Khao Sok Rainforest Adventure at Anurak: Embracing Nature’s Majesty

There are many hotels around this area, but not all of them allow you to feel at home, to feel like you are in a dream in the jungle.What we also learnt while we were there and loved about Anurak, is that since they opened in 2016 they have been planting local trees and slowly replacing the oil palms on the property.

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, we love being part of a sustainable travelers community, trying to choose our next destination based on ecologic and sustainability reasons. Where local villagers are part of their project and providing a better future for them.

Check our stay an elephant eco resort here.

When we first arrived to Anurak Lodge we were greeted by lovely people that showed us the property and took us to our amazing room. Did you know that each room has a fruit name? Ours was Malako, which means Papaya in their language.After resting for a little bit, we went for lunch to their restaurant called Hornbill , before heading to our first hiking trip to the National Park organized by Anurak.

On our hiking trip we went to see three different waterfalls where you can go swimming if you want, it’s perfectly safe as it’s not very deep.

He also took us to some spots he knew where we could see some monkey families and it was amazing! He explained all about the animals and the flora, as well as some facts about the bamboo!When we came back we went to Hornbill for dinner under the stars and the beautiful mountains, it reminded me so much of Tarzan!!

The next morning Anurak organized us an overnight stay on a water bungalow, how exciting is that? The cottages are all privately owned by the government but you can book your trip through your hotel and everything is included!.

Before we went to the pier we woke up at sunrise to take some photos and follow the self guided tour Anurak offered us, it takes around an hour to complete but it depends on how many photos you want to take along the way!

After our sunrise mission we went for breakfast in the main restaurant.

When you arrive to the lake pier you will take one of the famous long tail wood boats to your room along the national park!As soon as we arrived they showed us our private room, each one with two kayaks (for free). They served us dinner looking to the lake! We ordered vegan food before we arrived and didn’t know what to expect, but it was actually one of the best ones we’ve tried before!

After lunch we went on a little hiking trip by boat on our way to a secret cave that was discovered not a long time ago near one of the few small villages in the park. It was a really nice experience, surrounded by so much green and blues!

On our way back to the bungalows they took us on a boat tour around the pointy mountains to take some photos, it was breathtaking. It was like being in avatar! Can’t imagine how pretty it is during the rainy season.

They served us dinner again by the lake and it was very tasty too, including fresh fruits!

In the morning, at 7 am, there’s another boat tour to watch the sunrise at Cheow Lan Dam and to see some wild animals from the boat, if you are lucky you may see some elephants too!

After, a breakfast buffet is served and you have some free time to go swimming or go kayaking around the water bungalows.

We had some troubles to go back home because of the Coronavirus and we had to get an earlier flight and Anurak offered to take us earlier to the airport.

We are so happy we were able to enjoy this amazing experience before we all went into quarantine, appreciate how beautiful our world is and how some places in the world are still to be explored! Really recommend this trip if you want to feel like this too.

Khao Sok National Park

It is located in Southern Thailand in Surat Thani province and covers up to 739 square km! The rainforest in this region is one of the oldest in the world, believed to be even older than the amazon. Some climbers have even found sells on top of the mountains.

Even if lots of tourists come here every year, Khao Sok is still a hidden gem in Thailand, as it is not very touristy, there are so many places to be discovered and once you are here you will see that there are areas where human kind has never been.

In order to protect the park, rangers patrol it every day, as well as educating visitors and local people about how to take care of this beautiful place.

Eco tourism plays a very important role in the park, ensuring that guests who come here (whose park fees provide vital funding for the park maintenance) are able to enjoy this place in a sustainable way and with minimal impact.

Weather

Khao Sok is warm and humid all year around, with an average temperature between 31°C and 24 °C. Dry season goes from December to the end of March. We went the last month of the dry season and it was dry but still very green!

Fauna

There are many animals you will see on your trip here. On our first day we did a half day hiking trip and our guided helped us identify all the animals, even learn how to imitate them.

We saw many bird species and 2 different monkey ones.

If you come here you will see monkeys all the time! They are jumping all around in big groups, so adorable!

Flora

There are hundreds of species of plants around the park, one of the most famous ones are the Rafflesia plant which can grow up to 90 cm and some carnivorous plants that can even eat little mammals!

There are many fruit trees, figs and bananas grow in abundance, providing a food source for many animals in the rainforest.

What To Do In Khao Sok

There are many activities to do, and I’d recommend booking a package trip in advance for at least two nights, so you won’t miss anything, it will include different activities, food, transportation and fee entrance to the park. Less than two nights at Khao Sok may not be enough to see everything it has to offer.

For our trip we chose a hiking trip to the National Park with a guide (Highly recommended it as it will cost you more money to hire a taxi and pay the entrance, and the guide will explain you and take you to all the hidden places).

As well as an overnight trip to Cheow Lake organized by Anurak.

There are 4 different travel packages.

• 2 nights. Adventure package, where you will hike all around the park with a guide, you can choose to visit some wild elephants or cycling. You will also visit some waterfalls where you can go swimming
• 2 nights. Combination of adventure and the lake, where you will be able to go kayaking (This is the one we did
• 3 nights/4 days, that includes a cycling adventure and jungle dinner the first day, followed by an elephant experience and river by canoe, and ends at Cheow Lan Lake Overnight trip with a hiking trip and Kayaks
• 2 nights. Adventure and a gourmet experience, where you will learn how to cook their typical meals and hike all around the jungle

Also, if you don’t have enough time or have a tighter budget you can book single activities like an overnight stay in the water bungalows or a hiking trip with a guide!

You can find all the information here

How To Get Here

We arrived from Koh Tao, an island next to Koh Samui, and we took a boat plus a minivan that took us 6-7h!

Don’t worry! The best way to get there is from Surat Thani, which is only 1-2h by van or private taxi. Other options are from Bangkok (10h) or from Phuket and Krabi (3-5h).

Here you can find all the details and prices for public transportation or contact Anurak for transportation in their cars.

What To Bring To Khao Sok

Heres a list:

• Sunscreen

• Comfortable clothes

• Comfortable shoes

• Bikini

• Mosquito Spray

• Hat

• Some snacks

• Waterproof bag

• A camera!

• SunglassesHope you all enjoyed our article and that you are all dreaming about visiting this place once the world is back to normal!