Staying on the Khao Sok floating bungalows: my experience
If you’re looking at backpacking through Thailand, you might have seen Khao Sok. This national park in South Thailand is so photogenic, it features on all sorts of blogs and posts on the country.
I visited it on an overnight tour, staying at the famous floating bungalows. After my trip, I’ve written this article to share more about what is was like. Read on if you’re curious about how to visit Khao Sok!
Why did I choose to visit Khao Sok?
There are some places that you see advertised that are just so dreamy, you have to check them out. Khao Sok is one of those places.
Khao Sok National Park features lush rainforest. Its crown jewel is Cheow Lan Lake, a massive reservoir spanning an area of more than 150 km2.
But what Khao Sok must be most famous for is its floating huts. Photos of them are all over Thai blogs and travel guides, and after visiting I can see why. They’re a unique experience.
So, as part of my three week backpacking trip through Thailand, I booked on a one-night tour to visit Khao Sok and stay on a floating bungalow.
How much did the tour cost?
I paid 2500 baht ($78 / £58) for a one-night tour to Khao Sok, which is about the typical price. This included shared accommodation, food, activities, transport and transfers to and from Khao Sok Village. I also paid 50 baht ($1.60 / £1.20) for shoe rental, as I was told the water would get quite deep on one of the organised activities.
On top of this were costs such as the hostel in Khao Sok Village. I stayed at Coco Khao Sok, which was all right; the beds were clean and comfortable, which is all you need before an overnight tour really! I also had to get there, which incurred bus costs.
The tour itinerary
For the tour that I took, the focal point was a stay on the floating bungalows – and I don’t doubt this is the case for most tours aimed at backpackers in Khao Sok. The two days looked a little like this:
- Day 1: arrival at the floating bungalows, with chill time at the bungalows and a short hike up a waterfall
- Day 2: boat safari and trips to a cave and viewpoint, returning back to Khao Sok Village
If you’re interested, I go into more detail about what I did in the next few sections. Or skip along for more information on the meals and accommodation!
Day 1: morning
Around 9 am, the group taking the tour from Coco Khao Sok got on the bus to head to Khao Sok National Park. After a quick introduction from the tour guide and a stop at the local market, we arrived at the pier at Cheow Lan Lake just after 11 am.
At 11:30 am, we got on boats to head onto the lake. The motorboats were small, with around five benches. There were around fifteen tourists on each boat; it felt cramped and a little noisy.
Just before 1 pm, the boat arrived at the raft that we were staying on. It was nothing fancy, but as it was floating it was still big excitement! The tour group was assigned rooms in groups of 2 or 3, and we could head to the buffet whenever we were ready. I also rented a pair of wellies, as the guide said our feet would get wet on the hike.
Afternoon
After lunch, there was free time, and we could do whatever we wanted (within the bounds of the rafts). The bungalows had a few kayaks and paddle boards, but these were immediately taken, and I never got a chance to go on them. To be honest, this was a recurring theme, as the best things, be it equipment or spots on the boat, were always taken first and not rotated.
At 4 pm, we got back on the boats to go for a little hike on a nearby section of rainforest. Immediately it became apparent why I had been told to rent wellies: we were hiking up a waterfall! It was pretty but a little random too. After around 30 minutes ascending the waterfall, we turned around. I have no idea if we were looking for something or generally they were just trying to fill up some time, but at least we saw some gorgeous rainforest scenery.
We arrived back at the raft at around 6 pm, at which point the evening was ours to do what we pleased with it. We ate dinner at 7 pm, after which the backpackers mainly played cards or talked in the tables in the dining area.
Day 2: safari
The next morning, I woke up around 6:15 am, and I’m so glad I did: the sunrise was spectacular, truly one of the best I’ve ever seen, and I would have been sad to have missed it.
At 6:45 am, everyone got back on the boats to head for a little safari. Now, I love wildlife spotting in general, but this safari was not the vibe for me. All the best spots in the boat were taken, so I was squished in the middle of the back row, stuck between a mother and daughter. The boat I was on was noisier and larger than its pair, so we never went close to the shore and always had to wait until our partner boat had spotted anything before we could go in. It was a disappointment – although I did see langurs and macaws, so that was a small win.
At 8 am, we arrived back at the raft for breakfast. We left on the boats just after 9 am; my boat left one person at the bungalows, which was a slightly awkward experience as we had to turn around to get them…
Caves and viewpoints
At 10 am, we arrived at a cave (Pra Kay Fetch) and explored the inside. I had seen a lot of caves during my trip at this point, so I was underwhelmed; it was quite small. It didn’t hold a candle to any of the caves I’d seen in Vietnam, or even the smaller caves I visited in Cat Ba and Ha Giang.
A little before 11 am, the boat left to go to what our tour guide called ‘landmark point’. When we arrived it appeared that this landmark is three limestone columns in the lake. We took turns to have our photo taken with the columns at the front of the boat. It was slightly awkward though as the boat driver drove away before everyone could get their photos. They eventually turned around so that the others could get one, but still: awkward!
We headed back to the pier, which I will admit was quite a stressful journey. Halfway through, the boat engine just cut out, and the boat driver could not get it to restart. There was a little bit of panic, but fortunately after some tinkering it came back. Everyone on the boat let out a collective ‘phew’…
Just before 12 pm, we got on the bus. Almost immediately there was a 30 minute stop at a services so we could eat lunch.
At around 2 pm, we arrived back at Coco Khao Sok. I had just enough time to shower and pack before I got on the 3 pm bus towards Krabi.
Accommodation
Now that I’ve gone through what I did on the tour, I’ll give you a run down of what the accommodation was like.
All tours to Khao Sok let you stay at floating bungalows for the night. These are what they say on the tin – a big raft with lots of huts on it. The one I stayed at had a central area with tables, where food was served, plus two ‘arms’ with huts along them. It was two to three people per hut, so I shared with two other solo travellers.
The huts themselves were very basic, but they served their purpose. Each had a mattress and sheets, and not much else. I imagine that there’s a luxury edition somewhere else on the lake, but that wasn’t mine!
Meals
Onto the food. On the whole, I thought this was decent. As with most tours in Thailand, the lunch and evening meals were a buffet. The options included green curry, omelettes, cabbage and rice.
For breakfast, there were fluffy pancakes with syrups and bananas. I thought these were great, although a flock of stingless bees arrived for the occasion (I couldn’t blame them really), which made eating more stressful.
We stopped for lunch once we were off Cheow Lan Lake; all the tourists received packages of fried rice. I had nothing to complain about!
Would I recommend the tour?
I enjoyed visiting Khao Sok National Park, and thought there was a lot to like. The lake is stunning, and the sunrise over it was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. It was fun to stay on a floating raft. Plus, as with most backpacking tours, it was social and fun.
I wouldn’t say the tour itself was all that great though. There were too many tourists on each boat, so sailing through the lake wasn’t fun at all. The activities left a little to be desired; I didn’t feel like that much organisation had gone into any of it.
Still, I’m glad I visited. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s passing through South Thailand. It makes a good stop if you’re heading north from Phuket or Krabi.
Do you have any questions about taking a tour to Khao Sok? Let me know in the comments!
