During our Thailand adventure, we stumbled upon one of the most extraordinary places – Khao Sok National Park. Along the way, we met fellow travelers who couldn’t stop raving about the Cheow Lan Lake tour, further fueling our curiosity. So, we embarked on our own journey to Khao Sok, and now we wholeheartedly agree that it is indeed a magical destination worth dreaming about! As practical information can be scarce online, we’re excited to share our adventure with you.
How to get from surat thani to khao sok national park
If you’re arriving at Surat Thani airport or arrive at the pier after island hopping in Koh Samui, it’s time to embark on your next adventure: Khao Sok National Park! Thankfully, getting there is easy and affordable! Simply book a mini-van through 12go.asia, where a one-way ticket costs a mere 8 euros for a comfortable 2,5 hour ride.
The mini-van from Surat Thani will drop you off directly at the entrance of the village in Khao Sok. It’s worth noting that the village boasts only one long street adorned with various accommodations, all conveniently leading to the enchanting jungle pathway. Rest assured, finding your hotel in Khao Sok will be a breeze.
Khao Sok National Park: the two sections
Khao Sok National Park can be divided into two distinct sections: the Khao Sok Lake section and the Forest section. In the forest section, you’ll have the freedom to explore one or two designated paths on your own. For an unforgettable jungle adventure, a jungle overnight tour is the experience of a lifetime, since it allows you to slumber in hammocks under a starlit canopy.
The Lake section, accessible only through guided tours (as it is a one and a half hour drive away from the Khao Sok Village), offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the ethereal beauty of Cheow Lan Lake and its towering limestone cliffs. If you’d like to explore the Cheow Lan Lake, booking a tour with the Coco Hostel is the best way to experience three incredible, worry-free days for just 3300 baht per person.
What to expect from the floating bungalows in Khao Sok?
Accommodations in Khao Sok cater to all preferences, from luxurious jungle tree houses to simpler hostels(backlink hostels.com). Our one-night stay in the floating bungalows on Cheow Lan Lake, while not extravagant, provided us with the most breathtaking views. However, the best floating bungalows on the Cheow Lan Lake have a tiny bit more luxury.
insert pic floating bungalows of khao sok national park
A taste of the Khao Sok Jungle.
To create lasting memories, opt to spend a night at the floating bungalows in Khao Sok, which are part of a Cheow Lan Lake Overnight Tour. The budget-friendly tour of the Coco Hostel only started in the evening with a night safari, allowing us ample time to explore the jungle paths during the afternoon.
The park entrance is 300 baht, and you can either join a guided tour or trek independently along the main roads. We chose the latter and were rewarded with numerous wildlife encounters, from playful monkeys to magnificent spiders and scorpions. A couple we met before heading into the jungle, had taken the guided option, but they told us they just did the same route as we did. If you’d like to do a daytrip however, I would suggest taking a guide with you.
insert picture jungle path khao sok national park
Khao Sok National Park is a rainforest, so it was not very surprising we got a heavy afternoon downpour during our hike. This is also why guides advice to go for an early hike instead of an afternoon hike, but we only arrived in the later afternoon. We had to cut our hike short, since the pathways became treacherously slippery. We heard the waterfall was stunning at the end of the hiking trail, but we had to turn back.
Travel tip: Proper shoes and long pants are essential to avoid unwelcome encounters with spiders and leeches.
The 3D/2N overnight tour on the Cheow Lan Lake
Day 1: The night safari
Our adventure commenced with a captivating jungle night safari led by the Coco Hostel. We didn’t expect too much from it as we were already quite spoiled from our safari trips in South Africa. However, our passionate guide impressed us by spotting even the tiniest creatures with astonishing precision! He will share his tips and tricks with you along the way. Spoiler alert: it’s all about the height and direction of the torch! We encountered scorpions, massive spiders, a colossal snake, civet cats and snoozing monkeys, making it an incredibly lucky night for us!
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Day 2: traveling to the floating bungalows and jungle hike
Enjoy a nice pancake breakfast at the hotel and get ready for your drive to the lake. While we usually prefer self-guided expeditions, we discovered that the tour was the best way to maximize our Khao Sok experience. The village-to-lake journey is quite lengthy on a scooter, and booking a separate boat can be pricier.
Upon arriving at the lake, we paid an additional 300 baht per person for the day’s park entry, ready to start our 1,5 hour ride on the romantic longtailboats. The captivating views of limestone rocks emerging from the water was a magical experience. I didn’t want to blink my eyes, just to really capture the landscape into my memories. Afraid of missing one second of this beautiful piece of natural art.
insert picture limestone cliffs Khao Sok National Park
Arriving at the floating bungalows on Cheow Lan Lake in the early afternoon, we couldn’t resist a refreshing dip before savoring our simple yet scrumptious lunch of fish and rice. Soon, we embarked on an exhilarating jungle hike leading to a captivating cave. We were advised to wear shoes that could handle some water, as leeches and sharp rocks awaited us on the trail. Little did we know that we’d be wading knee-deep in water throughout the hike.
Our shoes remained soaked for days, so we suggest opting for water shoes or grabbing inexpensive sneakers from the village, which you can leave behind after the hike. Also, consider buying a small 2l drybag to keep your phone safe. It might not look super fancy in pictures, but it’s one of my favorite travel gadgets!
The jungle trek, shared with like-minded travelers, allowed us to swap adventure stories and travel tips. The cave was a unique touch, requiring us to wade into the water up to our middles.
We returned the same way as we came and went back for dinner and the night safari by boat. The coolest thing was that all day tourists were gone by that time and we were literally the only one on the lake, watching the sunset from our longtailboat in the beautiful surrounding in the middle of nowhere. Following the sound of howler monkeys left us with a breathtaking view, watching them play on their little island paradise. It was a moment to never forget.
The rest of the evening, you had spare time to enjoy a chat with the group or relax in your bungalow.
Day 3: Morning safari and kayaking
An early rise led us to a morning safari aboard the romantic longtailboats, where we witnessed otters and monkeys awakening in the Khao Sok park.
insert picture longtailboat cheow lan lake khao sok national park
Afterward, we got a quick breakfast before indulging in a brief but spectacular kayaking session. Gliding through the pristine paradise all alone was a moment of sheer beauty, enough to bring tears of happiness to my eyes.
After that, we had to return to the hostel since our tour would already end at 2pm. While heading back and enjoying the view for one last time, the boat stopped randomly at an island where we could watch the limestone pillars and enjoy a snack. We drove passed the Guillin Viewpoint on the way back as well, with the legendary three cliffs next to each other.
insert pic guillin viewpoint khao sok national park
Returning to the hostel by 2 pm, we decided to spend our last night in Khao Sok at Art’s Riverview Lodge, a more luxurious jungle stay, before venturing to Kao Lak for our Similan Diving Liveaboard!
What to bring to the floating bungalow trip?
At the little market you’ll visit before taking the boat to the floating bungalows, you can buy head torches, drybags or watershoes which you’ll definitely need during your overnight trip. However, if you looked at our tips on what to bring on a one month trip to Southeast Asia, you’ll probably already have all these items with you.
Travel tip: make sure your powerbanks and phones are fully charged since there is only limited access to electricity during your stay.
