Duration
2 days
Tour Type
Daily Tour
Group Size
36 people
Languages
EN, DE, FR
About this tour
Spend a night in a floating bungalow on Cheow Lan Lake, the emerald reservoir at the heart of Khao Sok National Park, then finish the next day on the Sok River with a Thai cooking lesson, a bamboo raft and a waterfall. This two-day trip is built around the lake at its quietest: long-tail boats under limestone cliffs, a guided walk to the Coral Cave, wildlife safaris at dusk and dawn, and kayaking from your own doorstep.
Day 1: the lake, the jungle and the Coral Cave
You are met by your guide and board a traditional long-tail boat for a cruise across the lake, stopping for photographs of the Gui Lin rock formations before reaching the floating resort. A buffet lunch is served on the water, and after check-in the afternoon is yours for a kayak paddle along the quiet coves.
Later a long-tail boat takes the group to Klong Seang Wildlife Sanctuary for a 1.5 km walk through the rainforest, followed by a short bamboo raft ride to the Coral Cave. A wildlife boat safari follows, with the best chances of seeing wild elephants, gaur, hornbills and monkeys at the water’s edge. Dinner is served back at the floating resort.
Day 2: sunrise safari, som tam and the Sok River
The day begins with coffee or tea and an early kayak safari led by your guide, who helps you spot birds and other wildlife. After breakfast and check-out, a long-tail boat returns you to the mainland with a stop at the suspension bridge viewpoint over the lake.
In Khao Sok village you have lunch at a local restaurant and learn to make a classic Thai papaya salad (som tam) from fresh ingredients, then eat what you have made. In the afternoon you drift down the Sok River on a bamboo raft with freshly brewed bamboo coffee, and finish at Mae Yai Waterfall before the journey back to your hotel.
Three ways to join
Choose pickup from Phuket (06:30), pickup from Khao Lak (08:30), or meet our guide at the Cheow Lan Lake pier at 10:30. Pickup is from any area of Phuket or Khao Lak, and guests are returned to the same hotel or area at the end of day 2: around 14:00 to 15:00 in Khao Lak and around 16:00 to 17:00 in Phuket. Meeting-point guests are dropped at Khaosok Mountain View. The tour runs on Thursdays and Sundays, in English, for two or more guests. Single travellers are welcome too: we confirm a single place as soon as another guest has booked the same date, so send us a request first.
Tour Highlights
- A night in a floating bungalow on Cheow Lan Lake
- Coral Cave reached by a 1.5 km jungle walk and a short bamboo raft
- Wildlife boat safari for wild elephants, gaur, hornbills and monkeys
- Sunrise kayak safari for birdwatching
- Thai papaya salad (som tam) cooking lesson in Khao Sok village
- Bamboo rafting on the Sok River with bamboo coffee, then Mae Yai Waterfall
- Pickup from Phuket or Khao Lak, or meet at the pier
Included/Excluded
- Return hotel transfer from Phuket or Khao Lak (not included with the meeting-point option)
- Traditional long-tail boat trips
- One night in a floating bungalow
- Buffet lunch and dinner on day 1
- Breakfast and lunch on day 2
- Kayaking on the lake
- Jungle walk and bamboo raft to the Coral Cave
- Afternoon wildlife boat safari
- Sunrise birdwatching kayak safari
- Thai papaya salad cooking lesson
- Bamboo rafting on the Sok River with bamboo coffee
- Mae Yai Waterfall visit
- English-speaking guide
- National park fee 500 THB per person (paid on the day)
- Municipality fee 40 THB per person (paid on the day)
- Drinks other than water and personal expenses
- Tips for the guide and boat crew
- Transfers with the meeting-point option
Itinerary
Pickup from your hotel anywhere in Phuket at 06:30 or in Khao Lak at 08:30 for the drive to Khao Sok National Park, or meet your English-speaking guide at Cheow Lan Lake pier at 10:30.
Board a traditional long-tail boat for a scenic cruise between towering limestone karsts, with a photo stop at the Gui Lin rock formations, one of the best-known viewpoints on the lake.
Arrive at the floating resort on the emerald water of Cheow Lan Lake, enjoy a buffet lunch and settle into your floating bungalow.
Free time to paddle a kayak along the quiet coves in front of the resort, with jungle-covered mountains all around.
Travel by long-tail boat to Klong Seang Wildlife Sanctuary for a guided 1.5 km rainforest walk, then glide on a short bamboo raft to the Coral Cave and explore its rock formations.
Cruise the edge of the lake in the late afternoon, the best time to look for wild elephants, gaur, hornbills and monkeys.
Dinner at the floating resort and a peaceful night on the water, with the sounds of the rainforest around you.
Start with coffee or tea, then paddle out early with your guide to spot hornbills, kingfishers and other wildlife in the morning light.
Breakfast at the floating resort, check-out, and a long-tail boat back to the mainland with a stop at the suspension bridge for a last view over Cheow Lan Lake.
Lunch at a local restaurant, where you learn to prepare a classic Thai papaya salad from fresh ingredients and then eat what you made.
Drift down the Sok River on a traditional bamboo raft beneath limestone cliffs, with freshly brewed bamboo coffee and a chance to see birds, monkeys and reptiles.
A visit to Mae Yai Waterfall, then the journey back to your hotel in Khao Lak (around 14:00 to 15:00) or Phuket (around 16:00 to 17:00). Meeting-point guests are dropped at Khaosok Mountain View.
Frequently asked questions
Three: pickup from your hotel anywhere in Phuket at 06:30, pickup from your hotel in Khao Lak at 08:30, or meet the guide at Cheow Lan Lake pier at 10:30. Phuket and Khao Lak guests are returned to the same hotel or area on day 2, around 14:00 to 15:00 in Khao Lak and around 16:00 to 17:00 in Phuket. Meeting-point guests make their own way to the pier and the tour ends at Khaosok Mountain View.
Yes, on request. A single place is confirmed once another guest has booked the same date and option, so use the request button in the booking box or message us on WhatsApp. The single-traveller price is higher per person than the price for two or more, and we send you a booking link as soon as your place is confirmed. There is no separate child price: everyone pays the same per person.
Thursdays and Sundays, all year round. Choose your date in the booking box.
English.
Simple floating bungalows on the lake, with firm beds and a basic bathroom. It is a nature stay in a remote national park, not a luxury resort, and guests who come for the lake and the wildlife enjoy it most.
Buffet lunch and dinner on day 1, breakfast at the resort and lunch in Khao Sok village on day 2. Drinks other than water are not included.
Swimwear, a towel, a change of clothes, sun cream, insect repellent, a hat, a rain jacket, comfortable walking shoes for the jungle walk, a camera and some cash. The floating resort may ask for a refundable cash deposit.
The jungle walk to the Coral Cave is about 1.5 km on uneven ground. The tour is not suitable for pregnant women, guests with serious mobility problems or children under 3 years old. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
Free cancellation up to 30 days before the tour date, with a full refund, because the floating resort charges us for the room. Cancellations within 30 days and no-shows are not refunded. If the national park or the resort closes the lake, for example for a storm, you get a full refund or a free new date.
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Owner
Edwin Aquino
Member Since 2023
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