Beaches, temples, and food probably come to mind when most people think about Thailand. I’m here to tell you that its ancient rainforests are a national treasure just the same. Khao Sok National Park, for example.
I feel lucky to have visited in 2017 as it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Boating on Cheow Lan Lake with its dramatic cliffs and jungle-covered rock towers reminded me of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast in Hawaii.
Besides the awesome jurassic scenery, there’s floating cabins, jungle hikes to caves, and wildlife boat safaris. It’s also reputedly the best place in the world to see a type of rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.
About that Jurassic scenery, I kept thinking I was living a life inside the world of Jurrasic Park, Indiana Jones, or King Kong.
I joined an inexpensive two-day tour that took a small group of travelers deep inside the park by boat. We saw native gibbons swinging high in the forest canopy, listened to a symphony of cicadas at sundown, and climbed up an underground waterfall.
If it sounds epic that’s because it was.
Khao Sok is a 4-hour bus ride from Phuket, or a shorter 2-hour trip from Surat Thani.
Below is a photo gallery with images from my two days at the lake.
