Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok: The Rainforest That Pre-dates the Amazon

Khao Sok National Park is one of the least-visited spectacular places in Southeast Asia. It sits in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand, inconveniently located between the twin tourist magnets of Krabi and Koh Samui, and most people drive straight past. Those who stop tend to return.

The park covers 739 square kilometres of limestone karst mountains, old-growth rainforest, and the Cheow Lan reservoir, a 165-square-kilometre lake created in 1982 when a dam flooded a valley. The forest itself is estimated to be around 160 million years old, significantly older than the Amazon, and has the biodiversity to match: 48 species of mammal, 311 bird species, and the Rafflesia kerrii plant, which produces the world’s largest individual flower (up to 80 cm across) and smells like rotting meat. Sightings of it are seasonal and unpredictable.

Cheow Lan Lake

This is the headline attraction and justifiably so. The lake sits in a ring of vertical limestone peaks that rise from the water like something from a science-fiction film. Longtail boats are the only way to get around, and the local operators based near the dam (about 65 km from Khao Sok village) run full-day and overnight trips. An overnight on a floating bungalow in the middle of the lake, with no artificial light and the peaks silhouetted at dawn, is one of the better experiences in Thai tourism.

Floating bungalows vary significantly in quality. The cheapest options are basic wooden platforms with mattresses and mosquito nets; the better ones have proper beds and private decks. Prices range from around 800 to 2,500 baht per person including meals. Book ahead in high season (November through April), as the good spots fill.

During the rainy season (May to October), the lake is sometimes too rough for small boats and access can be restricted. The park itself is still open and has its own appeal in the green season: fewer tourists, more wildlife activity, and the forest at its most intensely green. That said, trails become muddy and some routes flood.

The Village and Jungle Trails

Khao Sok village is a small strip of guesthouses, restaurants, and tour operators along the main road. It is not charming in a traditional sense but it is functional and the prices are low by Thai standards. Bungalows with fans run from about 350 baht per night.

The trail network within the park costs 300 baht to enter (foreigners’ rate). The most popular route follows the Sok River upstream to a series of pools and a small waterfall. It is well-marked, involves some river crossings that require waterproof sandals, and takes around 3-4 hours return. Guides are not compulsory on the main trails but are strongly recommended for anything venturing into the secondary forest, where paths are less obvious and the terrain is serious.

Night safaris (guided walks after dark) are run by most operators in the village for around 500-800 baht. You will see considerably more wildlife at night than during the day: various species of civet, large spiders, possible sightings of leopard cat, and always gibbons calling from the canopy in the early morning.

Wildlife: Honest Expectations

Tigers, elephants, tapirs, and gaurs (wild cattle) all live in Khao Sok, but encounters are extremely rare and mostly happen deep in the park on multi-day camping treks. Day visitors should expect gibbons, long-tailed macaques, hornbills, and if they are lucky, a dusky langur. This is still excellent wildlife watching by any regional standard.

The gibbons wake up around 05:30 and their calls carry for kilometres through the forest. Being up at dawn near the park boundary is worth the early alarm.

Getting There

Khao Sok is around 2 hours by road from Surat Thani town, 2.5 hours from Krabi, and 3 hours from Phuket. Minivans from Surat Thani and Krabi run daily services and cost 150-250 baht. There is no train stop nearby. Most travellers arrive as part of a route between Bangkok (or Koh Samui ferry) and Krabi or the Andaman coast.

Pack light, bring strong insect repellent, accept that you will be damp much of the time, and do not underestimate the leeches in wet season. They are harmless but unpleasant and numerous.