How To Visit Khao Sok National Park & Floating Bungalow Tour 2024

Jack and I had the most amazing experience at Khao Sok National Park the last time we visited Thailand. We were there for six weeks, exploring as much of the country as we could.

Khao Sok National Park is one of those places that would be perfect for adventure travellers, thanks to treks and cave expeditions like the one we did at Tham Nam Talu. It’s also great for nature enthusiasts, thanks to the surrounding rainforest and legendary limestone cliffs.

Not only that, but Khao Sok is also where you’ll find overnight stays and tours of Thailand’s famous floating bungalow! Visiting Khao Sok turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.

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Understand How To Visit Khao Sok National Park And Book A Floating Bungalow Tour!

In this post, I’m sharing all the details of how to plan a trip to Khao Sok National Park from our experience of staying one night on the floating bungalows. I’m also covering topics including:

• A comprehensive guide including the best overnight stays, how to book, where to stay and how to get to Khao Sok.
• I’ve broken up our visit and provided details from our own trip so you know exactly what to expect.

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Is Khao Sok National Park Worth Visiting?

Jack and I absolutely loved our stay at Khao Sok National Park. It was made even better when we found out that we could stay overnight on the floating bungalows, an activity we had heard so much about but still weren’t entirely sure what it was.

In the end, we had a great experience, which was perfect for us. And I think anyone who loves nature and being outdoors would enjoy visiting Khao Sok floating bungalows too.

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About Khao Sok National Park 

Khao Sok National Park is located in the Surat Thani province of Thailand and is an ancient rainforest dating back millions of years. The park covers an area of approximately 739 square kilometres, making it one of the largest national parks in Thailand. 

Cheow Larn Lake was formed in 1982 when the Ratchaprapha Dam was built on the Khlong Sok River. The dam has the ability to generate hydroelectric power for the region, and it also created a scenic reservoir that has become a popular attraction.

The area was once home to the indigenous people of Thailand, the Chao Leh, who lived in harmony with the forest for centuries; our guide was a descendant of this tribe. 

⭐ Pro tip: During your visit, you’ll be able to enjoy a range of activities while exploring the park, including hiking, kayaking, and wildlife spotting. For more information on the history of Khao Sok National Park, head over to the website here.

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Visiting Khao Sok On A Day Trip

I’ve aimed this guide more towards those of you who are hoping to plan an overnight visit to Khao Sok by staying on the floating bungalows. This is how I recommend visiting them, but if you’re short on time, there are day trips available.

• Khao Sok Rainforest Hike + Canoe: Join this small group Khao Sok rainforest adventure where you can hike and canoe through the jungle, ending with a cool swim. 
• Khao Sok Wildlife 2 Days: Spend two days viewing wildlife amongst the thick jungle, stunning limestone cliffs, and untouched nature with this small group tour from Khao Lak.

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How To Plan Your Visit To Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park Entrance Fee

If you want to enter the park, there is a fee. For foreigners, it’s 300 baht (150 baht for children). It’s quite common to find lower rates for Thai nationals; here, it’s 40 baht for adults and 20 baht for children.

Khao Sok is located in the wilderness; however, it’s relatively easy to access. If you’re driving, it takes around three hours from Phuket or two if you’re in Krabi.

Khao Sok National Park Opening Hours

Open daily, 7 am to 7 pm. Unless you’re on an arranged tour, you shouldn’t enter the park after hours.

How Long Do You Need At Khao Sok?

Jack and I spent one night on the floating bungalows and one night in Khlong Sok village the night before. It’s not necessary, but we left very early on the first day and so wanted to be in the local village.

It worked out well as we had almost two full days to enjoy the park since we left late on the second day. For us, this was enough time, as we were travelling the rest of Thailand, too.

⭐ Pro tip: Two nights on Khao Sok’s water bungalows would have also been amazing, and another night in Khlong Sok if you wanted to explore the National Park and do more hikes, visit waterfalls and river tubing, etc.

Do You Have To Book A Tour?

The Khao Sok floating bungalow tour does need to be booked if you want to stay overnight. As most of you know, we aren’t that great at researching our destinations beforehand and love to travel on a whim, but for this one, it was necessary as it does take a little planning.

The best and easiest way to visit Khao Sok National Park is to stay overnight on the water bungalows with local guides while experiencing the best of the park. They will share their history and the park’s history, tell you about the wildlife and take you exploring, ensuring a safe and comfortable visit.

⭐ Pro tip >> It is possible to enter Khao Sok National Park from the villages and explore the trails. A fee of 300 baht applies, but due to the park’s requirement, most trails are to be guided.

When Should You Visit Khao Sok National Park?

The weather in Khao Sok can be very humid and changeable. It’s typical for it to rain a little every day, especially during the wet season. There are misconceptions about the wet season; you’re more likely to see sudden downpours lasting an hour or so rather than all-day long rain, so it doesn’t necessarily make it a bad time to visit.

⭐ Pro tip >> The park is open all year round, but some activities may be closed due to the weather, such as cave exploring, if it’s been raining a lot. A positive aspect of visiting during this season is the more affordable rates.

• The dry season is from December to April; for sun-seekers, it’s best to visit Khao Sok in January and February. It’s possible to combine a trip at this time with the west coast to make the most of the weather or the east coast from May to October.

• The rainy season is from April to November, with the heaviest rainfall from June to November.

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Where To Stay At Khao Sok National Park

We stayed in the small town of Khlong Sok, which is where the Khao Sok National Park HQ is located and where we recommend staying. From there, you can take guided walking trails into the park and explore. 

Malulee KhaoSok Resort

Malulee Khao Sok Resort features lovely bungalows, a garden and a pool, which are well-maintained by helpful and kind staff.

Cosy Garden Khao Sok

Breakfast Included. Offering a garden and mountain views, this luxury tent looks beautiful and features rooms with air conditioning, free private parking and free WiFi.

Khao Sok Secret Hostel

This hostel is where we stayed; it’s located in front of the entrance to the Khao Sok National Park. The rooms are clean and bright, with a terrace overlooking the mountains.

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Our Experience Staying In Khlong Sok Village

Arriving at Khlong Sok, we checked in to our hostel and were really pleased with our choice. It was clean, fresh, and newly renovated, with large beds and a huge balcony. If you’re looking for a good, affordable spot, the Secret Hostel is a winner!

The village of Khlong Sok is typical of Thailand, with bamboo and concrete buildings along one main street. It is located along the street where restaurants, other hotels, a couple of bars, and amenities such as an ATM and mini market are. It was surrounded by tall trees and very green! 

⭐ Pro tip >> Heading out for some food, we found the restaurant Nongsaw Thai Food, not too far away from the hostel, serving a selection of delicious dishes. Give it a try if you’re nearby!

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How To Arrange A Floating Bungalow Tour

There are a number of ways to organise a floating bungalow tour. You can do it through your hotel, an online tour operator or once you’ve arrived at the village. If you’re budget savvy, you could wait until you’ve reached Khlong Sok (or whichever village you choose to base yourself at) to book a tour for the best deals, but you risk tickets being sold out!

Pre-Booking A Tour Through Your Hotel

We booked the water bungalow tour through our hostel in Khlong Sok BEFORE we arrived. They were really helpful in organising the type of experience we wanted. I had done some research and already had an idea of what I wanted to be included. It’s worth knowing that not all tours include the same activities.

Through the hostel, we were able to communicate our preferences and they were able to find us the right tour, or I think they changed their tour to include the activities we were requesting. Either way, it was easy and convenient as we arranged it over WhatsApp!

⭐ Pro tip >> Arranging the tour directly through the hotel allowed us to confirm what was included, such as the type of accommodation (there are different types of floating bungalows), meals and additional activities like kayaking and swimming before we paid.

Pre-Booking Your Khao Sok Tour Online

If you’re not travelling, you might be strapped for time and want to have your holiday booked up. I recommend at least one night and two days to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of Khao Sok National Park so you can experience the floating bungalows.

⭐ Pro tip >> I’ve found this tour which sounds perfect, similar to ours and with great reviews! You’ll spend two days viewing wildlife amongst the thick jungle, stunning limestone cliffs, and untouched nature with this small group tour from Khao Lak.

Booking At Your Village Base

Another way to book the tour is to wait until AFTER you reach the park. When we reached the Khlong Sok, we noticed tour offices everywhere, and after speaking to a few people in our group, it would have been slightly cheaper to book once we arrived.

It depends on your type of travel and the amount of time you have as to the way you decide to book the tour. Either way, it’s important to understand activities are included and that all fees are included!

⭐ Pro tip >> We negotiated the park entrance fee into our final price. However, we were asked to pay a service charge when we arrived at the lake. As we had been told everything was included, we refused to pay this, which was a little awkward but resolved in the end.

What Should You Pack?

A small overnight bag or backpack is ideal for a floating bungalow stay at Khao Sok National Park. You won’t need a lot, a change of clothes and swimming wear. Here are the essentials:

• Water bottle 
• Towel or Sarong
• Sunnies, hat and sunscreen (mineral)
• Insect repellent 
• Comfy walking shoes
• Waterproof camera
• Anti-bacterial gel 

⭐ Pro tip >> There is nowhere to purchase food on any of the floating bungalows. Although we were given plenty of food, we always like to have some extra snacks; you can grab these at the market on your way.

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How To Get To Khao Sok National Park

There are numerous ways to reach Khao Sok National Park, but if you’re like us, you’ll be coming from Krabi town, where we’d just been island hopping in the Andaman Sea. Catching a taxi or a local bus is the best way to do it.

Reaching Khao Sok By Private Taxi

Catching a taxi is the most comfortable and direct way to reach the national park. This is most likely why it is the most popular means of travel and can be organised from towns such as Phuket, Ko Lanta, Krabi, and Surat Thani.

There are many tour operators who will be able to help organise this for you; for example, Contiki is a reliable agency.

Organising A Minibus (this is the way we did it!)

Depending on your budget, a cost-effective way to reach the national park is by minibus; we opted for the minibus as it was only a little more than the public bus. It picked us up from our hostel. After a little negotiation, it cost us 350 baht pp and took a whopping three and a half hours! 

However, the journey went quickly and smoothly, with a few stops along the way to pick up locals. This isn’t a private taxi, so it took a little longer, but it’s air-conditioned and comfy, plus it’s cheaper!

⭐ Pro tip >> If you’re leaving from Krabi, make sure you are picked up from your hotel and not Krabi Town Bus Station, as it’s way out of town and will cost you more to get there!

Jumping On A Public Bus

Catching a local bus is always the cheapest way to travel; however, sometimes it can be easier to pay a little more and get there quicker. Even so, if you do choose to catch a public bus, here is some useful information.

Please remember that the prices and timings noted below are guidelines only – always check before you travel, as things are likely to have changed from our last visit!

• From Phuket: 4 hours/one bus per hour until 2 pm, about 160 baht
• From Khao Lak: 2 hours/one bus per hour
• From Surat Thani train station: 2 hours/one bus per hour, est. 120 baht
• From Surat Thani Airport: 2 hours 30 minutes/one bus every four hours, about 300-350 baht, depending on the drop-off point.
• From Krabi: 2-3 hours/one minibus per day at about 11 am, about 300 baht
• From Ko Lanta: 6 hours, including ferry, about 850 baht

Or Are You Coming from Bangkok?

Are you coming from Bangkok? There are three possible ways of travelling from Bangkok to Khao Sok National Park:

• Flight Surat Thani: Followed by a private taxi or public bus service to Khao Sok.
• Sleeper train: This takes around 11 hours and costs 1000-1600 baht depending on class (I would suggest second class air-con).
• Overnight bus: This can take anywhere between 8 and 14 hours, depending on the route, and costs around 450 to 700 baht.

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Resources For Thailand

Is it your first time visiting Thailand? We’ve written lots of useful posts to help you plan your trip. You can check them all out on our Thailand Page here, but below are some of our most popular articles:

• Thailand is one of our favourite travel destinations. Discover all the reasons why we love it here.
• Did you know that Thailand is a really great place to visit if you’re on a budget?
• If you’re in search of Thailand’s most stunning national parks, check out the waterfalls at Erawan National Park!
• Do you love the idea of visiting islands? Koh Mook was our favourite island destination in south Thailand.
• Are you looking for some history and culture to add to your itinerary? I recommend checking out Kanchanaburi and the ancient city of Ayutthaya.

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Our Experience Visiting Khao Sok National Park & Staying On The Floating Bungalows

The Journey To Khao Sok National Park

In the morning, after we had breakfast, we left the hostel by minivan for Khao Sok National Park. The journey took around two hours, with a stop at a local market. We were given fifteen minutes or so to walk around and grab any snack we might fancy. 

⭐ Pro tip: I picked up some Asian snacks and a selection of fresh fruits for a bargain price. Make sure you have some cash on you to use at the market and for tips as well. There is nowhere to purchase snacks once you’re on the lake.

After the market, we headed straight for Cheow Larn Lake, which was enormous! We had to check in before we were able to proceed to the long-tail boat, which took us to the floating bungalows. 

On Cheow Larn Lake

The journey along Cheow Larn Lake was spectacular; it was so pretty. It was exactly like I had imagined. The water was calm and flat with a magical emerald green appearance and flickers of sapphire.

The deeper we went along the lake, the surrounding limestone cliffs began to encompass us, their tall, rugged edges hanging over our tiny boat. We passed a few enclaves where other floating bungalows were set up, but ours was deeper into the park, hidden away from the world.

Staying on the Floating Bungalows 

It took about one hour to reach our floating bungalows. They were how we were expecting: a line of bamboo huts constructed on top of floating barrels strung together in a line of about twenty.  There was a communal area with a canteen where we all ate together and a set of male and female shower rooms.

Previously, while reading up on the floating bungalow tours, I’d read some bad reviews and horror stories; however, for us, they were fine, and we had a great experience! 

The accommodation was very basic, with only a mattress on the floor and a small fan, but there was nothing bad about it. It was clean and tidy, with a little window and shelf. Considering we were only there for one night, there wasn’t much else we needed.

⭐ Pro tip >> It was a comfortable sleep, but remember to bring a head torch for those midnight wanders to the toilet!

Swimming And kayaking On Cheow Larn Lake

As soon as we arrived, we were able to swim in the lake and use the kayaks. Access to the lake was from directly in front of our bungalow; it was a quick step and jump, and we were in the water!

It was fantastic to jump into the water so easily, which was a lovely warm temperature at the surface and cooler towards the toes. 

We saw a family of monkeys down by the water line munching on what we were told were freshwater snails. They seemed to be enjoying them a lot. 

⭐ Pro tip >> Jack and I took the kayaks around the lake in search of more wildlife. We didn’t see much more except for a pair of eagles soaring above. I will say that we didn’t notice as much wildlife as we thought there would be! 

Hiking and Cave Exploration 

After kayaking and lunch, it was time for our hike into the heart of Khao Sok National Park. The hike took about an hour and was pretty flat before we reached the cave entrance, which was huge! 

Along the hike, we passed through a bamboo forest, rivers and large boulders and were not expecting much from the cave; however, we were blown away. We hiked into the cave in total darkness, all donning our head torches.

We were lucky to see a boa constrictor curled up on a ledge before passing deeper into the cave following a little stream. The cave was full of insects, especially spiders with long folded pincers ready to attack!

We followed the stream as it winded through the cave, there were areas where the rocks sparkled like diamonds which was very beautiful and with the trickling sound of the steam echoing through the darkness it was a totally new and surreal feeling!

It Was An Epic Cave Adventure!

Eventually, we came to a narrow opening, which we had to squeeze through as the water gradually became deeper. We ended up having to wade through the water and even swim at times to get through the cave. It was totally unexpected and really fun! 

⭐ Pro tip >> Make sure you take waterproof cases for phones, etc. Jack and I had our backpacks on and had to hold them above our heads while attempting to navigate through a gully. Unfortunately for Jack, he stepped into a hole and submerged.

Coming out the other end, our guide decided to tell us how a group had died being caught in the cave during the storm, and the water levels had risen to drown them! Important note – no exploring caves when it rains!

The Evening Safari 

We went back to our floating bungalows for some more downtime before we headed off on the boat for an evening safari. It’s optional to go on the safari, but we all went in hopes of spotting wildlife. 

We were left a little disappointed by the lack of animals in the park. If you are hoping to see lots of wildlife on this trip, then you will be disappointed! Nevertheless, Cheow Larn Lake is still stunning and floating around in its tranquillity was good enough, animals or not.

Making Local Jewellery 

On our way back from the cave, our guide was collecting strands of rattan from the trees. He had made a couple of hats along the hike and told us he was saving the rest for jewellery. 

So, on the safari, as we sat and waited to spot wildlife, he began making the jewellery. Soon enough, we were all getting involved and making rings and bracelets. He was teaching us the method he had learned from his mother, which actually became more fun than trying to spot the wildlife, which we didn’t see!

The Morning Safari & Red Fox Bats

In the morning, we packed up and, after breakfast, headed out on the morning safari. We motored around for a while in the long-tail boat (which is really noisy), stopping in some beautiful areas for photos while hoping to see wildlife.

It wasn’t until we stopped for lunch, which we had on the boat, that we saw the red fox bats. The second highlight of our trip! They were relaxing in the trees, and we could only see glimpses of them.

Being the only boat in the small cove (our guide had taken us there in hopes of seeing them), with the engine turned off, they decided to swarm and right above our heads, there were thousands of them! 

⭐ Pro tip >> You will see some wildlife. We managed to see some other animals during the trip, too, such as a boa constrictor, frogs, spiders, crickets, and monkeys. We heard gibbons in the trees and saw pink snail eggs, plenty of fish, a toucan, a hornbill, butterflies, a chameleon, and monitor lizards!

Sparkling Diamond Cave 

After lunch, we were taken to another cave; although nothing in comparison to the first, it was still nice to visit. It was much smaller, and there wasn’t much going on inside, but we did see some gecko eggs through a little hole and the skin of a rather large snake; unfortunately, no snake to be seen.

In all honesty, it was a bit of anti-climax after the first cave experience, but the view from outside the cave was great, and it was a nice way to end the trip. 

⭐ Pro tip >> If you do a similar trip to ours, it’s likely you’ll get back to Khlong Sok around 2 pm. We decided to head straight for Surat Thani train station, where we were catching the night train up to Kanchanaburi.

⭐ Pro tip >> Curious about the meals? We were provided lunch and dinner on the first day and breakfast and lunch on the second day. Water was provided throughout.

Typical Meals Included:

• Lunch: fried rice, noodles, chicken, tofu and a selection of vegetables. Plus a fruit plate and juice.
• Dinner: marinated steamed fish from the lake, rice, noodles, a selection of vegetables and tofu. Plus a fruit plate and juice.
• Breakfast: pancakes and a selection of fruit and juice. 
• Lunch: (on the boat) parcels of fried rice with vegetables and an egg. Fruit and water. 

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Conclusion: Khao Sok National Park & Floating Bungalow Tour

Khao Sok National Park is one of those places that will live in our memories forever. It was one of our favourite destinations from our entire world adventure and is simply stunning.

The stay on the floating bungalows over the water and deep within the jungle made it so memorable that we would recommend staying there, too. It really was a lovely adventure; combined with the cave expedition, we had a fantastic time!