Khao Sok, staying overnight in a tropical rainforest (video)
Khao sok
If you stay in the south of Thailand, for example in Phuket, or travel there, you should definitely visit the national park Khao sok (Thai: เขาสก) in Surat Thani province. It's one of the most beautiful National parks from Thailand. In the park you will find gigantic limestone formations that shoot more than 900 meters into the air, deep valleys, beautiful lakes and caves.
Spending the night in a comfortable jungle lodge located in the middle of the jungle is a special experience. You wake up listening to tropical birds and the screams of monkeys. The park with an area of 739 km² is unique due to the presence of a primeval forest. This remnant of the rainforest is even older and more diverse than the Amazon rainforest.
In addition to the special flora and fauna, Khao Sok is also known for the Rafflesia kerrii, the second largest flower in the world, with a diameter of 50 to 90 centimeters. The park is home to many wild animals including the Asian elephant, sambars, bantengs, tapirs, dwarf deer, cobras, pythons, reptiles, monkeys, bats and over 300 different species of birds.
Boat trip
A local guide can tell you everything about the area and will take you on a boat trip across the Chieow Laan lake. This 60 kilometre long lake has more than a hundred islands and is surrounded by limestone formations. The cliffs are overgrown with tropical vegetation. In the area around the lake you will find caves with impressive limestone formations. The caves are inhabited by entire families of bats. If the weather permits, the guide will take you into the cave. Enjoy lunch in one of the houses on floating rafts (see photo).
Khao Sok is a great place to continue your journey to one of Southern Thailand's idyllic beach paradises after a few days of jungle adventure.
To get to Khao Sok National Park from Bangkok, take the night train in the evening. After a good night's sleep in a second class air-conditioned sleeper, you arrive in Surat Thani the next morning.
Do you want to spend the night at the Khao Sok Paradise resort? Look here for prices and reservations: Khao Sok Paradise Resort
Video: Full Day Lake Trip – Khao Sok Paradise Resort
Watch the video below:
About this blogger
-
Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
Read the latest articles here
HotelsJanuary 13 2025Escape to luxury and nature at Roukh Kiri Khao Yai
News from ThailandJanuary 13 2025Same-sex couples in Thailand can register their marriage from January 23
Food and drinkJanuary 13 2025Eating in Isaan (video)
thai tipsJanuary 13 2025Photography tips: How to take better beach photos in Thailand?
I went there in July with all my children and grandchildren. The lake is a reservoir for generating electricity. We ate at the restaurant you see at the beginning. I asked the owner where he was from. He pointed his finger down, there used to be a few villages there, he said, before the reservoir filled up.
We took a four-hour hike in the jungle in the pouring, pouring rain. The paths were brown streams. In the distance you could hear the long drawn scream of the gibbons. Very worthwhile, a beautiful area, not far from Phuket and Khao Lak.
Definitely worth visiting Khao Sok and the Lake with its houses on the water.
This year we are heading in that direction for the 3rd time.
However, the impression (for me) is created that both sights are close to each other.
However, the Lake is located 50 km from Surrathani (near the town of Ban Ta Khun) and 70 km further towards Khao lak is Khao Sok.
To make it as comfortable as possible we fly from Bangkok to Surrathani, then with a taxi to Ban Ta Khun
where you are close to the Lake, after a few days by mini bus taxi or moped to Khao Sok, and enjoy again.
Regards and have fun,
gonny
Went there last year and it was a wonderful experience! We spent the night in the jungle house, in the tree houses where the monkeys came to keep you company, super! Then We also did the overnight lake Tour, an experience that I would recommend to everyone!
What is forgotten to say is that Khao Sok is also the wettest place in Thailand. We went there at the end of July last year and what a rain every day. Most excursions were therefore canceled and everything was in the mist. But despite this "extreme weather" my wife and I loved it.
It would rain every day all year round, but our experience was that you have to be very careful of leeches.
Before you know it, one sticks to your back, and your partner has to report it, you don't feel it yourself.
Any guide worth his salt will tell you the following before a jungle tour: wear long pants with the legs tucked into your socks, wear a t-shirt with a narrow neck and long sleeves, and last but not least, wear a (jungle) cap .
This prevents 90% of the misery.
I'm going here in January 2017, has anyone been there in the same period (Dec/Jan), what was the weather like then, also very wet or was it drier then?
Grt. leo
We were there at the end of January last year. Had beautiful weather.
Am planning to go in September, what kind of weather can I expect and can you also swim or is that not recommended for some reason?
I swam many a week in lovely water without any problem.
Hey Sonny the weather is very humid , very uncomfortable and quite oppressive .You are coming at the height of the rainy season and rain almost daily . You can't swim in the sea. It's not necessary, with some setbacks you can swim between the houses. Greetings
I was also there with my wife. It was amazing. A day trip on the reservoir is worthwhile.
On a website, the park is counted among the 8 most beautiful parks in the world: http://www.travelvalley.nl/natuur/de-8-mooiste-nationale-parken-ter-wereld
It ranks 7th. In other words: the most beautiful park in Thailand.
Definitely recommended… but bring good shoes.
There are also various types of bears, a wild dog and tigers.
https://www.khaosok.com/