Updated: 07/07/18 | July 7th, 2018
Located in the south of Thailand, Khao Sok National Park has always held my imagination. It’s constantly rated as one of the best parks in Thailand, with amazing trekking, camping, limestone karsts, cooling rivers, and a beautiful lake. Ever since I’ve been coming to Thailand, I’ve been trying to visit Khao Sok, but the road bends in mysterious ways, and for one reason or the other, I’ve never been able to make it.
But this time, I used my visiting friends and my job as “tour guide” as the excuse I needed to finally push myself to this park. And I’m glad I did — I’ve been to many wonderful national parks in Thailand, but this is one of the best.
I spent three days surrounded by dense jungle, animals, and cooling air. The highlight of my trip was the day-long jungle trek I took. Starting out late in the morning (9:30), my friends and I met our guide, bought our park entrance tickets, and drove to the far end of the park. Instead of doubling back on the main trail, we would explore another trail, hike 400 meters to see some giant flowers, head toward a waterfall, eat lunch, and then walk back to the main park entrance.
It all seemed easy enough. I envisioned a well-worn trail and a mildly strenuous day hike. We were doing 11 km in the jungle, so it wouldn’t be a cake walk, but I didn’t anticipate that this trek would be much of a challenge, especially since the last half was on the park’s main road.
I was wrong.
Very wrong.
This hike was stressful, challenging, leech-infested, and exhilarating all at the same time.
It started out easy enough — we hiked 400 meters to visit giant parasitic flowers, which attach themselves to vines, then sap the life from them to grow. After nine months, they blossom, spray their seed throughout the jungle, and die within four days. However, while in bloom, the flowers are a sight to see.
The hike to the top wasn’t very tough. The trail was well worn and had amazing vistas from which to view the surrounding jungles, and I didn’t break much of a sweat. On the way up, we caught sight of a troop of gibbons making their way through the treetops. Gibbons in Khao Sok are rare to see, so it was quite amazing, especially since I love monkeys, though they moved too quickly to be photographed. By the time I clicked my camera, they had moved on, so instead of fruitlessly capturing a photo, I just watched them in their glory.
When we got to the top, our guide told us we would hike down to the waterfall. I assumed he meant we would be heading down another trail.
Again, I was wrong.
Our trail had opened up at the top of the waterfall and our guide looked at us. “OK, we’ll eat lunch, but first we have to get down. It will be no problem. We have ropes, and I go first.”
My friends and I looked at each other hesitantly. To get to the base of the waterfall, we were going to have to embrace our inner Indiana Jones to rappel down the side. As you may know, heights make me extremely uncomfortable, and I opted to go down last as I worked up the courage to never look down.
However, we didn’t encounter too many steep drop-offs, and soon I was vying to the lead the way. We would rappel down ropes. When there was no rope to guide us, we scaled the rocky sides of the waterfall, holding on to vines as we made our way down to the base.
But the waterfall was not the worst of it. After lunch, we had to hike downriver, following the river, which sounds pretty simple. Walking along a river bed is normally not a challenge, but not here. There was no trail or easy path. Sometimes we had to walk on large, wet rocks, climb up the narrow embankment, or scale down vines again when the river became impassable.
And the leeches only made it worse. By the time I walked out of Khao Sok, I had taken seven leeches off my legs, and a few even found their way onto my arms. Luckily, unlike the leeches in northern Thailand, most of these leeches were small and easy to grab off. Unfortunately, my friend didn’t notice one until the end, which by then had enlarged so much, it left a scar on his foot.
After the river and subsequent leech removal (cue The Life Aquatic jokes), we were in the home stretch — it was now an easy walk through a bamboo forest back to the park entrance. On our way out of the park we were given a farewell by another troop of monkeys. These weren’t gibbons (I forget their proper name), but they jumped around for a while, playing in the trees, and gave us one last exciting thing to remember.
When it was all said and done, our hike had lasted a little over eight hours. Back at my guesthouse, I took the hottest shower of my life, scrubbed myself clean, and collapsed on my bed.
Though tiring, this jungle trek was the most exciting in my recent memory. I left Khao Sok with a sense of rawness. Here the lack of people and trails let you feel as if you are exploring the jungle for the first time. I love the moments when you travel that make you feel as if you have unearthed a hidden gem. As though you had found somewhere or someplace long forgotten by man. That may not be the case, but that sense of wonderment, adventure, and exploration are what drive me on my travels.
And in Khao Sok, it was just me, the jungle, and that sense of adventure.
But I could have done without the leeches.
Logistics
- You can get to the park via Surant Thani or Phuket. Most hotels will offer you private transportation for 2,000 baht, though you can hire a taxi from Surant Thani for around 1,700 baht and from Phuket for 2,800 baht. If you are with a group of four, this can be a good deal as it’s much quicker and far easier.
- If you go by public bus, the minibus is 240 baht each way from Surant Thani town and 320 baht from Phuket. It will drop you off on the main road leading up to the park. You’ll have to walk the rest of the way.
- The park entrance fee is 300 baht.
- Hiring a guide from one of the tour operators or guesthouses (very recommended due to the lack of marked trails) costs 600 baht for half day and 1,200 baht for full day. Night hiking is 600 baht for 6 pm till 9 pm.
- There is only one ATM in town.
- You can find cheap guest houses for 300 baht per night with very basic accommodation and cold showers. Rooms get better at around 600 baht per night and luxurious around 1,400 baht per night. Tents available for rent from 250 baht for 2 people or 300 baht for 4 people. Accessories cost per person; pillow 10 baht, blanket 10 baht, sleeping bag 30 baht, sheet 20 baht.
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Photo credits: 1
Keren
This sounds absolutely amazing and has given me yet another reason to want to get to Thailand. I too could do without the leeches though – I remember going on hikes as a kid in the rainforests of northern NSW (Aus) and having to take salt sachets along to deal with the leaches. One hike in particular I took off my shoes at the end to do a leech check and one of my once white socks was completely red with blood … I was only about 6 or 7 at the time and it really freaked me out!
Cam
To keep the leeches away, use sunblock. They will leave you alone.
John
Sounds like quite an adventure. The rappelling actually sounds like a lot of fun – I know there are some adventure tours out there in Latin America that specialize in those types of activities. Did you see any other wildlife beyond the gibbons and the monkeys?
NomadicMatt
We saw a few birds and some fish. There are elephants in the park but they are hard to spot. You just have to get lucky.
Pol
I was there during the raining season so it was packed of leeches. I went until the last waterfall and the way back was a torture due to this blood suckers. I got lots of them! Even with thick socks and long pants they manage to get into your skin.
NomadicMatt
I have heard horror stories about the leeches there in the rainy season. It must have been awful.
Chiayee
Next time you see leeches on your body, just pour some salt over.
They will fall off quickly.
Ellen
Thanks for sharing this incredible adventure! You give me hope — I am not a fan of heights either, but my husband is always wanting us to do stuff like repel down waterfalls together. Well worth the effort for the scenery and the wildlife. Good for you, Matt. Thanks, also, for sharing about the diversity of Thailand — that there is so much more to it than just gorgeous beaches.
NomadicMatt
It’s always a shame that so few get off the islands. There’s a lot more to Thailand than Ko Samui. I especially love central Thailand. Lovely rural down there.
Cal
Sounds like a lot of fun, could do without the leaches though. We went repelling down a waterfall last July which was a blast.
I’d love to try this trek some time.
Lissie
I loved Khao Sok – we stayed at a floating hostel on the lake one night – we were the only guests – magic! So quiet. You probably won’t have to walk from the turn off if you get off a local bus – we were met by guest house owners and got a free lift both ways.
It would be a waste to go direct from Phuket – we spent a couple of days on the beach at Khao Lak on the way
Allison Akel
What was the name of your hostel??
Alex
Oh no, leeches! I so hate them! Was freaking out in Malaysian National Park when I had to get rid of them … would be much better without them!
Scott
I’m glad we didn’t take the trail, there’s no way Dee would have made it down the waterfall! It sounds like an exciting adventure and a great story Matt.
NomadicMatt
It was a great day for sure!
Good hearing from you! It’s been ages. Hope all is well.
Jan
I spent 5 nights at Our Jungle Home on the edge of Khao Sok in March last year – best part of my trip to Thailand. There’s no way I could have done your jungle trek, Matt, but I did spend many hours walking through the park along the well marked paths and swimming in jungle pools at the bottom of waterfalls – sublime and only a few leeches. An overnight excursion to the Cheow Lan lake in the park was a highlight. Waking up in the floating raft house to the early morning mist on the water and the call of the gibbons in the jungle was wonderful. Roaring across the lake in pelting rain in a long boat was chilly but exhilerating and I gave the walk through the bat caves a miss. Not as adventurous as Matt but I did good for a 58 year old female solo traveller and loved every minute of it all.
Ray & Deb Hocking
Hi Matt
Great to hear of your trek in Khao Sok. Deb & I trekked there several times during our 21/2 years in Thailand and loved it each time even with the leeches. We stayed overnight once and went out at night to see the night creatures – mostly red eyes in the jungle but it was great to think maybe they belonged to a Tiger or similar. We also didn’t see any elephants but did see plenty of evidence where they had crashed through the jungle. A truly special place to visit among the many in our second home, Thailand.
cheers and thanks for the memories,
Ray & Deb
Danna
Oh, man… I only got to see the lake part of Khao Sok when I finally made it there last week – also absolutely worth seeing. Seems like I’ll have to go back, I’m sad I missed the Rafflesia! And even I managed to get a nasty leech on my foot after just 20 minutes of trekking…
Also, the monkeys you saw were probably either macaques or dusky langurs (we saw both on my trip, but no gibbons!)
Penny
Aww brings back memories. My friend and I did this 8hr trek. I remember 1 hour into it thinking “this was a mistake..” It was gruelling, especially walking down the edge of the waterfall and trying to grab on to anything stationary, like roots of trees (cant say I remember any rope – perhaps that’s a new addition)..Anyway, very rewarding in retrospect (and we did see gibbons) although my friend did admit to me that she was properly crying at one point HAHAHA. Thought we had escaped the leeches until I had a shower and saw blood running down my leg! and that I had been walking around in bloodstained shorts (which could have been construed as erm something else).
Stayed at KS Nature Resort -it was rather nice.
Jon Stark
Great blog and photos. We did a 3 day jungle trek out of Chiang Mai recently and loved it. I wrote a blog plus an article. Our guide, One, told us that you rub tobacco on yourself to avoid leeches. But even more impressive, he told us that the remedy for a scorpion bite is burning a woman’s ‘secret hair’ (his words), and rubbing the ash on the wound. Cheers.
NomadicMatt
I wonder if anyone has tried that with success.
helena
Matt,
would you know the name of this trek, it sounds like something we would like to do, so if there is a selection of the treks in Khao Sok I want to be sure we do the right one.
Where did you stay in the park and how did you arrange this trek?
are there any hikes or walks that one can do independently?
thanks
Allison Akel
I would also like to know the name of the trek! I’m having a difficult time finding a non-touristy and inexpensive trek.
Angel
I agree Khao Sok is amazing. I was there last week and loved the trails for hikking.
I think you do not need a guide, it is pretty easy to go through.
There are two trails.
I advise to start in the early morning because you can spend all day long there, and get some food with you.
Please, can anyone recommend me any other place in Thailand or even in Malaysia for hikking into the jungle. I mean, not a nice park ….. I want a real jungle.
Thanks
NomadicMatt
A student ID.
NomadicMatt
Anyone could do it. There’s an easy trail. Our guide took us on the harder one.
Nana
Dear Matt,
Two questions:
1. I’ve looked it up, and I can’t seem to find any day trips at logical prices. All the tours I’ve found for the park are for 2 days or more, and/or are ridiculously expensive.
2. Is it possible to just show up at the park and hire a guide for 1,000 baht for the day? Or should we book a tour beforehand (and if so, is it cheaper to book online or at a travel agent in Surat Thani / Krabi) ?
Thanks for the help!
NomadicMatt
Your guesthouse can arrange a day tour for you. You don’t need to book anything in advance.
Jeffo
Great article! and beautiful photos too.
Love all the advice on leech prevention, this is one thing I always had problems with on treks around SE Asia. We did a hike with Indochine Safari on the other side of Khao Sok – the guide was using something called “Rid”?? Was in a purple bottle some kind of strong insect repellent.
Best anti-leech stuff I ever used, didn’t get a single leech after putting rid on 🙂
Barbara
Hey Matt!! Thanks for all your great articles, I’m planning a visit to Thailand (very first one) later this year and all your tips are being very helpful.
I’ve been looking at Khao Sok for some time now, and I really want the experience you had! However, tours I’m finding on the net don’t look as nice and there is always a supplement for people travelling alone! I’m thinking of just showing up there and trying to find a group + guide when I’m there. Do you think this is risky or will I be able to find something?
Thanks for any help you may offer 😉
NomadicMatt
You’ll find something!
Marla Fisher
We loved Khao Sok! We stayed at the Khao Sok Riverside Cottages, very peaceful and pleasant away from the town, and they gave us a cheap three-day package that included lodging in cute huts, three meals a day, an elephant trek, a canoe trip and a trip onto the lake. The guides were great and we all became friends. We were a group of eight including two kids and they were very kind to all of us. I recommend them. I also recommend taking the sleeper train from Bangkok down to Surat Thani, it was fun! We stayed at some nice lodge that was ridiculously cheap in Surat Thani, beautiful water fall pool, I forget the name of it.
Deepika Arora
Can you please tell me the name of your tour and their contact number?
I am trying to find a good 3 days tour but all are only for 2 days.
Nadege
Hello!
Just a question since you did both:
between Khao Sok and Khao Yai, which park would you choose? Which one did you prefer? 😉
I cannot do both and hesitating between these 2 national parks.
Deepika Arora
Always go for Khao Sok. This is called the Amazon rain forest of SouthEast Asia.
I am also visiting it in Dec this year.
When are you visiting?
Lena
Wow, your stay at Khao Sok national park is so much different than mine:) We spent most of our stay on the floating bungalows in Cheow Lan lake and I couldn’t force myself to do any activities except for swimming and reading books..haha
Lindsay
Hey Matt! Great blog! We are trying to decide how many days to spend visiting Khao Sok National Park. We are thinking 5 days, is this too few or too many in your opinion? Thanks in advance!!!
Dom Burbidge
I visited Khao Sok in 2014. Truly incredible! Although saying that watch out for the dogs! I’ve never been so scared when 2 vicious wild dogs decided they were not going to let me pass and headed straight for me! You’ve never seen a foreigner in flip flops, still wearing my Full Moon vest, move so fast…(locals have been talking about the mysterious orange flash they claimed to have seen, ever since)… Saying that Khao Sok was one of the highlights of Thailand. Not only visiting the elephants in the day, but also going on a night safari with a local guide to track down the same elephants that are released into the park each night. The setting is phenomenal. The floating village and nearby jungle treks, the beautiful rivers to tube down of which it’s impossible to divert your attention to anything but the surroundings! I can’t praise this place enough. A true gem of Thailand!
Deepika
Hi Matt,
I am visiting Khao Sok soon for a 2 nights 1 day tour but i want to stay for one more day. Do you suggest any thing around there?
Natasha
I wanted to visit Khao Sok on my last trip to Phuket, but ended touring the Phi Phi islands instead. Reading your review really inspires me to attempt Khao Sok again! I treked through Khao Yai which I enjoyed, but your experience in Khao Sok sounds more intense and alluring!^^