This post is the perfect place to start if you’re thinking of visiting Khao Sok National Park in Southern Thailand. It was one of the highlights of our time in Asia. If you have questions about how to get there, where to stay and what activities you could book, keep reading!

Khao Sok National Park is the one of the world’s oldest rainforest and tropical ecosystems. It homes some incredible wildlife such as gibbons and wild elephants as well as providing breath-taking emerald waters and towering limestone cliffs, perfect for kayaking.

Reaching Khao Sok is quite straightforward from Phuket or Surat Thani airport. The 12Go app provides a variety of comfortable bus rides from Phuket Bus Terminal 2 to the entrance of the National Park where most homestays and huts are located. The journey is an average of 3 hours depending on the bus selected. If arriving or departing from Surat Thani airport, transfers are under 2 hours and readily available.

If you have been to Thailand before, you’ll be familiar with Grab to book your cheap taxi rides. These unfortunately are not available in and around Khao Sok so if your accommodation is not walking distance from the entrance of the national park, you will need to rely on the regular taxi system which is a bit more expensive.

1. Accommodation

There’s a variety of accommodation available at the park. Book well in advance if you want to stay on one of the beautiful floating raft houses in Cheow Lan Lake and experience waking up surrounded by emerald waters and surrounding limestone karsts. You can easily book one of this gorgeous little homes on Booking.com or GetYourGuide for a more comprehensive tour package.

If you are up for something a bit more adventurous, we recommend booking a tent at the Khao Sok Hill Top resort for as little as £11 per night. You will be surrounded by the sounds of the jungle and wake up to the gentle sound of tropical birds.

The resort is managed by very hospitable people who will help you with transportation and tours booking. There is also a lovely restaurant with a good selection of food at a very affordable price.

2. Cheow Lan Lake Tour

GetYourGuide is a great website for booking your preferred tour in advance. Choose between private longtail boat tours, waterfall and wildlife treks or even night safaris. If you are not sure what to go for, you can also book through your accommodation on arrival which usually turns out a bit cheaper. We arrived at our accommodation late in the evening and our hosts sorted everything for us to have a full tour of Cheow Lan Lake including of lunch and kayaking for the following morning for 1500 Thai Bhat! So whatever you decide, you won’t miss out as there is so much to do and so much choice!

The day of the tour started early at 8am pick up from Hill Top resort on the back of a geep! It was the most exciting start to a tour we have ever had! What added to the fun of the experience was that we got to share it with some travellers from France who had been backpacking through Asia for some time, it’s always amazing to meet people from different walks of life whom you would never have met, had you not been right there, right then!

The journey to Ratchaprapha Pier takes about 1 hour. There is a park entry fee of 300 bhat to pay before boarding the longtail boats to reach the raft houses and viewpoint.

The day feels a little chaotic but it’s a lot of fun and the guides do so well to organise everyone so well. Our tour guide was an amazing Thai woman who went by the name of Ice Cream! She was so amazing and fun, she really took care of us all day!

The day activities include swimming, kayaking, lunch, caves and a walk in the jungle. Make sure to bring some close toes shoes for exploring the caves and the jungle and well as swimwear and a towel. A change of clothes might also be quite helpful as it can get a bit wet at the back of the boats.

Although the day feels slightly rushed, you do get exposed to a bit of everything and in retrospect, this ended up being one of the best days we had in our time in Thailand. If you would like a quieter and slower experience, consider booking a private day tour or an overnight on the lake.

3. National Park

There is so much to do in Khao Sok, you can stay here a week and still feel that you have only scratched the surface. The national park itself is absolutely huge and overwhelmingly beautiful. Entry to the park is 340 from the the West Enytrance (Park HQ) in Khlong Sok village for hiking/jungle trekking

The walk through the jungle is incredible, you’ll be amazed by the sounds of birds, the bamboo trees and monkeys walking past you. Remember to bring plenty of water with you, some insect repellent and a torch if you end up coming back after sunset.