Travel Guide Khao Sok: What to do in Khao Sok?
Located in the south of Thailand: the rainforest of Khao Sok National Park. What can you do here, and what should you consider before your visit? We’ve gathered all the tips in what to do in Khao Sok National Park in our travel guide Khao Sok NP.
Accessibility Khao Sok National Park
The park is located in the southwest of Thailand and is most easily accessible from one of the following three places: Phuket (150 km), Krabi (175 km), or Don Sak Pier (200 km). We visited Khao Sok during our road trip through Thailand from Krabi, and then continued on to the island of Koh Samui.
The most logical (and probably the only) option is the minibus, especially for backpackers. Regular minibuses run to the park from all three of the mentioned locations, even in the low season, specifically to the Khao Sok Van Station. We found the bus connections to be of good quality overall. The buses adhered reasonably well to their schedules, and the connections we had were always clearly marked. However, keep in mind that you won’t always take the most direct route to your destination; the minibuses usually stop at various other points along the way.
Where to stay in Khao Sok NP?
Almost all accommodations are located in the village of Khao Sok, which is directly adjacent to the main entrance of Khao Sok National Park HQ. From here, you can easily book all kinds of tours, including boat trips on the lake, though these actually start at the dam. You can also walk from the village to the main entrance, where you can take a few short hikes on your own.
The village itself is quite touristy. You’ll find plenty of massage parlors, minimarts, and restaurants. We were particularly fond of Chao, where they serve delicious pizzas, but you can also order local dishes like curry. There are ATMs in the village as well.
We stayed at Las Orquideas and were very impressed with the accommodation. We had our own hut with a comfortable bed and good air conditioning. At night, we could literally hear the monkeys walking across the roof, which added to the jungle vibe. And all of this for less than €20 per night (low season, September 2023). We could also book tours directly from here.
Is Khao Sok worth the visit?
It depends. From what we read beforehand, it seemed like this park was a must-see on our trip through Thailand. However, we didn’t find it as amazing as we had expected, especially since we had already visited several rainforests. If you’re traveling solely through Thailand and have never seen a jungle before, it’s definitely worth a visit. Both the day trip on the lake and a jungle trek are highly recommended, even though they can be a bit pricey. However, if you’re traveling through multiple countries or have already seen rainforests, we think it’s not essential. There are more beautiful, and certainly cheaper, alternatives (for example, consider Taman Negara in Malaysia).
What to do in Khao Sok?
Although Khao Sok is a massive park, there are essentially two main locations where all activities take place: the jungle treks from the main entrance and the lake tours from the dam. Below are two activity recommendations for Khao Sok National Park.
Khao Sok Village
From the village, you can easily walk into the ‘main entrance’. These quotation marks are necessary because there isn’t much to experience here. You can only do two short hikes on your own, totaling less than ten kilometers. For anything else, a guide is required. This is also where the longer jungle treks (with a guide) start. They also offer ‘night walks’ for those who are real adventurers.
Cheow Lan Lake
The other activities take place on the lake, and for this, you need to drive about an hour from the village to the Rajjaprabha Dam. Visiting the lake requires at least a day tour, but longer tours with overnight stays on the lake are also available. We did a day tour from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It cost THB 1800 (1500 for the tour + 300 park entrance) per person, and in return, we got: a boat ride on the lake, a visit to a cave, a Thai lunch at a floating restaurant (where the accommodations for overnight stays are also located), a short canoe trip on the lake, and a brief walk to a waterfall.
Because the water level fluctuates significantly throughout the year, the tour is always different, and you’ll visit different spots each time. The waterfalls almost all dry up outside of the rainy season. We particularly enjoyed the boat ride on the lake, with views of the lush, green-covered rocks. This day tour is definitely recommended. We booked directly at the accommodation, but we saw plenty of other sales points in the village. The prices seem to be the same everywhere.
Wildlife in Khao Sok NP
The jungle is home to many different species of animals, but it’s always a question of whether you’ll encounter any, and which ones. We mostly encountered various types of monkeys (often you hear them first as they climb in the trees before you spot them). While visiting a cave, we also saw bats and (huge) spiders. There are supposed to be snakes here as well, but unfortunately, we didn’t come across any.
As with any tropical climate, you can’t escape pests here either. We were bothered by mosquitoes all day (so wear long clothes or spray yourself until you can’t take it anymore). We only encountered leeches on the jungle trails, but with the help of some anti-leech spray, they let go easily. By the way, several guides mentioned that they are not dangerous.
