Khao Sok National Park – Changing moods of Cheow Lan Lake

Khao Sok National Park

I stopped at the Khao Sok National Park before moving to the next island of Thailand, after Ko Tao and Koh Samui.  

I love national parks as they are full of life, greenery, the ability to spot wildlife, birds. So, when I looked at the map and found a big patch of green, it found a place in my itinerary. 

Lomprayah ferry services helped me get from Koh Samui to Khao Sok, and they dropped me at Surat Thani. We took a bus to Phuket, and somewhere in the middle, we got shifted to a minivan, and we were on the way to Khao Sok. 

Unfortunately, I was in the wettest region of Thailand during the monsoon, and as we approached Khao Sok, I could see the clouds getting darker. Not just the clouds, the first sight of limestone cliffs bordering at a distance, forming a majestic line, could be seen. I was thrilled, for this was my first sight of limestone karsts. The place was lush green, that the greenery was spilling onto the roads. The rain started to lash down, and my mind was all on the day tour that I wanted to do tomorrow. 

Rain is a damper, no doubt !!

If you start from Phuket, regular buses pass through Takua Pa and drop you at Khao Sok. Similarly, from Khao Sok, you get direct buses to Phuket.

Cheow Lan Lake Tour

Cheow Lan lake, also called the Ratchaprapha dam, is an artificial lake formed by the Rajjaprabha dam reservoir. 

Cheow Lan lake is the limelight of the Khao Sok national park, and I booked it for a whole day, the day we decided our itinerary when we came here. 

The tour has a boat tour through the lake, lunch at the floating restaurant, exploration of caves depending on the water level, and returning by the evening. Khao Sok national park and cheow lan lake are famous for their floating bungalows or raft houses in the lake. They look fantastic, by the way. 

I contemplated my decision a lot to choose one such as a stay, but then I had to skip it due to my budget. There was also an overnight tour which lets you stay in the raft houses overnight till the next day. However, with so much rain battering down, we decided not to do that because there will not be much to do on a rainy night.

The following day, the sun opened up a little, and I had a hearty breakfast. The owner of my stay gave towels and a waterproof bag to put our stuff in, which we might need when we enter the caves. I looked slightly bewildered and asked her if we require it, and she said the shelter is going to be filled with water because it has rained. And based on the water levels, the tour guide would choose the cave that can be explored. 

The unadventurous and claustrophobic me cringed a little. Nevertheless, the minivan appeared, and we hopped on towards the cheow lan lake. The world seemed bright and little drying up until, just until we reached the pier.. 

Our tour guide was a chirpy old guy who was determined to speak only with funny faces and sign language. The moment we reached the pier to hop into the tail boat (ugh! I wouldn't say I like that boat), it started to pour.. Like lash out.. 

I put on my raincoat or poncho and gingerly got into the tail boat. And thus, we set out on a boat tour of cheow lan lake in the rain..

I peeked through my poncho, and the first sight of the tall limestone cliffs came in. The kind of green vegetation is surprising, considering they seem to be just a rock. But, it is so beautiful. I took out my mobile and braved it through the poncho to take a pic in the rain. A part of the half an hour went by with me trying to look against the rain and admire the beauty. 

Rain was then kind enough to stop just for a short while. The boat was veering fast through the lake. I could finally see the karsts; so tall, just like some mystical land.. 

It was beautiful to see how watercolors kept changing from grey to blue to turquoise to green, depending on the sunlight. It was a sight I can never forget. I wish the boat guy drove a little slower so we could soak it all in.

The Karsts cleared up, and we reached a peaceful place of the lake, full of green shrubs and trees around. We stopped at a floating restaurant for lunch. Adjacent to it was basic raft houses, nothing fancy, but they were a pretty sight. These raft houses were such that they were not facing the Karsts, so I was glad I did not spend money staying here. 

Some cooled themselves with a dip in the water, and some decided to go kayaking in the lake. The fish was the main attraction of the lunch, and it was fresh and so delicious. 

After lunch, it was time to explore the caves.

Just when we were done with lunch, the rain started to pour again.

We could explore all the caves except one due to waterlogging as said by our tour guide. I get so sloppy when I walk on wet terrains, and I decided to stay due to the muddy terrain. I am claustrophobic, so I chickened out from exploring the cave. I decided to hang around in the restaurant, watching the rain and tail boats coming in and going out. 

But, here is the experience as heard from my friend Preetha and fellow tourists on tour. 

You need to cross a couple of streams with water up to knee level and walk on a sludgy path, fall multiple times, pick yourself up and enter the narrow opening of the cave through which the water is gushing out. With a head torch, you can walk up to a certain level and water up to your chest level, But after a point, you need to swim and move forward if you wish to explore. Come through the same way. By the time you cross the two streams, all the mud and sludge on you will be washed off. Carry a change of clothes because you will get completely wet and you will have to change. 

Opening of the cave at Khao Sok national park.

By the evening, we started again on the lake to get back to the pier. The evening was gloomy compared to the day. The thick dark clouds were gathering in the distance. It started to drizzle, and when I looked around, it appeared to be like I am in a gothic landscape. The color of the water was no longer green or blue. It was grey. The Krasts seemed threatening as they looked down on us. The shadows of limestone cliffs at a distance looked like ghosts from the past rising out of the grave and dancing over their grave...

The downpour was so hard that I could not even look up after that. For a moment, I turned back only to see that the boatman had his face covered with a raincoat as well and was randomly driving the boat like a blindfolded guy. This is called being so confident with doing a thing every day that you can close your eyes and do it! 

Soaked to the skin, I was happy to reach the pier in one piece. The night was damp and cold with no electricity. But it was warm to think about the vast lake that was no ordinary one and that magnificent landscape.

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Book your stay at Khao Sok and explore the park with Klook - Klook 2 night package

Things to do at Khao Sok National Park

Apart from the one-day tour through Cheow Lan Lake, there is much more to do. 

But all these are doable only on the days that are not rainy. 

So, visit Khao Sok sometime between December and May when it doesn't rain much. What else can you do?

• The next day we wanted to rest and not get soaked anymore. So we opted to canoe down Sok river. A guide canoes and we follow the river. Small rapids here and there, brushing through limestone karsts, not many birds, but greenery along the way. It's a way to spend a lazy day at the park.
• There are few trek trails in the park that you can explore the park's diversity.
• The park has many mammals like elephants, tigers, and monkeys that can be spotted if you are lucky.
• Go tubing down the Sok River. There are little rapids.. but the thrill of just following the river by itself is excellent.
• Early morning set out looking for birds if you have an interest in birding.
• Night safari through the park on days that are not raining.
• We are exploring the caves of Khao Sok. There are three to four caves. Some get filled during the rainy season, and it is risky too.
• Or check into a riverside or lakeside bungalow and put your feet up and sip some iced coffee.

If you are looking for a quiet beach nearby, there is also Khao Lak which is just 60 km away instead of much crowded Phuket.

How to reach Khao Sok National Park

Surat Thani is the nearest airport and railway station. From here, finding a minibus or air-conditioned bus should not be a problem. Similarly, from Phuket, you can find buses leaving the park.

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