Khao Sok National Park is a wildlife reserve of Thailand enclosed by dense rainforest, emerald lakes, waterfalls, limestone hills and rare flora and fauna. The park has a plethora of adventure activities like hiking, canoeing, bamboo rafting, night safari, zip-lining and kayaking. The picturesque landscape, raw beauty of nature and thrilling activities make Khao Sok National Park a little paradise.
Lying in the Surat Thani province of Thailand, the famous Khao Sok National Park happens to be the largest forest in the region. This national park is a small portion of thick rainforest, once more significant than the Amazon rainforest. Established back in 1980, Khao Sok National Park is the 22nd national park of Thailand.
Sprawled across a vast area of a whopping 739 square kilometers, this national park is home to diverse flora and fauna. If you're planning a Thailand trip package, exploring Khao Sok National Park is a must for an unforgettable experience in the heart of nature. The park is home to 48 species of mammals, 311 birds, 200 wild Asian elephants, more than 30 species of bats, endangered tigers, and countless reptiles and insects. Khao Sok National Park features a virgin rainforest with over 200 plant species per hectare, including exotic flowers, vines, and gigantic trees. You can also find orchids and bamboo, palm, banana, fig, and pitcher plants. The national park is also home to diverse landscapes, including mudstone rocks, towering mountains, magnificent limestone cliffs, dense rainforests, serene lakes, fascinating caves, and cascading waterfalls.
Khao Sok National Park offers its visitors the chance to engage in a plethora of exhilarating activities. With Phuket packages, visitors can indulge in many water activities, including canoeing and bamboo rafting. They can also walk through the breathtaking trails of the park, including Ton Kloi Waterfall Trail, Khlong Pae Nature Trail, and Bang Human Trail. They can even take a boat ride to the various waterfalls of the park, such as Wing Hin Waterfall, Bang Hua Rat Waterfall, Than Sawan Waterfall, Bang Liap Nam Waterfall, Ton Kloi Sip Et Chan Falls, and Mae Yai Waterfall. You can also enjoy cave hopping and explore the different caves of the national park, including Khang Cow Cave, Nam Talu Cave, and Diamond Cave. Visitors can even take a refreshing swim amidst the wilderness in the serene waters of the Cheow Larn Lake.
• Spot over 112 species of mammals, 25 species of lizards, 57 species of snakes, 38 species of amphibians, 393 species of birds, and various turtles.
• Indulge in several adrenaline-pumping water activities, such as canoeing and bamboo rafting.
• Take a refreshing dip in the calm waters of one of the lakes and rivers of the national park.
• Go hiking through the beautiful trails of the national park, including the Khao Sok National Park Ton Kloi Waterfall Trail, Khlong Pae Nature Trail, and Bang Human Trail.
• Witness the world's largest flower, Rafflesia, blooming in the park in its full glory.
• Take a boat ride to Cheow Lan Lake and explore the intriguing Khang Cow Cave, Nam Talu Cave, and Diamond Cave en route.
• Spend some time bathing and feeding the fascinating Asian elephants.
• Pay a visit to the beautiful Monkey Cave Temple.
By Bus: There is a bus operating between Phuket and Khao Sok National Park every hour via Khao Lak and the last bus is at 2 PM. The transit time is 4 hours from Phuket and 2 hours from Khai Lak. Minibus services are available from Krabi, Koh Samui, Donsak Pier and Surat Tani to Khao Sok. The nearest airport is Surat Tani, however one can also arrive at Phuket airport to travel to Khao Sok National Park through local buses.
The best time to visit Khao Sok National Park is between the dry months of December and April. The weather is mostly sunny making it ideal for sightseeing as well as adventure sports. The park is exuberant with the waterfalls gushing during the monsoon months of June to October but most of the facilities are closed.
Places to stay near Khao Sok National Park
1. Khao Sok Riverside Cottages: Featuring a total of 17 well-appointed rooms, Khao Sok Riverside Cottages offer a perfect place to relax amidst nature. This property offers a car park area, babysitting services, luggage storage, and wi-fi in public rooms.
2. Khao Sok Rainforest Resort: Khao Sok Rainforest Resort is a luxury resort featuring a total of 20 tastefully adorned rooms. The resort offers a wide range of excellent facilities including, body massage, watersports, and hot spring baths.
3. Khaosok Treehouse Resort: Featuring an outdoor swimming pool and an on-site restaurant, Khaosok Treehouse Resort offers a very comfortable stay. This resort flaunts an impressive wooden flooring and quaint decor.
4. Khao Sok Cabana Resort: Adorned beautifully by a lush garden, Khao Sok Cabana Resort features a total of 22 spacious rooms. This resort is facilitated with an in-house restaurant, a car park, and wi-fi in public areas.
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Trekking: Khao Sok National Park is home to several amazing trails that offer excellent trekking opportunities to visitors. Many courses require an experienced guide, but a few can be hiked on your own. There is a chance of getting lost if you trek longer trails without a guide. The visitor centre inside the national park lets you hire a local guide to trek the courses. Some of the popular trails in Khao Sok National Park include Ton Kloi Waterfall Trail, Khlong Pae Nature Trail, and Bang Human Trail. As you enjoy trekking in the national park, you can spot several fascinating animals such as wild elephants, Malayan sun bears, and serows. You can also encounter abundant exotic birds and the world's largest flower, Rafflesia Kerrii Meijer.
Khao Sok National Park Safari: One of the most recommended ways of exploring Khao Sok National Park is by taking a thrilling safari ride through it. On your safari tour through the national park, you can spot several fascinating flora and fauna and admire the picturesque mountains serving as the perfect backdrop for the dense dark jungles. You can spot umpteen species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. You can also hear the gurgling sound of the rivers and lose yourself to the enchanting cooing birds.
Canoeing; Canoeing is one of the most sought-after activities to do in Khao Sok National Park. The serene waters of the Sok river offer the best opportunities to enjoy canoeing. You can rent a canoe and head to the waters, and as you want your ride across the river, you can listen to the enchanting birdsongs and treat your eyes to the breathtaking views of the majestic mountains and tall limestone cliffs.
Bamboo Rafting:The traditional bamboo rafting is enjoyed by almost all visitors flocking to Khao Sok National Park. With the towering mountains and breathtaking limestone cliffs making for a romantic backdrop, you can enjoy a fantastic bamboo rafting experience in the national park. As you enjoy bamboo rafting in the park, you can also wander around and explore the intriguing caves, including Khang Cow Cave, Nam Talu Cave, and Diamond Cave.
Boat to Cheow Lan lake:If you are interested in exploring some of the best-kept secrets of Khao Sok National Park, take a boat ride. You can take a boat ride amidst the thick jungle and explore its fascinating caves, including Khang Cow Cave, Nam Talu Cave, and Diamond Cave, connected to the photogenic Cheow Lan lake. You can also get an experienced guide from the visitor centre inside the park to assist you in your boat ride to the lake.
Wildlife watching:Home to bountiful animals, Khao Sok National Park, offers excellent wildlife spotting opportunities. The chances to spot mammals are higher along the trails around Khao Sok Lake. There are also some trails inside the national park, where gaurs and elephants can be spotted. Around the headquarters of the park, you can spot banded langurs and long tailed macaques. The call of gibbons are typically heard in the mornings, and you may also spot deer and boars on the trails sometimes. You may also find snakes, lizards, and different species of amphibians along the paths leading to the park's waterfalls.
Tours: These tours are crafted to take you through the various trails of the national park and let you explore the picturesque waterfalls, intriguing caves, lofty limestone hills, and stunning viewpoints present here. You can also take a longtail boat ride to check out the best-kept secrets of this national park.
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You can find the accessible waterfalls along the trails around the headquarters of Khao Sok National Park and a couple of other spots. You can also encounter mesmerizing limestone outcrops at several locations inside the park.There are also many breathtaking caves around Khao Sok Lake, which can be reached by taking a longtail boat ride.
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Birds: Over 393 different species of birds can be found in the Khao Sok National Park. Commonly spotted bird species include Ducks, geese, waterfowl, Pheasants, grouse, allies, Pigeons, Doves, Cuckoos, Frogmouths, Herons, egrets, bitterns, Hawks, eagles, and kites.
Mammals: There are a total of 112 species of mammals in the Khao Sok National Park. This includes elephants, Even-toed ungulates, Carnivorans, Primates, Tapirs, Flying lemurs, Pangolins, Rodents, Shrews & Moles, Treeshrews, and Bats.
Turtles: You can spot various turtle species in the national park, including Softshell turtles, Freshwater pond turtles (Asian leaf turtles and Asian Pond turtles), and Tortoises (Asian tortoises and Asian elongated tortoises).
Lizards; There are a total of 25 species of lizards in the Khao Sok National Park. This includes Geckos, Agamid lizards, True lizards, Skinks, and Monitors.
Snakes: Over 57 different species of snakes can be found in the Khao Sok National Park. You can try spotting Pit vipers, Elapid snakes, Colubrid snakes, Pythons, Pipe snakes, Sunbeam snakes, and Homalopsis water snakes.
Amphibians: There are a total of 38 species of amphibians in the Khao Sok National Park. This includes Litter frogs, Narrow-mouthed frogs, Shrub frogs, True frogs, True Toads, and Triangle frogs.
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Khao Sok Lake: Also known as Cheow Lan Lake, Khao Sok Lake offers the best wildlife spotting chances. This lake is home to more than 100 limestone outcrops. Visitors can go kayaking or enjoy a longtail boat ride of this beautiful lake, exploring its various fascinating spots. There are several floating bungalows or raft houses across this lake from where you can visit caves and the famous viewpoints.
Ton Kloi Waterfall Trail: The 7 km long Ton Kloi Waterfall Trail is home to several beautiful waterfalls, a breathtaking George, and a serene swimming site. This trail ends at the picturesque Ton Kloi Waterfall, one of the main trails of the national park. As part of this trial, you will see the Wing Hin Waterfall, Wang Yao Pool, Bang Hua Waterfall, Bang Liap Nam Waterfall, Than Sawan Waterfall, Ton Kloi Waterfall, and Tang Nam Gorge.
Sip Et Chan Falls: A 4 km long trail can lead to the beautiful waterfall Sip Et Chan Falls, which has 11 tiers. The course is a wooden boardwalk, and visitors are permitted to walk freely through it. There is also an excellent chance to spot exotic birds and mammals on this trail. While walking to the Sip Et Chan Falls, you can spot a Great Hornbill, black-and-yellow broadbill, orange-breasted trogon, bamboo woodpecker, and banded pitta.
Mae Yai Waterfall: The mesmerizing Mae Yai Waterfall is a 30 meters tall single-tier waterfall. This is more of a monsoon waterfall, and the fall is at its peak during the rainy season. The entrance of this waterfall has enough space for visitors to park their cars and motorcycles.
San Yang Roi Viewpoint: The San Yang Roi Viewpoint lies on the western side of the national park, around 5.5 km from Khao Sok Village. This is an excellent vantage point offering breathtaking panoramic views of the entire national park.
Khlong Pae Nature Trail: The 6.5 km long Khlong Pae Nature Trail lies at around 10 to 12 kilometres from Khao Sok Village. In addition to hiking this trail, you can enjoy a boat ride through the intriguing caves that are located adjacent to Cheow Lan Lake.
Bang Human Trail: Bang Human Trail is a beautiful trail adorned by gorgeous Rafflesia flowers and colourful butterflies. The initial 800 meters of this trail is steep and meets a creek. From the stream, the trail continues into an intriguing 400 meters long cave. After taking an exit from the cave, you will need to walk on the path for another 7 kilometres. Along this route, you can also visit a picturesque 70 meters tall waterfall. In general, it takes around 3 to 4 hours to cover the entire trail.
Caves: Khao Sok National Park is home to several stunning caves . The most famous caves in the national park include Nam Talu Cave, Diamond Cave, and Pakarang Cave don't miss these caves during your tour to Khao SOK .
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Khao Sok National Park is known famously for its affluent wildlife population and excellent trekking opportunities. This breathtaking national park is also known for its picturesque waterfalls, intriguing caves, and serene lakes.
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Yes, you can stay comfortably overnight in Khao Sok National Park. There are several excellent resorts, cottages, and bungalows in this national park, where you can enjoy a pleasant stay amidst the breathtaking wilderness.
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Yes, Khao Sok National Park is worth visiting for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and wildlife enthusiasts. This place lets you spot various wildlife species, go bird watching, follow nature trails, and enjoy outdoor adventures like trekking, canoeing, and caving.
The best time to visit Khao Sok National Park is between June and September, when there is rainfall, and you can enjoy river tubing, canoeing, and kayaking. However, if you want to enjoy caving and hiking, you should visit the national park between November and April, when the weather is sunny and dry.
Khao Sok is located at a distance of around 8 kilometres from the city of Phuket. It takes about 16 minutes to reach Khao Sok National Park from Phuket via Route 4024.
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