When you arrive in Khao Sok town, it becomes obvious that the small local area that is more like a village. The Park is popular with Thai tourists who venture to the lake in the hot dry season, often from big cities like Bangkok.
There are lots of guesthouses and small unique resorts to choose from, as well as restaurants, bars, convenience stores, ATMs and guided nature activities.
To get the most from the trip, it’s worth spending a night or two in the town itself, exploring the surrounding jungle, rivers, and caves, before venturing to the Lake to stay on the floating raft houses there overnight.
HIKING
Hiking trails are endless in this area but as you can only venture 3km into the park alone, so it is worth hiring a guide to show you the best sports for a half-day.
There are many small waterfalls and places to swim and most of these require a nice hike to reach, which is a perfect way to spend half a day in nature.
Hike the Western train to Than Sawan Waterfall to see huge bamboo trees, go for a dip, hopefully, see some monkeys and you will usually have the spot to yourself!
There is also a small shelter that sells fruit and drinks along the way.
RIVER TOURS
Other activities for more adventurous souls are river tubing, canoeing and bamboo rafting. This is a lovely way to see the park from the Khao Sok river you’re your guide will point out some interesting plants and wildlife to you.
Generally, guides will also take you on a hike and to try some local food on these trips too.
You can find guides in any of the guesthouses or information shops in the town.
CHEOW LARN LAKE
A long-tail boat along the Cheow Larn Lake is the best way to see the full effect of the towering limestone rocks that are so distinctive to this part of Thailand.
The three options to see the lake are: to hire a Khao Sok travel company to do a day trip , Khao Sok travel company to do a tour of the lake plus an overnight stay including meals and room or finally, by individually by renting a motorbike and private longtail boat driver for 6 people and paying the 300 baht Park Entrance fee.
I would recommend going with a Khao Sok travel company, as it can be quite tricky to organize everything yourself and you won’t really save too much money.
The guides also know the best places to go and explore and where to go for lunch!
The long-tail boat rides typically take about two hours to get from one end of the lake to the other, with extra time needed to see some of the sites on the lake. The most famous site on the lake is the “Three Brothers Rock” situated right in the middle of the lake, which is the perfect spot to cliff jump and has a swim.
There are more hiking trails and caves only accessible by the lake and this is a great way to do some more exploring and stretch your legs after being in the boat.
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