My name’s Christopher Lau from the Instagram account @seelautravel. Welcome to my short guide on the amazing Khao Sok National Park.
I grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan in the United States. I moved to New York City at the age of 25, then to San Francisco at 28 and finally left my 9-5 job at 32 to pursue a passion to travel full-time and travel vlog on YouTube.
Before photography and film-making, I was working in technology sales and played a religious amount of tennis! I lived a healthy and active lifestyle. What inspired me was another YouTuber (Christian LeBlanc) who is a friend of mine now. His adventures around Southeast Asia were awesome to watch.
I felt like I was being trapped in the 9-5 life without experiencing the world. This was not something I wanted to do. In 2016, I had the biggest quarter in my sales career at LinkedIn and so I booked a 10-day trip to Thailand with GoPro. That trip ended up changing my perspective and life forever!
Inspiration to Visit Khao Sok National Park
I knew about Khao Sok National Park for a while before visiting. This was in part thanks again to Christian LeBlanc’s YouTube. It was a place that was always high on my bucket-list. The beauty, landscape and dramatic limestone cliffs looked surreal. I simply had to experience it for myself.
Khao Sok National Park is a dream destination to visit. When I first arrived at the limestone entrance – pretty much that’s what it is, a giant limestone wall – I was completely blown away. Wow – what a landscape!
2 Nights & 3 Days at Khao Sok National Park
I visited this epic Thai destination with my family for 2 nights/3 days. We toured the park specifically for 1 full day and had a blast. I loved visiting the “3 Best Friends Rock”, exploring a cave full of diamonds and swimming in the lake! Of course, flying the drone there too was a fave experience for me.
Highlight of my Experience at the National Park
The overall highlight for me at this Thai national park was just being there with my family: my wife, our 2-month old baby and 8 year old son. I met my wife on my travel journeys vlogging and to bring her and the kids along to an experience like this was a dream come true for all of us.
I travel to a lot of destinations similar to Khao Sok National Park in the Philippines and Vietnam. So it was amazing that my family could join me this time around. They got to sleep in a floating bungalow and swim in the lake surrounded by limestone karsts. An incredible experience for everyone!
5 Best Things To Do at Khao Sok National Park
Khao Sok National Park in the south of Thailand dates back 160 million years and is one of the oldest rainforests/lakes in the world. There is quite a lot to see and do here and we only scratched the surface on our 3 day visit. Nevertheless, our top 5 experiences at this national park would be:
1. Sleep in an Authentic Floating Bungalow
There are 14 different floating bungalows to choose from on Khao Sok Lake. Each bungalow has its own unique charm. These authentic Thai raft houses are popular hangouts for backpackers, travellers and families alike. A great way to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of this area.
2. Explore Cheow Lan Lake on a Boat Tour
Touring Cheow Lan Lake is something you can do from the pier or on a day-trip from your floating bungalow accommodation. It’s a lot of fun experiencing the stunning limestone mountains and beautiful waters. Typically, you head out on traditional Thai long-tail boats with a crew.
3. Go Swimming in the Lovely Lake Waters
No matter which part of Khao Sok National Park you are exploring, there will always be an opportunity to go swimming in the beautiful waters. One unique thing to do is to explore Khao Sok River on a canoe trip or on a bamboo raft! Of course, you’ll have plenty of swimming opportunities.
4. Marvel at the Beauty of “3 Best Friends Rock”
There is one famous section of Khao Sok National Park where three unique karsts stick out of the water and line up in an incredible fashion. It makes for a fun excursion and also some awesome photos. Just ask locals of the area and they will know what you mean by visiting “3 Best Friends Rock”.
5. Visit the Incredible Diamond Cave
Visiting Diamond Cave is one of the best day tours you can take in Khao Sok National Park. This cave is blessed with spectacular stalagmites and stalactites formations. Explore the cave with searchlights and discover the sparkling “diamonds” which are the main feature of the cave.
Where to Stay in Khao Sok National Park
As I mentioned before, there are plenty of floating bungalows to choose from. We stayed at “Panvaree The Greenery” which I would recommend for at least 2 nights. It’s located in the middle of Khao Sok on the lake. My experience there was amazing and soon it will be on my YouTube. So please, subscribe 🙂
What you Need to Know Before you Go
A couple of key tips for Khao Sok National Park would be to bring mosquito repellent for the nights, apply lots of sunscreen, bring a drone, and just enjoy your time with friends and family. Make sure you stay the night in the bungalows for the best experience too. The resorts are affordable!
I had a wonderful experience at this Thai national park. Just being there with my family meant everything to me. Taking in the natural landscapes of limestone rocks and enjoying the peaceful long-tail boat tours was an awesome feeling. Our whole family loved it and we didn’t want to leave.
This is a unique and affordable experience – not only suited for backpackers and travelers but also for families with young kids. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy your visit to the beautiful Koh Sok National Park!
