How many days do you need in Khao Sok?

1. 1Khao Sok village & park trailsTon Kloi trail; guided night walk1 day
2. 2Cheow Lan Lake raft house2-day, 1-night tour from the Rajjaprabha dam pier1 day
3. 3Dawn safari, then onwardback at the pier around midday1 day

The short answer by trip length

• Day trip: from Khao Lak (about 1.5 to 2 hours) or Phuket (about 3.5 to 4 hours), a lake day tour is possible. You miss the dawn mist on the water, which is the reason to come.

• 2 days (1 night on the lake): the minimum worth doing, the classic 2-day, 1-night lake tour from the Rajjaprabha dam pier.

• 3 days: the right amount. A day on the park trails from the village, then the lake tour.

• 4 days: what we had. Room for a guided night walk, a second trail, or rest after a long transfer.

Khao Sok has two halves about an hour apart: the village of Khlong Sok by the park headquarters, with the jungle trails and most of the guesthouses, and Cheow Lan Lake, the reservoir with the limestone karsts and floating raft houses. Plan time for both.

Day by day: 3 days in Khao Sok

Day 1, arrive and walk the park. Pay the national park fee (300 baht for foreign adults, valid for the day) at the headquarters in the village. The main trail runs from there toward Ton Kloi waterfall; the first section is easy for any walker, and it gets rougher past the ranger station about halfway. Start early, before the heat, and carry water. In the evening, a guided night walk, booked at the park office or through your guesthouse, is the best chance of seeing the forest's insects, frogs and snakes.

Day 2, Cheow Lan Lake. Tours meet at the Rajjaprabha dam pier, about an hour east of the village, around 9 to 10am. The longtail stops at Khao Sam Kloe, the three limestone pillars that are the lake's signature view, then reaches a floating raft house for lunch. The afternoon is swimming, kayaking or a guided jungle hike and cave visit, then a sunset wildlife boat trip.

Day 3, dawn on the water. An early boat safari around 6:30 to 7am for the mist and the wildlife, breakfast on the raft, then the boat back to the pier, arriving roughly 11:30am to 1pm. Transfer onward the same afternoon, to Ao Nang or Surat Thani.

You cannot book a raft house room on its own: every one is reachable only by boat, so you book a tour that includes the transfers, meals, guide and safaris. Standard bamboo raft-house packages run about 2,500 to 3,100 baht per person for 2 days and 1 night, mid-range about 3,500 to 5,500, and luxury floating resorts from about 7,000. Our Cheow Lan Lake guide has the tiers and what each includes.

Getting there and where it fits in a route

Surat Thani is the usual gateway: minivans and buses from the airport or the train station take about 1.5 to 2 hours to the village or straight to the dam pier. From Khao Lak, allow about 1.5 to 2 hours; from Phuket, about 3.5 to 4 hours by shared minivan. Ao Nang is about 2 hours by private transfer, longer by shared minivan.

Our route came to Khao Sok from Mae Hong Son, the longest jump of the whole Thailand trip, with two travel days between them. Then it went on to Ao Nang (4 days) and back to Bangkok (4 days). Rainforest first and beach second is the easier order: you finish on the coast near Krabi airport. See how many days in Ao Nang and our 6-week Thailand itinerary.

In Thailand in 2 weeks, Khao Sok gets 2 days after Ao Nang, with a flight home from Surat Thani. Our Thailand guide covers the park and the lake.

When to go

• December to April: the dry season and peak time for the trails and the lake. Our January stay fell here. Book lake tours ahead, since the good raft houses go first.

• May to November: the wet season, lush and cheaper, with slippery trails and frequent rain. You can usually book a lake tour in the village for the next day. The Nam Talu cave route is normally closed in the rainy season for safety, because of flash flooding, so ask what is running if the cave is your reason to come.

Common mistakes

• Day-tripping the lake. You miss the dawn mist and the evening safari, which are the two best hours.

• Bringing too little cash. There are no ATMs on the lake and no card machines at the pier. Bring baht for the park fee, the pier fee of about 20 to 40 baht, drinks and tips.

• Taking all your luggage onto the boat. Most village guesthouses store big bags while you are on the lake. Take a small overnight pack and a dry bag; longtails throw spray.

• Going deep on the trails alone. The first part of the main trail is easy; beyond the halfway ranger station, conditions vary, and a guide is the safer choice.

• Expecting a quiet night on the raft. Longtail engines and the forest are loud. Bring earplugs.

For boat crews and guides, see tipping in Thailand.

Frequently asked questions