In southern Thailand, Khao Sok National Park has become a must-see if you spend two weeks or more touring the country because it really does take time to visit and enjoy it. If you are lucky enough, Khao Sok will not disappoint you.
Context of the park
It is a nature reserve of over 739 square kilometres in the south of Thailand that has two distinct areas: a jungle part, where you can find wild animals and incredible flora such as the famous Rafflesia flower, the largest in the world; and Cheow Lan Lake, a huge artificial lake with limestone cliffs where numerous floating resorts have been built so that you can sleep on its waters.
The entrance to the national park is in Khao Sok village itself, about 65 kilometres from the lake. One of the most typical images of this reserve are the islets, many of which are caves rising out of the water with lush vegetation. The best way to explore this park is by walking through the jungle and by sailing on a boat along the lake.
How to get there
The National Park can be reached by plane from Bangkok to Surat Thani, from where you can go to Khao Sok by hourly buses.
Another way to enter the area is from Krabi, Phuket or Khao Lak, where you can hire small minivans that take between two and four hours to reach the entrance to Khao Sok village.
Once there, you can visit the nature reserve in several ways, depending on whether or not you are staying at the lake. If this is the case, many of the hotels have transport to pick up their guests at the National Park gate; they can also charter a boat ride from Cheow Lan.
Recommendations and advice for visitors
The best time to visit Khao Sok National Park is in the dry season, between January and March. This is also the time when the Rafflesia, a unique species that is the largest in the world, blooms and the jungle area can be explored in better conditions.
In fact, on these excursions through the lush vegetation you should be aware that there are many leeches, especially if it has rained the day before your visit, and it is advisable to wear special socks to avoid any of them getting caught on your legs. If that happens, do not panic because they are not dangerous and do not transmit diseases.
What you can enjoy during your visit
The visit to Khao Sok Park is divided between the jungle part, with lush vegetation and the river marking part of the trail, and Cheow Lan Lake. A boat or kayak trip through this aquatic reserve will take you to some of its best attractions such as the Guilin of Thailand, the most photographed site. Several rocky islets rise out of the water and form a beautiful image reminiscent of China.
The caves are also the highlight of this visit, especially Nam Talu Cave, almost half a kilometre long and crossed by a river, and Diamond Cave, full of stalagmites and stalactites. Bats are commonly found in both places.
Trails and activities
Khao Sok National Park is very well signposted, so you can do some sections on your own, although it is recommended that, after a certain point, you do so with a guide. For the jungle part, a walking trail of around 9 kilometres there and back allows you to see most of the natural wonders such as waterfalls, animals and giant flowers.
A different way to see this reserve is by night trekking with a local guide, who shows everything that is hidden in this unspoilt wilderness.
If you decide to take to the river, you can kayak or even go tubing, which is crawling down the river on a giant tyre.
