A Night in the Jungle: Khao Sok Paradise Resort

Getting to Khao Sok

The minibus bounced along uneven roads in the early morning sun, speeding by lush green hills and delicate palm trees. I’d arrived into Surat Thani on an overnight train at 6:30am and had booked a night’s stay in Khao Sok Paradise Resort.

From Surat Thani, I took a transfer to Khao Sok with Phantip, which decided to leave earlier than its scheduled 9:30am. The two hour journey included a brief rest stop, and eventually, the bus deposited me at the top of an uneven, muddy, potholed road. The driver shrugged and pointed me down the path, saying he couldn’t get the van down any further.

The entrance to Khao Sok Paradise Resort is unassuming, marked only by a stone sign. The reception and breakfast area sit in an open-air, straw-roofed building perched on stilts over the marshy swamp land below. Bridges lead from the reception to the entrance, rooms, and the pool area. I dropped my bag in front of the check in desk, and was told that my room wasn’t quite ready yet, but I was welcome to wait in the dining area.

A member of staff brought me a cool, fresh papaya juice which was very welcome in the humid morning air.

A friendly Belgian family at a neighbouring table invited me to join them while I waited for my room. They enthusiastically told me about their plans for hiking in the area, and asked if I’d been to the lake yet. “Not yet” I responded, “That’s tomorrow’s adventure. I’m only staying here for one night”.

Before I knew it, the front desk clerk came over to tell me my room was ready. After saying farewell to my new Belgian friends, I followed him along the little bridge towards the treehouses.

All of the rooms at Khao Sok Paradise resort are stand-alone huts, but they come in a wide variety of styles, from A-frame huts to treehouses up on stilts. I’d chosen one of the treehouses as my home for the night.

The Room

Khao Sok Town

Khao Sok town is essentially one long road cutting through the jungle, leading to the entrance of Thailand’s oldest rainforest, Khao Sok National Park. The road is lined with guesthouses, tour operators, restaurants, and shops selling snacks and souvenirs. It feels remote and, despite heavily catering to tourists, still feels peaceful and quiet.

After my nap, I wandered through town along the dusty street. From my hotel to the national park was about a 15 minute walk, and it took me through the heart of the town. Near the park entrance, I spotted a sign advertising “night safaris” and wandered in to enquire.

The two-hour hike through the jungle by torchlight was priced at 1,000 baht (around £22) for one person, or 600 baht (around £14) for two or more. The price didn’t include the 300 baht (~£7) park entry fee. This was one thing I noticed about solo travelling – there’s sometimes a premium because you’re not sharing with another person. As this wasn’t a private tour and there would be other people as part of the group, I bargained the saleswoman down to give me the 600 baht price.

With time to kill before my night hike, I decided to get some lunch. One of the best things about travelling in Thailand as a vegan is that it’s pretty easy to come by good vegan food. Even in this small town in the jungle, there were still restaurants advertising a vegan menu, and even many without will be happy to replace meat with tofu if you ask.

I settled down with my Kindle and a red tofu curry, appreciating the quiet and the beauty of the nature around me. Nestled in a valley, the town moves at a slow, easy pace.

How I Spent My Evening in Khao Sok

The Night Safari

That evening, I made my way to a hotel next to the entrance of the national park, where the tour was due to start from. I was the first one to arrive, so I was told to take a seat in the dining area, which, like many building here, was open air and overlooked a noisy stream below. About ten cats were weaving their way around the reception and dining area, coming over to guests and tourists to say hello.

The guide arrived and gathered the group. There were seven of us in total, and we were each handed a headlamp before heading into the park.

At the park entrance, we each paid our entry fee and followed the guide into the darkness. There are no lights within the park as it is a nature reserve, and signs dotted about told us to be aware of snakes underfoot or wild elephants roaming around.

Over the course of the next two hours, we wandered through the leafy, humid jungle. Every so often, the guide would stop to point out an animal nestled amongst the leaves. We saw scorpion pits, snakes wrapped around tree branches, beautifully coloured moths as big as my hand, and huge spiders balanced delicately in their webs. Bats flitted overhead, while monkeys rustled in the leaves, settling in for the night. Sadly, we didn’t see any elephants and I wished I had an extra day to go and explore the jungle more in the daylight.

Even though there is no lighting, our torches helped us find our footing and the guide clearly knew the rainforest like the back of his hand. There are well-worn mud paths throughout, and even though signage is sparse, I’d imagine it’s not too hard to find your way back out if you just follow the trails.

It was a mostly silent tour, so if you’re looking for a tour where you learn more about the animals or history of the park, this isn’t going to do it for you. However, as a cool nighttime experience, it was fun. I’m glad I got the lower price – I don’t think I could justify the £22 cost for the experience.

Dinner in Khao Sok

The tour ended back at the entrance of the national park, where we handed our headlamps back to the guide. I made my way back along the town’s main street and stopped into a restaurant for dinner.

The restaurant’s owner, a tall, glamorous Thai woman, overheard me asking about fish paste in the green curry. “Are you vegetarian? No problem, we can make it without fish. Our curry is excellent.” she said, sidling up to the table.

“Where are you from?” she asked, looking me up and down.

“Ireland” I replied.

“The British invaded Ireland” she said, nodding.

“Eh, they did, yeah” I said, confused at where this was going.

“And a famine” she went on, looking at me expectantly.

“Ye-es, there was the famine”

She nodded again, and pulled out a chair and sat down. “Go on,” she said, waving a hand at me.

For the next half hour, I gave her an impromptu Irish history lesson while she shared stories of her childhood in Khao Sok and how it had changed. She’d never been to Ireland, and I still have no idea why she knew so much about the Irish, but I do know that she was a joy to speak to and she was right – the curry was excellent.

Sleeping in the jungle

I’d wandered back towards along the dark street after dinner. It’s a quiet town, with not much nightlife so everything was still and silent. Most visitors, like me, come to Khao Sok for hiking or lake tours, making the town much livelier during the day.

Back in my treehouse, I was fast asleep when a loud banging on the roof jolted me awake. A sign nailed to the wall of my cabin had warned the monkeys and civet cats roam nearby, so any noises overhead at night are likely animals running around.

The next morning, as the sunlight was beginning to filter through the trees, I was hauling my backpack down my treehouse ladder. I checked out early, and left, ready for my next adventure. Even though my stay at Khao Sok Paradise Resort had only been for 24 hours, I feel lucky to have experienced this special place. Even though it sees nearly 350,000 tourists each year, it still feels quiet, peaceful and untouched.

Visiting Khao Sok – My Tips

Getting there

By Train:

If you’re coming from Bangkok, the overnight train to Surat Thani is a great option. I took a sleeper train that arrived at 6:30am (see my previous post on booking Thai trains) and got a surprisingly good night’s sleep.

From Surat Thani train station, Phantip runs minibuses once a day to Khao Sok town and will drop you as close as possible to your hotel. My bus left earlier than I expected, so do be aware that the schedule can be flexible.

By Plane:

The closest airport is in Surat Thani, with frequent flights from Bangkok and other major cities. From the airport, you can arrange a private transfer (your hotel may be able to arrange this for you), or you can head into Surat Thani train station and get the Phantip minibus.

Where to Stay

There are plenty of hotels within Khao Sok. I stayed at Khao Sok Paradise Resort, and highly recommend their treehouses! Throughout the town you’ll find other hotels and guesthouses, although because you’re in the jungle, expect spotty wifi and more basic accommodations than you might find in a city.

Vegan Food in Khao Sok

Thailand in general is great for vegan food, so even in this small, remote town you’ll find plenty of options. The Happy Cow app is a great help in finding great places to eat, or just take a wander through the town – some restaurants advertised their vegan menus outside, while others are happy to adjust a dish for you.

Things to do in Khao Sok

Most people visit this part of Thailand for the nature. Take a hike through the jungle, or a night safari to see some of the nocturnal animals.

You can go river tubing or canoeing, with plenty of activities offered in the town.

Some tour operators offer visits to elephant sanctuaries, but do your research and make sure any you plan to visit are ethical and don’t allow riding the elephants.

Finally, one of the major draws of Khao Sok is a visit to Cheow Lan Lake, where you can do an overnight tour. This was my major reason for visiting Khao Sok, which I’ve covered in another blog post.

For more Thailand recommendations and tips, check out the complete list.