Khao Sok National Park

A Complete Visitor's Guide to Jungle Trekking in Khao Sok

"Located in the south of Thailand, the park has always held my imagination and it lived up to its reputation as one of the best — I spent three days surrounded by dense jungle, limestone karsts, cooling rivers, and a beautiful lake and left feeling it ranks among the top national parks I’ve visited in Thailand. The highlight was a day-long jungle trek that began at 9:30; after meeting our guide and buying park entrance tickets we drove to the far end of the park, explored a less-traveled trail, hiked 400 meters to see giant parasitic flowers (which sap life from vines, bloom after about nine months, spray seed, then die within four days), and enjoyed spectacular vistas from the top. Along the way we saw a troop of gibbons — rare in Khao Sok — darting through the treetops (too quick to photograph), then had to rappel and scramble down to a waterfall using ropes and vines, and later follow an impassable riverbed with no trail, climbing over wet rocks and embankments. The hike turned out to be much tougher than expected — about 11 km and a little over eight hours — and leechy: I removed seven leeches from my legs and a few from my arms, while a friend didn’t notice one until it had swollen and later left a scar. After the river section the route eased into a bamboo forest back to the park entrance, and we were serenaded on exit by another troop of playful monkeys. The whole experience left me with a raw sense of exploration and wonder — the lack of people and marked trails makes you feel like you’re discovering the jungle for the first time, though I could have done without the leeches. Practical logistics: you can reach the park via Surant Thani or Phuket (most hotels offer private transport for 2,000 baht; taxis from Surant Thani are around 1,700 baht and from Phuket about 2,800 baht; minibuses run 240 baht each way from Surant Thani town and 320 baht from Phuket but drop you on the main road and you must walk the rest), the park entrance fee is 300 baht, and hiring a guide is highly recommended due to the lack of marked trails (around 600 baht for half day, 1,200 baht for full day; night hikes 600 baht from 6 pm–9 pm). There is only one ATM in town; basic guesthouses start at about 300 baht per night, better rooms around 600 baht and more luxurious around 1,400 baht, tents rent from about 250 baht for two people, and small accessory rentals (pillow, blanket, sleeping bag, sheet) are available for modest fees." - Matthew Kepnes