Khao Sok rainforest and Cheow Lan lake
Ancient rainforest and a lake full of limestone islands.
- Area
- Phang Nga & Krabi
- Start from
- Phuket
- Distance
- about 2.5–3 hours by road
- Time needed
- 1–3 days
- Best season
- December – April
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Transport
- Tour or car
- Tickets & rules
- National park fee
Why go
Khao Sok is one of the oldest rainforests in the world, with huge trees, hornbills and the giant Rafflesia flower.
Cheow Lan lake has floating bungalows among karsts.
Night safaris are memorable.
Jungle trails lead to waterfalls and caves.
Gibbons and hornbills are common at dawn.
Cheow Lan lake is the highlight for most visitors. Formed by the Ratchaprapha dam, it's a vast emerald lake surrounded by limestone cliffs rising straight from the water. Floating raft houses, simple bamboo bungalows on the water, let you wake up to mist drifting between the karsts and swim straight from your doorstep.
In the forest itself, guided walks lead to waterfalls, caves full of bats and, if you're very lucky in the right season, the giant Rafflesia flower, which can be nearly a metre across.
The story
The lake was created by a dam in the 1980s.
The forest is older than the Amazon.
The dam flooded valleys, creating the lake.
Locals tell legends of forest spirits.
The rainforest of Khao Sok is often described as older than the Amazon, having survived through ice ages in a stable climate. It is home to elephants, tigers (rarely seen), clouded leopards, tapirs and hundreds of bird species.
When the dam was built in the 1980s, valleys and villages were flooded, and wildlife rescue operations moved animals from the rising water. The story is still remembered locally.
Getting there
Drive north; tours include transport.
Tours include transfers.
The drive from Phuket crosses the Sarasin bridge and heads north through Phang Nga; the lake requires a boat from the dam pier.
A suggested plan
- Day 1Drive, jungle walk.
- Day 2Lake and floating bungalow.
- Day 3Return.
- OptionalNight safari.
- Day 2 dawnWildlife-spotting boat ride on the lake at sunrise: hornbills, macaques and sometimes gibbons.
- Day 2 afternoonKayaking and a guided walk to a cave.
Where to stay
Floating raft houses or jungle lodges.
Good to know
- Bring dry bags.
- Leech socks.
- Book raft houses early.
- Bring a torch.
- Mornings on the lake are magical; get up early.
- Power on the rafts may be limited to evenings; bring a power bank.
- Flash floods in rain.
- Don't swim alone.
- Wild elephants roam; listen to guides.