lake Tour
The day after our arrival, we were picked up at 08:30 in the morning and drove one hour in the van to the harbour of Cheow Lan Lake. Shortly afterwards, we set off on our adventure in a long-tail boat.
Three Brothers Rock â Hin Sam Glur
One of the first stops was the Three Brothers Rocks, probably one of Thailand's most beautiful photo motifs. The rocks rise out of the water at almost equal distances. Thais call the stone on the left King's Rock. One of its peaks looks like a king with a crown.
Kayaking @ Smiley Lakehouse
Next, we went to the Khao Sok Smiley Lakehouse, one of the floating hotels on Cheow Lan Lake. While they made lunch, we could rent kayaks and explore the area independently. Enjoying nature and the emerald green water without the running engine of the long tail boat is a very peaceful feeling.
When we returned, lunch was ready. We have made the experience on our tours that the food usually tastes very delicious, and the best thing is that there is always more than enough of it. So always eat well, because you need the energy for a full-day tour.
Jungle Trail
After a delicious fish with green curry followed by coffee, we went back on the boat and to the Jungle Trail. It was just as exciting and entertaining as the lake. The beauty of Khao Sok National Park is that it is also home to rare animal and plant species. The Rafflesia, for example, is the largest flower in the world. In addition, hornbills and gibbons exist there.
The Jungle Trail's highlight is a cave containing an underground river. We swam into it a bit but didn't get very far. It started to rain heavily in the meantime, and the water was already literally up to our necks. It can be hazardous when you are in a cave, so get out quickly.
Coffee & Tea
After an hour's hike back to the boat, we went to another floating resort nearby. There we had some coffee & tea to warm up.
Dam Rajjaprabha
The dam is the reason for the creation of this beautiful area. It was built in 1987 and is the last site of our tour. From there we went back to the hotel by van.
In conclusion, this tour was a great success, and we recommend it to anyone visiting Khao Sok National Park. Of course, it always depends on the guide, ours was very funny, knew a lot about the area and provided great entertainment. The drives to the individual spots alone are breathtakingly beautiful and worth the money.
Our costs:
Tour: 1,180 Baht (~âŹ31.50)
National park fee: 300 Baht (~âŹ8)
Harbor fee: 20 Baht (~âŹ0.50)
Total: 1,500 Baht (~âŹ40)
Our restaurant recommendations
There is not much choice of restaurants on site. However, this is not bad, as most visitors only stay for 1-2 nights in Khao Sok National Park. Therefore, we visited two good and inexpensive Thai restaurants.
Bamboo Bistro Khaosok
Bamboo Bistro was the best-attended restaurant near our hotel, so we went there for dinner the evening after our arrival and were not disappointed.
I had an excellent pizza by Thai standards, and Natalie had delicious Pad Thai.
Thai Herb Restaurant
On the second evening, we visited the Thai Herb Restaurant and had good massaman, green curries, and delicious shakes.
Mango Sticky Rice Stand
After we visited Thai Herb, we were in the mood for Mango Sticky Rice again. Finally, we found what we were looking for a little further down the road. In front of the Nongsaw Thai Food Restaurant is a stall where the friendly owner offers fresh Mango Sticky Rice until late in the evening.
Our hotel recommendation
We spent two nights at the Khao Sok Jungle Huts Resort. We booked a simple bungalow with air conditioning, which offered everything we needed. The staff is amiable, and the resort is beautifully green and quiet. Behind the hotel, you can even go swimming in the Sok River.
After our Khao Sok adventure, we headed towards Eastern Thailand and the three islands we already got to know and love on our 2020 holiday, luckily before Corona.
See you in the next post! đ