The most beautiful destination in Thailand: Khao Sok National Park

Country Thailand on your bucketlist.† Are you secretly planning a travel route through Thailand? Then don't forget to put Khao Sok National Park on it! I have traveled through Thailand 2x 3,5 weeks and can say that I think Khao Sok National Park is the most beautiful destination in Thailand! Not only is it the most beautiful, but it is also the destination that will stay with you the most after years. You have to do a little adventurous are from nature keep and no luxury cat .

About Khao Sok National Park

Also read: Travel route Thailand in 2, 3 or 4 weeks | All must-sees and travel tips

Khao Sok National Park is located in the south of Thailand in the province of Surat Thani. Here you will find one of the oldest rainforests in the world, a beautiful lake surrounded by limestone cliffs, rich nature and wildlife and caves. The best thing about this national park (in my opinion) is that you can spend the night in a unique location! On the Cheow Lan there are more huts where you have the most beautiful view ever when you wake up here.

Also read: The 10 Most Beautiful National Parks in Thailand | Pristine Wilderness

Cheow Lan Lake tour

When traveling to Khao Sok National Park, I recommend that you first stay overnight in the neighboring village of Khao Sok. You can book a tour from here, but you can also arrange this online. You can choose from day trips and 2-day tours and 3-day tours. Anyway, for the 2-day tour so you can experience the overnight stay on the lake! If you compare a few providers, you will find that almost every provider has the same program and accommodation. The only difference is that some floating bungalow be a little more luxurious than the others. But believe me, you really can't expect luxury at such a location. So just choose the basic option.

Tip: Do you love nature and national parks? Then take a look at our National Parks category.

You will then be picked up early the next morning from your accommodation in Khao Sok. You then travel to the harbor and here you board a typical Thai boat (along with others) to sail across the lake to the huts. The journey here takes about 1,5 hours and is an experience in itself. You will be amazed!

Cost Khao Sok National Park tour

For Thai (and backpacker) standards you have to put down some money for this experience. You pay on average about 2500 baht (= 68 euros) for the tour and in addition you pay a 300 baht (= 8 euros) fee for the park. Maaar.. totally worth it!

What to expect from the tour

Okay, so when you have arrived at your cabin on the lake you have some time to take in all the beauty or you immediately take a dip in the lake! I was especially amazed at how basic the huts were and how the hell I was going to sleep here. I didn't think the hut itself was the worst, but be prepared for a lot of insects. So bring deet with you (more on this later!).

After lunch you leave for the rainforest to do a long hike there. You walk through the jungle in search of animals and end up at the largest cave in the park. That's where the real adventure begins. The hike to the Nam Talu Cave takes about 1,5 hours. Prepare for a hike that consists of mud, stones, branches, climbing and water. The guide will ask you to put on water shoes before the hike and I advise you to really listen to this. You will be in the water up to your shoulders when you go through this cave.

When you have clambered through the entire large, you start the hike back to the huts on the lake and then you go up the lake with the longtail boat to see the sunset to see. That's a really beautiful sight! When you get back, most likely dinner will be ready and you'll be getting ready for your night on the lake.

What do you take with you on the tour?

• (Main) flashlight (for the cave & the toilet)
• Waterproof bag
• water shoes where you can walk well
• GoPro (so you can still capture everything)
• extra clothes (everything gets wet and doesn't dry well because of the high humidity)
• a vest for when it cools down in the evening
• Mosquito repellent
• Sunburn (naturally)

Tip for a similar tour

Have you already done the Khao Sok National Park tour but are you looking for a similar experience† Or do you simply want to experience this again, but in another country? From my own experience I can say that the tours in the Vietnamese Halong Bay similar to this one in Khao Sok. The landscape in Halong Bay is almost the same as in Khao Sok, only Vietnam has no rainforest around it. Another destination with the same landscape is Tam Coc. Definitely must dos when you are in Vietnam or traveling through Asia.

Also read: Thailand | 10 Must Sees!

More fun things to do in Thailand?

Are you crazy about Thailand and do you want to know everything there is to see and do? Then read again our Thailand page full of tips, nice places to stay and travel stories.