Khao Sok National Park is the largest national park in southern Thailand and is a remnant of a rainforest that is older and much more diverse than the Amazon rainforest. Beautiful sandstone and shale cliffs tower over Cheow Lan Lake up to 300 to 600 meters in height. The park cuts through a limestone mountain range from north to south with the highest point at 950 meters. Compared to tourist areas like Krabi and Phuket, you will appreciate the divine peace and romantic setting in pristine nature.
Contents
Day 6 (25.12.) – Arrival at Khao Sok
Day 7 (26.12.) – Cheow Lan Lake, Smiley Lakehouse and Nam Talu Cave
Day 8 (27.12.) – Cheow Lan Lake and Khao Sok surroundings
6th day (25.12.) – Arrival in Khao Sok
We arranged our transfer from Ao Nang at our hostel Glur for 350 THB per person. The price is excellent, but be prepared for a journey around the entire peninsula. First to the town itself.Krabi Town, find your way to the bus stop in Krabi and after about half an hour of waiting, hop on the last minivan. They try to cram as many people as possible into these minivans.
Be careful not to lose anything from your backpack during these transfers. I lost my shoes into the water on the way. Along with pit stops and another detour to Khao Lak, the journey takes about 6 hours. This is despite the direct route from Ao Nang being only 160 km and a 2.5-hour drive according to Google Maps. No worries, we’re taking it as an extended tour of the Thai hinterland. Around 3 PM, we arrive at Khao Sok National Park. We booked our accommodation through booking.com and wanted to be as close as possible to the park entrance.
One such option was the Khao Sok Cabana Resort. Picturesque wooden cottages raised on stilts and nestled in nature create an authentic experience. Plus, very friendly staff and complimentary breakfast. The rooms have mosquito nets, but luckily we didn’t need to use them.
There are several excursion options in Khao Sok, so we seek advice at the reception. From the main entrance, there are two trails – a shorter 3 km trail to the north and a longer 7 km trail to the east that ends at a waterfall, with the requirement of a guide from the third kilometer onwards. A bit of a downside is that you have to pay the park entrance fee of 300 THB each day, or you can use our tip.
TIP: Entry to Khao Sok National Park after 4 PM is also valid for the following day.
Considering our length of stay (2 full days), they recommended the 2-day trip with overnight stay in cottages on Cheow Lan Lake.. At the same time, they would deduct one night for accommodation. Plus the entrance fee to the national park of 300 THB is paid only once.
We don’t hesitate for long and book this trip for 2500 THB per person.
Optional trip Cheow Lan Lake Tour in short:
- Price per person: 2500 THB + 300 THB national park
- Duration of the trip: 1.5 days
- Accommodation: Khao Sok Smiley Lakehouse
- Room amenities: 1 large and 1 small mattress, shower and toilet, keys with a deposit of 300 THB
- Electricity: 18:00 – 6:00
- Mobile signal: 18:00 – 7:00 (only AIS operator)
- Meals: full board
Program:
- 20 km boat trip on Cheow Lan Lake
- swimming and kayaking near our accommodation
- tour through the jungle and Nam Talu cave
- boat trip at sunset
- night safari by boat
- morning safari by boat
- jungle trekking and a smaller cave
- swimming at another pier
It’s around 4 p.m. and we have two hours until dark. And since our park tickets will also be valid for tomorrow’s trip, we are going for a short walk in the jungle. Following the recommendation of the receptionist, we are looking for a natural swimming pool on the eastern trail. Make sure to pack mosquito repellent.
TIP: You will find the natural swimming pool Wang Phi Nga after a 1.5 km walk ondetour from the main road.
We made it, in front of us is the Sok River with a gentle entry into the water. We are alone here and the water temperature is much more pleasant than in Krabi. A gentle current will carry you more or less. It’s just an idyllic nature scene 🙂 On the way back, we are accompanied by cicadas buzzing like circular saws. Some even play a duet for you. As for restaurants, they are concentrated along the main road to the park. We also saw an ATM here. Detailed information about withdrawals can be found in our 1st part of the Thailand Guide. Today we are lucky to have a buffet dinner for 250 THB, which includes soup, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and a mixed drink. Prices here are similar to those in Krabi.
Day 7 – Cheow Lan Lake, Smiley Lakehouse, and Nam Talu Cave
We wake up to a beautiful sunny morning. The pick-up from the resort is at 9:00. We are moving about an hour and a half to Khao Sok Pier. Our driver is a sturdy man called “Big Man” who will also be our guide in the park. Along the way, we stop at some shops and he recommends buying headlamps because supposedly the water in the cave will be up to our necks. Not everyone bought one for themselves, but just in case, we get at least one for every two people. At the pier, several groups gather to board one larger longtail boat. We show our tickets from yesterday’s national park, and the journey on the fascinating Cheow Lan Lake begins. Beautiful sandstone and clay cliffs rise 300 to 600 meters above the lake. The lakeside cottages at Smiley Lakehouse are about 20 km away, so you will enjoy the views sufficiently.
TIP: Let home know you won’t have a signal so they don’t panic 🙂
A limestone mountain range runs through the middle of the lake, where we stop at three impressive cliffs resembling human figures. After Maya Bay, I dare say that you won’t put your camera down on this lake either. We arrive back at the pier around 12:00. We settle into cozy floating bungalows and have time for swimming and kayaking. The water is clear and warm. We appreciate the divine peace in nature. There is no electricity or signal during the day, so no one will disturb you. At 13:00, we have a communal buffet lunch, where we are welcomed again and given an overview of the plan for the day. A four-hour trek wading through the river up to our necks and an hour-long cave walk sound adventurous. But don’t worry, we all made it through unscathed 🙂 Since the terrain is expected to be muddy and wet, they provided us with water shoes after a little insistence.
In a group led by Big Man, we set off from our port to the second starting port further south. The tour begins with multiple river crossings, where the very first wading is up to our necks. Big Man earns our admiration right from the start because he completes the entire journey barefoot. Besides having a brisk pace and perfect knowledge of the terrain, he entertains himself at our expense when someone slips into the mud 🙂 At the liana, he first demonstrates and then waits for our Tarzan moves. After about 1.5 km of the trail, there is a fork where you must decide whether to take the longer route through the cave or just go see the eastern exit of the cave. Big Man hands out headlamps, and the real adventure can begin. But beware, he has only half the amount needed, and for example, I missed out on a flashlight that gave out halfway through the cave 🙂 At the beginning of the cave, we shine our lights on spiders and bats. The terrain is wet, rocky, and often you can only guess the depth of the puddles. For claustrophobics, the narrower channel at the end of the cave could be a problem. However, there is a helpful rope there, so you will definitely manage it. The exit from the cave is just a small opening in the rocks that you wouldn’t even notice from the outside.
The return journey is accompanied by a romantic sunset. A well-deserved dinner and an evening safari await us. We set off a bit from our cottages to shine lights on the monkeys. The only problem is that the monkeys are nowhere to be found 🙂 Falling asleep in the swaying cottages is quite pleasant.
Day 8 – Cheow Lan Lake and Khao Sok Area
We wake up before dawn because an early safari is on the agenda before sunrise. We set off from our accommodation like yesterday, this time we were lucky to see 1 monkey and 1 hornbill. On the way back, we enjoy a beautiful sunrise behind the rocks. For breakfast, we have scrambled eggs and a briefing on today’s program. We have to check out so we can move to the second pier for our hiking trip. Today should be without water and mud. And in the afternoon, it’s just the journey back home, so it’s essentially a 1.5-day trip. The hike is up a steep hill, and at the end, we visit a small cave. The whole circuit is 3 km long, and at the pier, we are given a packed lunch and fruits. Until departure at 12:00, there is free time for swimming in the lake.
After moving to the resort, we are considering what to do with the rest of the day. From several alternatives, swimming in the Sok River first won. It is just a few hundred meters from our accommodation. The river entrance is rocky, and there were mostly families with children. We also discovered 3 short hiking trails in the Maps.me app. Nature trails 1, 2, 3, as marked by signs, can be completed in 45 minutes. In circuit number 3, we had the opportunity to see the most monkeys. The path is well-maintained, so you don’t have to worry about needing a machete.
TIP: Don’t go into the jungle without insect repellent 🙂
In the evening, we are going for a Thai massage near our accommodation. After coconut in Krabi, we try the oil massage for 300 THB, but it’s very similar. Tomorrow, early in the morning, we are moving to Koh Tao island.
