Discover the amazing attractions of Khao Sok in this post. Take your family on Khao Sok holidays by opting for lucrative vacation deals from Virikson Holidays. When it comes to the best vacation spots known for their tropical climate and tranquil beach life, Thailand ranks among the top. Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, this tropical paradise is known for its white sand beaches offering majestic vistas of pristine waters on the front and limestone cliffs on the backdrop.
Bangkok, Krabi, Phi Phi Island, Phuket Town, and Khao Sok; you can explore all these major Thailand spots to make the most of your vacation. However, if it’s only a few spots you’re planning to visit on your next Thailand trip, we suggest including Khao Sok National Park in your list. Want to know why? Let us share basic details regarding this spot, how to get there plus interesting things you can do to make your all-inclusive khao sok holidays worthwhile.
Khao Sok Basics
Situated in the south of Thailand, Khao Sok is a renowned National Park covering 739 km². It is 150 km from Phuket Peninsula and Krabi and around 60 km from Khao Lak. Discovered back in 1980, Khao Sok today is one of the most impressive and stunning natural reserves in the country.
The National Park provides habitat for various animal and plant species. For instance, gibbons, hornbills, tigers, kingfishers, all these wild beasts can be observed in the dense jungles of the park. When it comes to flowers, the park lodges giant Rafflesia which is the largest flower in the world hiding in the deep forest.
You can reserve a guided trek through the jungle or a boat trip on Lake Cheow Lan to discover the best of Khao Sok and learn interesting facts about the flora and fauna. On your way, you can observe massive limestone formations, providing majestic views to the tourists.
How to Reach Khao Sok National Park?
You can easily reach the National Park as the nearest airport is around 120 km in Surat Thani, and the other one is 120 km away in Phuket. You can also travel by train from Surat Thani, which joins Bangkok with the south of the country. However, most travellers prefer booking cab, bus, or minibus from nearby tourist areas such as Khao Lak, Krabi, and Phuket. Transfer bookings can be made both online and on the spot.
What to discover in Khao Sok?
Considering that you may now have reached Khao Sok, let’s give you an exciting tour of this park through the magic of words:
- Cheow Lan Lake Boat Trip
Cheow Lan Lake is a 162 sq. km. reservoir created in 1982 to generate electricity. However, the stunning mighty rocks rising hundreds of meters out of the lake and conjuring up a massive backdrop make this lake one of the most important magnetisms of the area.
People desiring to fully enjoy the Khao Sok holidays can reserve a boat tour at the reservoir. The boats are usually longtail that glide through the pristine waters while tourists enjoy the views of the mighty rocks, small caves, and the incredible floating bungalows.
- Floating Bungalows
You can’t enjoy an experience like this in most other parts of the world so make sure that you spend at least one night and day in the floating bungalows of Khao Sok. These are floating wooden huts, linked through wooden paths.
Here you can spend tranquil time with your loved ones, watching majestic views of the surroundings and even enjoying picnicking. You can’t just miss the ambiance at dawn and dusk when the fog rolls in and the biota is at its most dynamic. You can also hop in the lake from the bungalow for bathing and swimming as the water is pleasantly warm. Several bungalows also offer free kayaking services so you can reserve your bungalow considering this option.
- The Majestic Caves
Are you an exploration geek? Then you’re in luck as Khao Sok National Park is home to some of the most amazing stalactite caves. You just need to reserve a guided boat tour and then enjoy observing the caves from a safe distance. There are other caves that can only be reached by hiking the forest. Remember that the trekking can be hard and a visit to the caves can be a bit risky too so you should opt for a guided tour rather than going solo.
Want to know about some of the most famous caves here? Well, Nam Ta-lu is one of them reaching 500 meters deep while the Khang Cow Cave is famous for its myriad of bats. You can also visit Pra Kie Phet and Coral Caves known for spiders and bats and stunning stalactites and stalagmites. The trekking paths can be quite slippery so you should wear good shoes. Also, keep headlamps to easily observe the interesting interiors of caves.
- Khao Sok Forest Trek
Want to fulfill your trekking desires through lush jungles? You can find a national park map right at Khao Sok’s entrance. Grab one of these to get an idea and start hiking through one of the trails that lead through stunning bamboo forests to various tropical falls. The most popular route is the 7 km Ton Kloi Waterfall Trail so you can consider this trail for hiking.
If you’re in luck then You can spot monkeys like langurs and macaques and several other species like hornbills, butterflies, bats, and kingfishers. Not to mention snakes and spiders which are a little less here than several other areas of Thailand. Beware of bears, tigers, and other predators hidden in the jungle and are hard to observe.
- The Waterfalls in the Park
Fancying some tranquil time and cool down? The park hoards several amazing falls amidst stunning wildlife where you can freshen up and gain energy for more exploration. For instance, the Mai Yai Fall is situated on the main road and is the only cascade in the park that can be reached by car. All other waterfalls are linked with a jungle hike.
The 7 km Ton Kloi Cascade Trail is the most famous as maximum falls come in its way at once. These include Wang Phai Nga, Wing Hin Waterfall, Bang Hau Rat, Wang Yao, Bang Leab Nam, Tan Sawan Waterfall, Tang Nam Gorge, and the Ton Kloi Waterfall.
- Elephants Reserve
Want to get up close and personal with giant Elephants? Head to one of the Khao Sok Elephant Reserves in the national park where former working elephants are kept safe. You can reserve a half day tour and interact with these elephants, feed them, and also bathe them.
Another Elephant Reserve is the Sonchana Farm where the local family ‘Sonchana’ takes care of a retired and very old Elephant named Somboon. However, the most famous sanctuary is the Khao Sok Elephant Reserve, where you can observe several other pachyderms.
- The Monkey Temple
Situated on the outskirts of the Khao Sok village, Wat Thum Nang Panturath is a monkey temple religiously maintained by local monks. The temple is not very well built but you can find several monkeys there that you can interact with from a safe distance.
You can make these monkeys happy by feeding them small snacks but don’t try to get too intimate with them. You need to pay 20 baht to enter the complex where you can also visit a small cave converted into a temple holding Buddha images inside.
Khao Sok is full of amazing sights to discover as you can get an idea through this post. Stunning falls, amazing flora and fauna, massive rocks, lush scenery, wild creatures, incredible caves, beautiful floating bungalows, all of these can be observed in this single park. So if you desire to take your family on the Khao Sok holidays to explore its amazing attractions then contact Virikson Holidays. We’re ready to serve you with profitable travel plans to make your dream tour a reality.
