Khao Sok Floating Bungalow Trip Itinerary
Day 1:
- Arrive in Khao Sok for check-in and be shown to your room at the lovely Coco Hostel.
- After nightfall, we head to the National Park for a night safari, where we’ll look for nocturnal animals.
- On this day your activities start at 7 pm in the evening so we advise that you arrive at Coco Hostel in the afternoon to give you time to check in and relax before your adventure begins.
Day 2:
- 9 am – Kick off the day with a full breakfast and then set off for an overnight trip to Cheow Lan Lake. Stop along the way at a traditional morning market to look around and buy some snacks for the boat trip.
- 10 am – Arrive at Rachaprabha Dam and hop aboard a long-tail boat. You’ll be awe-struck by the incredible scenery on the boat ride to the raft house and floating bungalows – a fairytale landscape that you will never forget!
- 12 noon – Enjoy a tasty lunch of fresh fish from the lake, and delicious vegetables. (Vegetarian options available).
- 1:30 pm – After lunch, take a hike through the pristine jungle, where you will explore a secret cave that is decorated with fantastic rock formations and sparkling waterfalls.
- 5 pm – After returning to the rafthouse, go for an afternoon wildlife safari by long-tail boat to explore more of the amazing scenery and karsts. Swimming involved.
- 7 pm – Enjoy a delicious dinner and then overnight on the lake in floating bungalows. Fall asleep to the gentle sounds of the forest.
Please note: The floating bungalows are very basic. They are not perfectly-seeled containers and do not offer private bathrooms. Some are quite small. All are “rustic”. Electricity on-site is limited to certain times.
Day 3:
- 6:30 am – After an early morning wake-up, you’ll go on a morning mist safari! Head out for a guided kayak trip (or long-tail boat ride) to see langurs leaping from trees and giant orchids in the canopy. Spot giant hornbills, monkeys, and gibbons feeding in the trees before breakfast.
- 8:30 am – Breakfast followed by your choice of kayaking or relaxing and swimming in the emerald green waters.
- 12 noon – Lunch.
- 1 pm – Travel back across the lake. Along the way, your boat driver will show you some more hidden bays and rock formations that make the lake so special. Arrive at Rachaprabha Dam and take a car back to Khao Sok village.
- 2 pm – Arrive at Coco Hostel where the tour finishes.
What’s Included?
- Accommodation: 1 night in Coco Hostel. 1 night in the floating bungalows on Cheow Lan Lake.
- All meals on Day 2. Breakfast + lunch on Day 3. (Vegetarian and vegan food available)
- English-speaking guide.
- Transport to Cheow Lan Lake.
- All activities – trekking, caving, kayaking etc.
What’s Not Included?
- Entrance fee to Khao Sok National Park – Must be paid upon entrance to the national park (currently 320 THB).
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Dinner on Day 1.
What to bring
- Sun protection – hat, sunscreen, long sleeves
- Swimsuit
- Plastic bag for clothes and other dry items
- Headlamp or torch
- Hiking clothes – these will get dirty!
- Hiking shoes (we recommend tennis/running shoes)
- Mosquito repellent for hiking
- Extra clothes to wear in the van (it can get cold with the A/C)
- Towel – the floating raft houses can’t always guarantee they’ll provide one.
Special Requirements: If you have any special requirements (dietary, physical, etc.) please include these in the “additional information” box when you place your order.
Please note: The above price is per person, based on a minimum of 2 people. For single travellers, a single supplement of 900 THB applies in the very unlikely scenario that there is no one else to join the activity. (P.S. After several years, we have never had a situation where a traveller has paid the single supplement as we have always managed to get groups together for this very popular and amazing trip!)
A word on Monsoon Season: From June to December, (peaking in August/September), there is a higher probability of rain and all that goes with it. Some travellers will love the increased peace and quiet, the probability of coming up close to wildlife and occasionally, the chance to weather a storm whilst floating above a lake in the jungle. Other travellers may struggle with the reduced level of comfort. Travellers, know yourselves!
Rebecca –
Our trip to Khao Sok (both in the village staying at Coco Hostel and the floating bungalows) was our favourite experience in Thailand! Our guide for the night safari Chai was excellent and we saw really cool wildlife. The food in Coco Hostel was very good. We really enjoyed our hike / swim through the jungle and cave – it was quite slippery at times so I’d recommend wearing shoes with good grip and bring a head torch. The bungalows are extremely basic (Coco hostel told us they would be) so bring a sleeping liner. Everything ran very smoothly for our trip – definitely add it to your list for travelling Thailand!
Kristine –
OMG, we loved this! Absolutely all of it – both places we stayed at (Coco hostel at Khao Sok and the bungalows on the lake), the people we met on our group, the places we visited, especially the lake and the cave (that was mindblowing), the tours we had, including night walk and morning mist tour to enjoy local animals. Well organized and didn’t felt touristic at all:)) Thanks a mil!
Ethan –
Our tour guide, green, was unreal.
He spotted everything and made sure our group, which was extremely big, stayed together and safe. He answered every question anyone had with great knowledge. Green is a king.
Charlotte –
Khao Sok is absolutely beautiful and being able to book online was handy! The food was great and they provided vegan options. However, we did have a few issues with the trip. The night safari wasn’t very interesting and really we would’ve preferred to have skipped it and saved the money. When it came to the jungle “hike” this actually entailed walking on wet, muddy paths and wading across a river (the water reached anywhere between mid shin, thigh high, to chest deep for the cave at the end). We weren’t warned of this in advance, just that things could get wet and muddy which isn’t the same as being totally submerged. We only found out when already at the bungalows (though even before the “hike” the guide said it would only be shin deep and didn’t make it clear just how many times we would have to cross the river – which was at least 10 times) and the shoes available to rent were not suitable for hiking. My shoes ended up ruined by the river water – very annoying as if I’d known before I would’ve taken more appropriate shoes. Also, we stopped at a market on the way to Khao Sok and were told we needed to buy head torches (the hostel staff had also told us this) so we bought them. On the “hike” the guide had a bag full of free head torches for us to borrow so we felt we’d wasted money. Overall the scenery is absolutely incredible but the organisation needs improvement.
Karina –
Fantastic trip! A wry easy to book through South East Asia Backpacker for ease of mind before arriving. Night safari with Deng was fantastic. Trekking through the jungle in the dark is unforgettable. And then the lake, with the floating bungalows, swimming and caving is really incredible. 1000% recommend
Dan –
Brilliantly organised, very friendly and helpful tour guides, scenery for the accommodation was amazing for, and comfortable enough, plenty of snacks and drinks to buy for cheap, amazing food provided (and lots of it) 10/10 experience
Jess –
One of the best things I’ve done in Thailand! Beautiful scenery, super easy and well organised. Accomodation was great
Warwick –
Amazing trip! Such beautiful surroundings and loved staying on the lake in the floating bungalows. Everything is so well organised and had a fantastic time! Food was very good. Caving and swimming in the lake were great.
Roy –
Awesome trip, Kaho Sok is unbelievably beautiful, Coco hostel was great, we loved the place, stuff and mostly the cakes ☺️ the best in Thailand, the trip was well organised, the guides were professional and everything was perfect, a true lifetime experience