Muang Boran, translated "Ancient City", is a museum park in Thailand located in Samut Prakan, just outside of Bangkok. This is not an amusement park, but instead is a real-life open-air museum where the most famous monuments of the country are replicated.
Thailand: Ovenight on Cheow Lan Lake
The beautiful Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok National Park consists of emerald green water with a delicious temperature of about 28 degrees. The lake is surrounded by immense limestone cliffs, the highest of which is 960 metres high!
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We were on our way to an overnight trip to Cheow Lan Lake which meant packing up our things and leaving our big bags at Our Jungle Camp. There were a few of us going from Our Jungle Camp, and we all climbed into the van. Along the way, we picked up a few more people who were staying in other hostels and hotels in Khao Sok. It was about a ninety-minute ride to Cheow Lan Lake from Khao Sok, but we did get to have a short break in a small town along the way to take a break and pick up some more provisions as once we were out on the lake there were no shops for a long way.
Cheow Lan Lake is a popular tourist destination, so it was no surprise when we arrived at the pier area that it was packed with tourists, some of whom were doing overnight stays, but most were here for day trips.
Our guide led us down to the jetty to wait for our long-tailed boat to carry us out to the place where we’d be spending the night. As we waited, we could see our guide was getting agitated and on his phone a lot. Finally, he came across to us and explained that there was an issue with the boat, not physically, but they had simply forgotten about us, and we were now waiting for a boat to come and collect us. At this stage of our travels most of us were relaxed and in ‘Thailand’ mode, except for one middle-aged couple, in particular the man, who was not happy at all. He grumbled as we all waited. Of course, the long-tailed boat arrived, and we all happily climbed aboard and headed out onto the stunning blue-green waters of Khao Sok Lake.
Khao Sok Lake stretches over an area of 165 km2 within the 739 km2 park. The water is a beautiful emerald colour, which further adds to the vibrant greens of the rainforest. The lake is vast and is dotted with over one hundred limestone karsts which jut up from the still water, remnants of what were once mountain peaks.
Since its construction in 1987, Cheow Larn Lake has escaped undisturbed by the pollution that comes with industrialization and has been kept protected by the communities and organizations that value both its beauty and its function. The lake is also home to a variety of freshwater fish, making it a valuable source of food for the local bird population, which numbers as many as 311 different species.
After about 90 minutes of cruising among the stunning limestone caste mountains, we reached our destination, a floating hotel. This is the only type of accommodation around the lake. The hotel, or more of a motel, had a large covered floating area which is where the restaurant and shop were based. On either side of this larger floating dock were walkways to individual cabins, which numbered about twenty to thirty. Luckily, our cabin was about the third one along the walkway, which was a bit precarious to walk along.
Our cabin was one of the more luxurious, but it was still basic. It measured about 3 metres square, a space that was more or less filled with a bed. The good thing was, unlike many other cabins, we had an ensuite bathroom, which meant we didn’t risk walking outside at night half-asleep along a wobbly, floating boardwalk! We dropped our bags in the room and headed back to the restaurant for lunch.
Our afternoon activity was a boat ride to another point in the park, where we’d hike a bit through the jungle to a cave.
It was only a short ride on the long-tailed boat. We all disembarked and set off behind our guide up a trail, which was a bit steep, to begin with, into the rainforest. As we walked our guide explained more about the National Park and life for the locals who still get to live inside the park. He was born and raised in this area, so was incredibly knowledgeable about the flora and fauna.
After about 45 minutes we reached a lagoon inside the park. To get to the cave we had to cross this lagoon.
Luckily, rather than swim there was a small station where we all climbed onto a very long, somewhat Heath-Robinson-built bamboo raft and we magically punted across the lagoon by a local Thai lady.
We were dropped at the base of a steep, high cliff. Leading upwards around 15 metres was a set of wooden stairs that looked like they might fall apart at any moment. Regardless, up we went.
Pakarang Cave, also known as Coral Cave, formed by the dissolution of limestone contains stalagmites and stalactites which look like coral in the sea which is where the cave gets the name from. It was not a huge cave, so we were done in about 20 minutes and got back on the bamboo raft. As we left the cave our guide spotted a huge, colourful giant hornbill roosting up in the trees that precariously clung to the side of the mountains.
We followed the trail back to our long-tailed boat. It was by now approaching sunset, so we were taken along the shore of the lake in search of more wildlife.
The long-tailed boat pulled into a small bay just around the corner from our floating cabins. Right on the banks of the lake was a female wild Asian elephant and her calf, who was happy feeding on the trees and grasses. The bank was very steep, so Karen was worried about them tumbling in the water, but our guide reassured us that these elephants are very steady-footed. For about 45 minutes we just sat there, absorbed in these two beautiful elephants going about their business. Having just spent five months in Africa we’d seen many elephants in the wild – but we never tire of elephant spotting.
The light was rapidly fading, so we set off around to the next bay and disembarked at the floating cabins. We had a bit of downtime before dinner, so we sat and chilled as darkness fell. As we rested, we heard some of the guests saying the elephants were not on the lake banks close to the back of some of the cabins, so we legged it around the boardwalk and got to watch them all over again!
Dinner was a communal affair, and after we’d eaten, I went back to our cabin to read my book, while Karen stayed behind to play cards with some of our fellow travellers.
The bed in the cabin had not been the most comfortable and the room was hot, so we didn’t get the best night’s sleep. In any case, we had to get up early for a pre-breakfast boat safari as this is when the animals in the rainforest are at their most active.
The good thing about getting up this early was that we got to see the sunrise over the top of the mountains.
The boat safari was only an hour long, so we didn’t get too far. Our guides knew exactly where to head and we found ourselves parked up in a small bay where there were some massive fig trees. It was not long before we saw the monkeys arrive to feed, including some long-tailed macaques, dusty langurs, and gibbons.
After breakfast, it was time to check out of rooms and head back to the main jetty. There were a few waves on the lake, so we ended up getting soaked on the way. We didn’t mind, but some others on the boat were not too happy.
Once back we all climbed in the van and were transported back to Khao Sok.
About Khao Sok National Park
Located in Southern Thailand, Khao Sok National Park was established in 1980 as Thailand’s 22nd national park. The park consists of a thick native rainforest, waterfalls, majestic limestone cliffs and an island-stubbed lake.
The rainforest in this region is one of the oldest in the world, believed to be even older than the Amazon. Due to Thailand having remained in a similar equatorial position throughout the last 160 million years, the climate has been relatively unaffected by ice ages. While other regions of the planet were suffering severe droughts, the Khao Sok region still received enough rainfall to sustain the forests.
By the 1900s much of Thailand was deforested by mass logging. In a twist of fate for Khao Sok, a group of Thai students who had become communist insurgents evaded the government by setting up a stronghold in Khao Sok. During 1975-1982, while other areas were being rapidly depleted of rainforest, these students, in trying to keep the Thai Army at bay, also obstructed the loggers, miners and hunters. By the time the students had left Khao Sok, it had been officially established as a National Park. It is now protected from logging under Thai national laws.
Khao Sok National Park covers an area of 739 square kilometres and extends into parts of the Khlong Yee and Khlong Pra Sang forests, as well as portions of the Krai Son and the Khao Pung areas in the Ban Ta Khun district and the Khlong Sok and Panom areas in the province of Surat Thani. It is bordered by another three National Parks.
The area in which Khao Sok sits was sculpted during the same tectonic shift that created the Himalayan mountains. Famous for the limestone or ‘karst’ mountains which loom dramatically over the lake, the terrain in Khao Sok was pushed upward to form the peaks seen throughout the region giving Khao Sok its mountainous landscape. In most of the region, the ground level is about 200m above sea level with the average mountain height around 400m. The tallest peak in the National Park is 960m in height.
How to get to Khao Sok
By Plane
Khao Sok is less than 3 hour’s drive from all airports in Southern Thailand. Surat Thani Airport is closest at just about 2 hours’ drive, but Phuket and Krabi airports are not too much farther.
By Train
Surat Thani also has a train station about 2 hours away from Khao Sok. From here you can arrange a private taxi pickup. If you want to take public transport, you usually have to take a bus back into the city centre, and then catch another bus or minivan from Surat Thani Town to Khao Sok.
By Boat
If you are coming from the Gulf Islands, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, or Koh Tao, a private transfer can be made from Don Sak pier. It is about 3.5 hours to reach Khao Sok from Don Sak.
By Public Transport
Public buses to Khao Sok are available from all major towns and even from the Gulf Islands, but these options do take longer than a private transfer.
By Private Transfers
Private transfers are the easiest way to get to Khao Sok – which you can arrange yourself or you can see if your accommodation will organise it for you.
The best time to visit Khao Sok National Park
Due to the high mountains and the fact that it is influenced by both the Northeast (Pacific Ocean) and Southwest (Indian Ocean) monsoons, Khao Sok has the highest level of rainfall in Thailand (3,500 mm per year).
The heaviest rains are between May and November, the driest period is between December and April; although even during that time there can still be some rain – there is always a fair chance to get wet when visiting a rainforest.
Khao Sok has warm temperatures throughout the whole year, with the statistically hottest months being March and April. However, temperatures only change at a range of 4 degrees Celsius during the year, varying between average maximum temperatures of 29 to 33 degrees to average minimum temperatures of 20 to 23 degrees. In fact, as in most tropical regions, temperature variations are higher between noon and midnight than they are between January and July.
Where to stay
1. OUR JUNGLE CAMP
Khao Sok´s unique Nature Resort, with Treehouse and Bungalow accommodation options for families and individual travellers alike. Nestled between Khao Sok Rainforest and the gentle flowing Sok River, Our Jungle Camp offers Double and Single-Storey Treehouses as well as unique Adobe and Nature Bungalows.
2. KHAO SOK PALM VIEW RESORT
Only 200 metres from Khao Sok National Park, Khao Sok Palmview Resort offers a peaceful retreat in charming wooden cottages. They have private balconies and offer massage services, a restaurant and a variety of outdoor activities.
3. BUDGET – COCO KHAO SOK HOSTEL
Featuring a bar and views of mountain, Coco Khao Sok Hostel is located in Khao Sok, less than 1 km from Khao Sok. With a terrace, the 1-star hostel has air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, each with a shared bathroom. The accommodation provides an ATM, a tour desk and currency exchange for guests.
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