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VISITING KHAO SOK? THESE ARE THE BEST TOURS!
In Khao Sok you can do a lot of fun tours! There are activities of half a day, a whole day and several days. You decide how much effort you want to put in yourself. It’s not necessary to go for the extreme to enjoy the beauty of Khao Sok. Most tours combine effort with relaxation so that, even if you are not in great condition, you can simply enjoy the particularly beautiful surroundings of Khao Sok. Many of the activities can easily be arranged by yourself while staying in the village of Khao Sok. However, some tours are better to book in advance because they require more preparation or are very popular.
YOU CAN ALSO BOOK A TOUR VIA THAILAND MAGAZINE
You can also book a tour on Khao Sok Lake (Cheow Lan Lake) through us. There are many possibilities, such as spending the night on the lake in a luxury or basic house or making a daytrip with a group or private. You can reach us by mail, Facebook or Instagram..
Quick navigate:
– Tubing on the Sok River
– Canoe tour over the Sok River
– Night safari in Khao Sok National Park
– Khao Sok National Park without a guide
– Khao Sok National Park with a guide
– Day tour to Cheow Lan Lake
– Overnight tour to Cheow Lan Lake TIP
– Private tour to Cheow Lan Lake TIP
– Sleeping in Khao Sok
– Khao Sok village
– Birdwatching
– Looking for the Rafflesia flower
– Thamma Park (Ban Khao Na Nai)
– Travel further from Khao Sok
– What else is there to do in Khao Sok and surroundings?
Tubing on the Sok River
Tubing on the Sok River is one of the nicest and easiest ways to see the beautiful nature of Khao Sok. You go on a river with a group and guide with a rubber band. While you float with the current you see high rocks and lush jungle passing by.
At some points across the river there is more action because there is a (small) rapid. The guide is a master in spotting animals and reptiles and will ensure that you do not overlook life along the river. We saw beautiful birds, monkeys swinging on lianas and even a few snakes! Afterwards you will be taken back to your hotel or hostel by minibus.
In the dry season (November to February) it may acure that tubing is not possible because the water in the river is too low.
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram.
Price: 500 baht per person, minimum 2 persons | from 5 people 400 baht per person
How long? The tubing on the river takes between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours, depending on the current
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Canoe tour over the Sok River
During the canoe tour on the river you can sit back and enjoy the beautiful nature, you don’t have to do anything because your guide will paddle for you. This tour is similar to the tubing tour. You also have the opportunity to see beautiful birds, monkeys and other jungle life. Before we entered the canoe we visited a cave with statues of monks who were almost indistinguishable from real ones. We were also allowed to feed the fish that were clearly used to that and were present in large numbers. Canoeing on the Sok river means relaxation and enjoying all the beauty of Khao Sok. You fall from one surprise to the other!
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram. Often still possible on the day itself.
Price: 800 baht per person, minimum 2 people
How long? The tour takes 2 – 2.5 hours, depending on the current. The canoe tour can start at 9 am, 12 am and 3 pm.
Night safari in Khao Sok National Park
Not afraid in the dark and like some adventure? Then the night safari in Khao Sok National Park is one for you! While it’s getting dark all kinds of animals come to life in the jungle! The deafening sound of the cicadas, rustling and crackling in the bushes, a night safari is really an experience! With your flashlight you go in search of everything that crawls and lives in the jungle! You are lucky to see a mouse deer, which is not a mouse but a kind of cute mini deer that does not grow larger than 45 cm. Another favorite is the slow lori. The leopard cat also appears to be found in the Khao Sok National Park, but it is rarely seen. In addition to these animals, you will also look for reptiles and insects.
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram. Often still possible on the day itself.
Price: 600 baht per person, minimum 2 people and 300 baht park fee per person.
How long? Starts around 7 p.m. – 8 p.m., the night safari lasts an average of 2 hours
Khao Sok National Park without a guide
When you stay in a hotel or hostel in or near the village of Khao Sok, you automatically sleep close to the Khao Sok National Park entrance. You walk to the entrance of the park and pay an entrance fee. Before you actually enter the park you must enter your name and departure time in a book, even when you return this will be noted. This way they know for sure that no one is left behind in the park, quite a nice feeling because it still is a jungle!
There are nine different routes in the park, the shortest trail is approximately 2 km long and the longest is approximately 7 km. There are also waterfalls in the park that you can visit, the closest waterfall is the Wing Hin Waterfall (2.8 km). The famous Rafflesia flower can also found in the Khao Sok National Park. The routes are clearly marked and information signs are regularly found in the park.
Where to book: It is not necessary to book in advance, you buy an entrance ticket at the entrance of the park.
Price: 300, – baht p.p.
How long? Depending on the route, departure not too late because it gets dark early in Thailand
Opening hours: The park is open to visitors (without guide) from 6 am to 6 pm
Don’t forget: Mosquito repellent and more than enough water
DID YOU KNOW?
Khao Sok National Park is located in the province of Surat Thani, the park is almost 800 km². The Cheow Lan Lake is part of this park. Khao Sok is the largest natural park in southern Thailand.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Khao Sok National Park with a guide
Is a guide required at Khao National Sok Park? No not necessarily. As we written above, the different routes are well marked. Howerver a guide knows a lot about the park and sees things that you would easily overlook. A guide can therefore make the trek through the park more informative and therefore even more fun. With a long trek it is also a nice feeling to have a guide with you, we think.
If you want to do a night safari in the Khao Sok National Park you are obliged to take a guide.
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram. Often still possible on the day of departure, but more certainty in advance.
Cost guide: 600 baht half day / 1,200 baht full day, excluding entrance fee of 300 baht per person.
How long? Depending on the route
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Day trip Cheow Lan Lake
Cheow Lan Lake is part of the Khao Sok National Park. If you ask us, a visit to Khao Sok is not complete without a trip on Lake Cheow Lan Lake! Lake Khao Sok is full off beautiful high cliffs and rock formations that tower high above the water. There is wildlife like gibbons, hornbills and even wild elephants! During the day trip you will visit a raft house, these are houses that float on the lake. Here you will have lunch, and time for kayaking and swimming. Depending on the season you make a trek to a cave, waterfall or viewpoint. But even the longtail boat trip on Cheow Lan Lake is an absolute highlight of the day trip.
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram. At least one day before departure or as long as possible in advance if you want to be sure.
Price: 1,500 baht per person + 300 baht park fee per person
How long: All day long
Don’t forget: swimwear, towel, mosquito repellent, trekking shoes, sunscreen and your camera (telephone).
Spending the night at Cheow Lan Lake TIP
Staying overnight on Cheow Lan Lake is the best advice we want to give you! Don’t have time? Make time! Pricey? Absolutely, but we think it is worth the price every time! It really is a highlight of your trip in Thailand! During the 2 day and 1 night tour you will partly do the same as the day tour. With a big exception … You keep going like the others and you sleep in a floating house!
You have plenty of time for swimming, kayaking and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. At the end of the afternoon you will use the longtail boat to find monkeys, birds and other wildlife. When you return, dinner is already waiting for you at the floating restaurant. The next morning after breakfast, you look for wild life again with the longtail boat.
Set your alarm extra early because waking up to the sunrise and the sounds of the jungle is a fantastic experience!
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram. Avoid disappointment and book well in advance in high season or as soon as you get the chance when you arrive in Khao Sok.
Price: 2,500 baht per person (overnight stay in floating house and all meals and water are included). Exclusive 300 baht park fee.
How long: 2 days and 1 night, you leave at 8.30 am and arrive back at 3 pm the next day in the village of Khao Sok.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Private tour on Cheow Lan Lake TIP
The day trips and multi-day tours to Cheow Lan Lake can also be booked privately at an additional cost. There are also possibilities to extend your trip on the lake or to put together your own wishes. You can opt for basic floating houses with a thin mattress on the floor or for the more luxurious houses complete with bed and private shower and toilet. We have done the 2 day 1 night tour on the lake, private tour and with a group.
Do you want to know how and where you can book a tour to the lake, what the price is and what our experienes are? Then read our full article about Cheow Lan Lake in the Khao Sok National Park!
Sleeping in Khao Sok
Sleeping in Khao Sok is an attraction itself if you have the right place to stay, the area of Khao Sok National Park is also super beautiful! The village of Khao Sok is within walking distance of the entrance to the Khao Sok National Park. Most hotels, hostels and resorts are located around and in this village. There are also a number of hotels that are further down the jungle or on the river where you can swim. You can decide where you sleep, if you stay for several days, a combination can also be fun!
Our Jungle House is our favorite if you want a true jungle experience in a spectacular setting on the Sok River. If you prefer to sleep in the middle of everything, Khao Sok Morning Mist Resort is a must, it is located on the river and near the charming village!
Here you will find even more tips for the nicest and best accommodations in Khao Sok.
Khao Sok village
Although the village of Khao Sok has become a little bigger lately, there is still a friendly village atmosphere. There are no large hamburger chains here, and even the 7-Eleven cannot be found. What is there? Many nice restaurants with both Thai and Western food. There are also a few bars and massage parlors, a pharmacy and a supermarket which also sells some travel accessories and with an ATM machine on the doorstep. In the evenings you have a drink, stroll around the restaurants and in most cases you dive back into your bed early to go on an early discovery the next day.
YUMMY!
Do you love Massaman Curry just like us or do you want to give it a try? Then be sure to eat at the affordable Pawn’s Restaurant in the village, the Massaman here is delicious!
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Birdwatching
If bird watching is your thing then you are in the right place in the Khao Sok National Park! More than 300 bird species live in the park. Birds that occur in the park include great hornbills, sunbirds and kingfishers. The guide that goes with you is just as crazy about birds as you are and knows a lot about the birds in this area. In consultation with your guide you go into the jungle, to the river or to open fields. Special or multi-day tours are also possible.
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram, at least one day in advance.
Price: 1,500 baht per person, with a minimum of 2 people. Exclusive 300 baht park fee.
How long: All day long
Image: Jungleman Khao Sok
Looking for the Rafflesia flower
You won’t go looking for the Rafflesia flower because of the wonderful scent… This because the plant stinks of decaying meat! Yet many people want to see this flower because it is the largest flower in the world and is becoming increasingly rare. The flower can only be seen in a few places in the world and Khao Sok National Park is one of those places. You must time your visit well because the flower blooms about a week a year. The Rafflesia can have a diameter of 90 cm and the heaviest ones weigh around 7 kilos. Despite the foul smell, the red with yellow flower is beautiful and special to see!
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram. Ask in advance if a Rafflesia is in bloom.
Best period: You have the best chance between December and March.
Price: 1,500 baht per person with a minimum of 2 people. Exclusive 300 baht park fee.
How long: The duration of the trip depends on where the Rafflesia flower is in bloom.
Thamma Park (Ban Khao Na Nai), a special temple complex
Thamma Park is very special to see! Thamma Park consists of temples on top of steep rocks, which makes it look like a fairy tale. Currently (Oct. 2019) there are four temples and the fifth is under construction. Few tourists know about the existence of this temple complex. Seeing the temples from a distance is special, but your visit is incomplete without climbing at least one. The climb goes via steep, irregular stairs, it takes 15 minutes to reach the top at a leisurely pace. The view is amazingly beautiful. The temple that we climbed at the top had a small pond and a beautiful tree, really unreal!
“If you stand on top of the temple you will get a deep respect for the monks who build these temples!”
Where to book: A local and good friend of ours is a guide there, send us an email or contact us at Facebook / Instagram. Often as part of a visit to the lake, Cheow Lan Lake
Price: Admission is free but a donation is appreciated
How long: Depending on the amount of temples you want to climb, take plenty of time. It is an hour’s drive from Khao Sok Park and 45 minutes from Cheow Lan Lake.
Don’t forget: Covering clothing for the temple.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Travel further from Khao Sok
If you want to travel on after your visit to Khao Sok (and the Cheow Lan Lake) you can use the widget below to arrange transportation to other destinations in Thailand like Bangkok, Khao Lak, Surat Thani, Krabi (Ao Nang, Railay or Krabi Town) or Koh Phi Phi. Or read our extensive article about traveling to and from Khao Sok from different places in Thailand!
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Want to know more about the best accommodations in Khao Sok? Check this article.
- Khao Sok Secret Hostel (in the center)
- Khao Sok Palm View Resort (outside the center)
- Khao Sok Mornig Mist Resort (in the center) TIP
Khao Sok Cabana Resort (outside the center) - Baan Khao Sok Resort (outside the center)
- Our Jungle House (outside the center) TIP
- Our Jungle Camp – Eco Resort (outside the center)
- Khao Sok Nature Resort (outside the center)
- Montania Lifestyle Hotel (in the center) TIP
- Tanoshi Glamping (far outside the center)
- Pawn’s Restaurant | In the center of Khao Sok TIP
Our personal favorite! Try the Massaman curry here and you’ll see why! - The 99 km Coffee House Khao Sok | 10 km from Khao Sok
Maybe the best coffee from Khao Sok! Wake up with phenomenal views and a nice cup of coffee! - Bamboo Bistro Khao Sok | In the center of Khao Sok
Bamboo Bistro is run by a very friendly man who speaks very good English, let’s put it this way, his English is as good as his dishes – very good! - Chao Italian Ristorante and Thai Food | In the center of Khao Sok
For pizza you have to be at Chao’s! This restaurant is also known by locals as the best pizzatent! Ciao bella ciao! - Wind Song Bar & Restaurant | In the center of Khao Sok
Top place for a bite to eat and delicious cocktails. That sounds like music to your ears! - The Misty Restaurant | In the center of Khao Sok
This restaurant belongs to the Khao Sok Morning Mist Resort. Eating in a restaurant with an amazing view of the limestone cliffs of Khao Sok.
In Khao Sok we mainly use minibuses to travel on to other destinations. Sometimes you change to a large bus somewhere. Khao Sok can be reached from Bangkok, Koh Samui, Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi and Surathani, among other places.
Read our complete article about travelling to Khao Sok National Park here.
A really great nightlife is not to be found in Khao Sok. After dinner you can stay for a while in one of the restaurants of the village or your hotel. There are also a few bars where you can have a drink.
In Khao Sok is a small supermarket. You can go there for your daily groceries and travel products such as sunburn, mosquito repellent, jungle clothes. There are a few shops where you can buy souvenirs and some clothes etc. There is also a pharmacy in the village where you can go for medicines, plasters and advice.
More information about Khao Sok and her beautiful surroundings:
We put a lot of time, money and passion in this site, we would love it if you would support us! You can easily do this by using our links on the site to book your hotel and / or domestic trips. It costs you nothing extra but we get a small percentage of our partners like Booking.com, Agoda and 12GoAsia. Even if you decide to book another place to sleep than we mention, if you first click on our link you will already help us. Thank you in advance!
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