After spending two and a half weeks in northern Thailand, we decided to fly south to avoid the grueling bus ride. From Phuket Airport, we took a bus to Khao Sok town, a small jumping-off point for one of Thailand’s most stunning national parks.
Khao Sok jumped out at me while I was researching what to do in the area. I read a few blogs that raved about it, and then suddenly everything I saw on tiktok and Pinterest was related to Khao Sok. And it got me. The photos looked absolutely insane. Giant limestone cliffs rising out of blue water. I had to see it for myself.
We tried to book the tour online beforehand, but I couldn’t find anything that seemed reliable. Everyone online was saying just to book through your hostel once you arrive. This made me pretty nervous because it was high tourism season in December, and I thought there was no way there’d be room. But there was. I read somewhere afterward that if there’s room at your hostel in Khao Sok (meaning you successfully booked a night there), there will be room for you on the tour. Turns out that’s true.
We managed to get two spots on an overnight tour to stay on the lake in floating bamboo bungalows. The tour included everything: two days, one night, all four meals, transfer to and from the park, two boat safaris, kayaking, a hike, and a cave tour, four $80 each.
Honestly, even just staying in Khao Sok town was beautiful. You’re already basically inside the national park, you’re just not at the lake yet. It really does feel like you’re in the forest though, from the screaming cicadas starting at 4pm, to the forest air and the mosquitos that brings. The weather we had was fantastic: blue skies, not too hot, that perfect sweet spot where you can be outside all day without melting.
The limestone cliffs are indescribable. And somehow they’re just all over southern Thailand, which is crazy. These massive abnormally tall cliffs jutting up out of nowhere from the jungle, from the water, from everywhere. Ancient and enormous and completely surreal.
When we got to the lake and saw the floating bungalows for the first time, I understood why people kept calling this their favorite experience in Thailand.
We certainly got the most basic version of the overnight bungalow experience, though.
The bungalows were... rustic. And I mean that in the most generous way possible. The wooden planks that made up the walkways were so rotted that one girl in our group actually stepped straight through one on the way to her room. After that, we all started noticing the hodgepodge of mismatched wooden planks scattered throughout, clearly makeshift repairs from previous incidents. The bungalows themselves are just bamboo huts that fit a queen size bed and nothing else, no walking space, just the bed. Just know: you do get what you pay for.
But the food was actually very good. They catered to everyone’s dietary restrictions, we ate family-style at a big communal table, and by the end of the trip, our group had all become friends. Not as close as family yet, but we were genuinely enjoying each other’s company despite a pretty shy beginning.
And honestly? After traveling with just my boyfriend for so long, it was so refreshing to have other people to talk to. I feel like both of us got some much-needed space from each other.
For me, the highlight of the trip was probably kayaking. Stepping away from the rest of the group for a solo kayak through calm water with the massive cliffs surrounding you and making you feel weirdly small.
The boat safari’s were also very fun. We visited a few of the famous rock formations, before looking for some wildlife. We saw monkeys swinging from vines on the cliffs. We spotted a pair of hornbills. The scale of everything was just breathtaking.
The cave hike was unlike any cave hike I’ve done before. I’m not exaggerating when I say I felt like Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom. Inside, we saw multiple massive spiders, two snakes, and a few bats clinging to the cave ceiling. It was a pretty intense hike, honestly. We were ducking under low overhangs, hopping over wet stones, navigating tight spaces in the dark with only our headlamps.
But here’s where I have to be honest: I took issue with how the cave tour was conducted. We were not asked to be quiet or to avoid disturbing the bats. People were talking loudly, shining flashlights directly at the animals. It felt disrespectful, and it made me uncomfortable. I don’t think the company we went with was bad, but I do think sustainability practices and wildlife etiquette is the bare minimum when conducting business in a national park.
The sunrise on the lake the next morning made up for a lot. Waking up early, stepping out of the bungalow onto the floating platform, watching the mist lift slowly off the water as the sky turned pink and gold. Totally quiet minus the soft lapping of waves.
I love quiet moments like that. It makes putting up with rotting floorboards and long bus rides and questionable tour companies worth it. Because sometimes, the payoff is a silent, solitary sunrise on a floating bungalow in the middle of a national park.
I would absolutely recommend this tour to others. If you’re going to be in southern Thailand, I wouldn’t miss it, the landscape alone is worth it.
But if the issues I mentioned are dealbreakers like they were for me (the lack of respect for wildlife in the cave, the not-great safety standards for the bungalows) then definitely book a nicer tour. You can find them online if you do your research ahead of time.
Just be sure to watch your step on those planks
xx abby
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Much like you before your trip, my TikTok feed has been overrun with videos of Khao Sok and I now can’t wait to go! Who did you book your floating bungalow with? I’ve seen a few different companies
planning a trip to thailand, loved reading this