Name: Khao Sok National Park
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Khao Sok National Park, Thailand Overview

Khao Sok National Park is located in the Phanom district of Thailand. Falling under the Surat Thani province of Thailand, it is accomplished as the oldest rainforests of the world. This National Park will welcome you with enormous limestone mountains, deep valleys, lakes, caves, and the unique ecosystem where you will rarely find such an exemplary example of the amalgamation of nature and adventure.

Situated on the mainland between Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, and Koh Samui, this National Park is one of the favourite destinations for a vacation. Elephant encounters, canoeing, jungle trek on foot, bamboo rafting, boat tour, and a lot more awaits the visitors.
There are also exciting tour options which will inevitably give you a lifetime memory. Spread in an area of 739 sq km, there is also the beautiful Cheow Larn Lake comprising an area of 165 sq km. As a visitor, you will be in awe of the diversity and hidden secrets held in Khao Sok. Lastly, you should not miss the floating raft houses and luxury tents.

Cheow Larn Lake

Cheow Larn Lake is the local name given to Khao Sok Lake. The lake is the highlight of this National park and was formed in the year 1982. The beauty of the lake cannot be appreciated unless you get to see it. A mesmerising view amidst the ancient rainforest, this lake is spread over 165 sq km of within the National Park. Limestone karsts, still emerald water, and floating hotels provide apt reasons for you to visit this lake. Cheow Larn Lake is a paradise for the existing species as it has been undisturbed by the pollution caused by the industrialisation activities.

Rafthouses in the National Park — Source

Most of the resorts around the lake offer free and unlimited usage of their kayaks. You can either go with your group or for a solo ride and explore the magical jungle, the sharp cliffs, and the mystical beauty of the lake. Besides this, you can also hire a boat for the entire journey of travelling around the lake. These boats will pick you up from the raft houses and drop you there at the end of the trip.

Things to Do At Khao Sok National Park

Elephant Encounters
Elephants are considered to be the highlight of the National Park. The close encounters with Asian Elephants are inevitably incomparable. Interacting with the elephants, the mahouts, feeding them their daily meals, scrub, clean, and bathe them is what the tour offers its visitors. There will be fully trained guides who will narrate you specific stories or introduce characteristics of some elephants and make your visit worth your time.

Jungle Trek
Experiencing the tropical forest world on foot is altogether with a different opportunity to explore the National Park. People of all ages can go for treks along the length of Park. It is recommended to take a guide with you and also follow the norms of the Park. The Rafflesia treks and other treks either leave the east or west from the main entrance.

Jungle Safari
There are four, three, and two-day tour options for those who want to enjoy a jungle safari. These tours are the best option to explore the best of this National Park. More detailed information about jungle safaris are provided in the next subheading.

Canoeing, Kayaking, and Bamboo Rafting
If you are looking for a relaxed canoe ride, then head over to Sok River. You will come across kingfishers, herons, snakes, frogs, monitor lizards, and wild monkeys while canoeing. There are chances that you will pass through limestone cliffs along the riverside and also witness the rural life of the local people.

Boat Tour
A boat tour to the Cheow Larn Lake is a must if you are visiting the National Park. You can stay overnight in the floating bungalows in the Park. This is a fascinating experience as an overnight stay will allow you to witness the activity of nocturnal animals or wake up to the sound of the endangered Lar Gibbons.

Hiking
Short hikes in the National Park are usually self-guided. You can get a guide for longer trails. A guide will charge THB 500 for half a day and THB 1000 for a full day. The place around Cheow Larn Lake is quite scenic for hikes which are usually accessible by longtail boats.

How To Reach Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park is situated in the Surat Thani province of Thailand. More precisely, this National Park comes under the Phanom district in Southern Thailand. The National Park also extends into the Khlong Yee, and Khlong Pra Sang forest parts and the Krai Son and Khao Pung sub-districts of Surat Thani.

To reach Khao Sok National Park, one needs to get to the closest airport to the Park, i.e., in Surat Thani. If coming from Bangkok, you can get to the Surat Thani International Airport by air. It will take only one hour, thirty minutes from Bangkok. From here, buses are stopping at Khao Sok, which will cost THB 120. From Krabi, the National Park is only two hours away. You can get onto a minibus departing from the Krabi town, and it will cost between THB 300 to THB 330. The other option is to take a taxi from Krabi to the National Park, which will cost between THB 2700 to THB 4000. Besides this, if you are travelling from Phuket, you can take a bus from there costing THB 140.