Thai National Parks

Khao Sok National Park

Private Tour | 2-days/1-night private tour in Cheow Lan Lake

Situated between Khao Sok National Park and Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Cheow Lan Lake has one of the most beautiful scenic views in Thailand.

The lake deserves more than one night of stay, but if you only can stay one night, you will still be able to enjoy a few activities with this tour. If you truly want to enjoy more of the lake, then a 3D/2N tour is recommended.

With the 2-days/1-night tour in Cheow Lan Lake you will be able to see scenic rock formations, hike to a viewpoint, visit a cave, hike in the jungle, kayak, swim and drive around for wildlife watching. The tour includes a stay in a raft house of your choice, a private guide and a private boat with driver. No others will share the guide or the boat with you during the tour.

Out tours must be booked with "no matter the weather" in mind. We don't find the lake tours suitable for kids under 7 years old, other companies may have a different opinion about age limits.

Raft house options

500 Rai (deluxe)

500 Rai is one of the two top raft houses in the lake, with 15 houses/cabins of various sizes. The raft house is located at the far end of the lake, between Phupha Waree and Krai Son raft houses, with one of the best views in the lake.

Following are the type of rooms;

Type Pax Size Info
Deluxe 4 36 ㎡ Master bedroom with double-size bed, loft with two mattresses. 1 kayak, 5 life jackets. A/c from 6 pm to 6 am. Check-in 2pm, check-out 9:30am
Villa 4 42 ㎡ Master bedroom with double-size bed, loft with two mattresses. 1 kayak, 5 life jackets. A/c 24h/day. Check-in 2pm, check-out 9:30am
Family Villa 8 72 ㎡ 2 connecting villas, 2 master bedrooms with double-size bed, 2 lofts with 4 mattresses, a/c 24h/day, 2 kayaks, 8 life jackets. Check-in 2pm, check-out 9:30am
Deluxe Suite 4 72 ㎡ Master bedroom with double-size bed, loft with 2 mattresses, a/c 24h/day, 2 kayaks, 7 life jackets (2 sofa beds for additional 2 pax if needed). Check-in 4pm, check-out 1pm
Family Suite 10 86 ㎡ 2 master bedrooms with double-size bed, 2 lofts with 6 mattresses, a/c 24h/day, 2 kayaks, 7 life jackets (2 sofa beds for additional 2 pax if needed). Check-in 4pm, check-out 1pm
Honeymoon Suite 4 92 ㎡ Master bedroom with double-size bed, loft with two mattresses, a/c 24h/day, 2 kayaks, 4 life jackets, private swimming pool, jacuzzi. Check-in 4pm, check-out 1pm
500 Rai rooms
500 Rai rooms
500 Rai rooms
500 Rai rooms
500 Rai - deluxe, family villas and villas
500 Rai - deluxe, family villas and villas
500 Rai
500 Rai
500 Rai - loft with two mattresses
500 Rai - loft with two mattresses
500 Rai - Villa, loft
500 Rai - Villa, loft
500 Rai - Bathroom
500 Rai - Bathroom
500 Rai - Honeymoon ruite room (the only room with swimming pool)
Panvaree The Greenery Raft House (deluxe)

While most raft houses in the lake have on average around two dozen bungalows, Panvaree The Greenery Raft House have fewer which makes it a relatively quiet place even when the place is fully booked. Quality wise it is no doubt one of the best and most popular raft houses in the lake. The raft house is located in the entrance of Khlong Long tributary.

Following are the type of rooms;

The price for rooms varies depending on week-day, week-end day or holidays.

Panvaree The Greenery Resort
Panvaree The Greenery Resort
Superior room for 2 pax
Superior room for 2 pax
Phupha Waree Raft House

Phupha Waree is set back in a private alcove just inside Klong Pey, compared to most basic/average raft houses in the lake it is considered a bit better option. The rooms are equipped with 2 queen size beds, a private bathroom, a/c, balcony and can accommodate 2-4 people. While the smaller rooms will be booked for up to 3 people, the larger rooms will be booked for 4 people.

For the dates concerning high season months, week-ends (Fri-Sat nights) and public holidays, rooms at Phupha Waree should be booked well in advance.

Phupha Waree Floating Houses (deluxe option)
Phupha Waree Floating Houses
Phupha Waree Raft House
Phupha Waree Raft House
Phupha Waree - smaller rooms
Phupha Waree - smaller rooms
Phupha Waree rooms - larger rooms
Phupha Waree rooms - larger rooms
Phupha Waree meals
Phupha Waree meals
Sai Chon Raft House (wooden)

Sai Chon Raft House is a cheaper alternative compared to high end ones, located in Khlong Long tributary of the lake, not too far from the pier. The quality is somewhere between the bamboo and high end options. The rooms can accommodate 2-4 people with king size beds, equipped with fans and has rooms with private bathroom.

Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House
Krai Son Raft House (bamboo option, basic stay)

Krai Son is perched at the entrance to Klong Yee at the remote end of the lake. It is equipped with traditional style bamboo bungalows (2 pax, double beds), no fan, with shared bathroom facilities on land next to the raft house. It is the only raft house on the lake with a view of sunrise and sunset. Local attractions include a viewpoint hike which overlooks the entire lake, and it is close by to the Khlong Saeng wildlife sanctuary not too far from Phupha Waree.

Krai Sorn floating houses (basic bamboo option)
Krai Sorn floating houses - basic bamboo rooms
Krai Son Raft House
Krai Son Raft House
Krai Sorn floating houses - basic bamboo rooms
Krai Sorn floating houses - basic bamboo rooms

Itinerary

The following itinerary is just an example. Depending on the location of your raft house, weather conditions, your suggestions or eventual shorter/longer time you may decide to spend at attractions may change the planning. Example; you may decide to do more kayaking, skip some activities for the other, or simply just decide to relax and spend some time with friend(s)/family at the raft house.

Day 1

Day 2

Where & when?

The tour starts at Cheow Lan Lake Pier (Rajjaprabha Dam), 65 km from park headquarters. It is easy to get to the nearby Ban Tha Khun Town with buses operating from various destinations like Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi or Surat Thani. Private transfers by taxi or minivan can be arranged on request. This tour is operated all year round.

When to book?

High seasons months in the lake are November to April and July/August. Bookings for these months should be done far in advance, earliest possible. Even if some raft houses may still have rooms available days/weeks before, guide availability is more of a concern. The guides may get fully booked months in advance for the busiest times of the year. During the low season months there is less risk of unavailability. 

Panvaree The Greenery superior rooms should be booked at least 6-12 months in advance for the busier months of the year, even the family rooms may get room far in advance. It is one of the most popular raft houses in the lake.

Laguna Cheow Lan should be booked at least 5-6 months in advance, they are constantly fully booked at least 3-4 months ahead.

Phupha Waree can be booked a couple of months ahead, but during the high seasons they may get fully booked most dates 1-3 months ahead. There is greater risk for them to get fully booked during the week-ends.

For the dates concerning high season months from November to mid April, week-ends (Fri-Sat nights) and public holidays, the rooms at Phupha Waree should be booked well in advance. There can be rooms available for the week-days in short notice, but then again, guides may get fully booked.

Sai Chon should also be booked earliest possible for any week-end/holiday concerned dates.

Krai Son tends to have availability for the most year even if booked days/weeks in advance but can be fully booked months in advance for long week-end holidays.

Tour details in short:

  • Duration: 2 days/1 night
  • Type: Private
  • Price: * see price table *
  • Group size: 1 or more people
  • Grade: Easy
  • Transport: Long-tail boat
  • Start: 10a m (day 1)
  • End: around 10:30 to 11 am (day 2)

What to bring:

  • Rain clothing, specially on rainy season
  • Personal toiletries
  • Sneakers for hiking, sandals for waterfall/cave visit
  • Swimming clothing & towel
  • Hat
  • Flashlight
  • Insect repellent
  • Sunblock lotion

How much?

The tour will be led by a private guide which means no others will join you while exploring the lake and surrounding areas. The price for this tour package depends on the choice of accommodation and number of people, please see price per person further down.

The prices below do not include entrance fees to the national park.

Price per person
Pax Krai Son (bamboo) Sai Chon Phupha Waree
2 5,000 THB 6,400 THB 7,050 THB
3 4,000 THB 4,800 THB 5,300 THB
4 3,300 THB 4,150 THB 4,700 THB
5 3,000 THB 3,750 THB 4,550 THB
6 2,750 THB 3,500 THB 4,100 THB
7 2,650 THB 3,300 THB 3,950 THB
8 2,450 THB 3,150 THB 3,800 THB
Price per person
Pax Laguna Panvaree 500 Rai
2 8,000 THB 9,400 to 10,900 THB 15,600 to 31,900 THB
3 6,500 THB 9,300 to 11,600 THB 12,700 to 21,700 THB
4 5,700 THB 7,400 to 9,000 THB 11,300 to 17,400 THB
5 5,300 THB 8,200 to 10,550 THB 14,100 to 14,900 THB
6 5,000 THB 6,700 to 8,350 THB n/a
7 4,750 THB n/a n/a
8 4,600 THB n/a n/a

Displayed prices are per person

Tour rates include:

  • Lodging
  • Guide
  • Long-tail boat transportation
  • Lunch and dinner on day-1, breakfast on day-2
  • Drinking water
  • Canoeing
  • Accident insurance during the tour (covering hospital costs)

Tour rates doesn't include:

  • Entrance fees to the park
  • Transfer to the lake from the nearby towns

Reviews from our guests

Rated 4.66/5 based on 102 customer reviews

By: | posted Mon 5 Feb, 2024 | Sai Chon

5/5 stars

We had an amazing trip, especially with our guide Lek who made sure we had a good time and were well-informed. His knowledge and English is very good.

We are very satisfied :)

By: | posted Wed 31 Jan, 2024 | Sai Chon

4/5 stars

we had a wonderful tour. And how lucky we were with Junn! she speaks very good English and knows a lot about everything we saw and what we asked. We also had pleasant private conversations with her. The sights of the tour are also varied. The only downside is that the houses were dirty. Simple, that doesn't matter, but dirty floors and holes in the walls are unacceptable. We had two houses and both were poorly cleaned. one house had a screen in the window and the other did not. But once again because of Junn and the beautiful nature we made an unforgettable tour

By: | posted Tue 30 Jan, 2024 | Phupha Waree

5/5 stars

The guide we had (Bee) was THE GUIDE you need to have to discover Khao Sok national Park. He knows everything there is to know, listens to his customers, he explained everything showed us a lot of wild animals we would never have found without him. He makes a great team with the captain of the boat. We had a great time, the organisation is perfect.

The only thing that wasn’t worth the price for me is the hotel, we had the Phupha waree, it’s old and needs to be freshed up. This hotel is really not worth the price, I really recommend to take a cheaper option as we couldn’t use the aircon because of the noise it made and the ventilator was even worse. It was not a good night of sleep, but the beauty of the park makes it good. The food was nice and I definitely recommend to book a private tour.

By: | posted Tue 23 Jan, 2024 | Phupha Waree

5/5 stars

Great expirience, and a good tourgide (bee). We loved it and will recomand this expirience to all. Don't make the same mistake as we did. Stay for 2 nights (3Day tour) and not for 1 night.

By: | posted Fri 19 Jan, 2024 | Phupha Waree

2/5 stars

Het is een prachrige omgeving. Schitterend! Helaas, vonden wij deze tour te duur voor wat je krijgt. Het eten is niet zo goed en wordt koud geserveerd. Daarnaast gingen wij tijd rekken op paradise island (?), omdat we te vroeg waren voor inchecken. Verder doe je precies wat op de site staat, maar ik moet zeggen dat de 2e dag karig is. Ja, dit wisten we van te voren, maar achteraf had ik het leuker gevonden om die dag nog tot zeker 12.00u door te gaan in plaats van aan te komen om 10.00u bij de pier. Uitcheck 09.00u, klein rondje varen en 10.00u aankomst pier. Dat zijn geen 2 dagen? Eerder 24 uur. Gidsen waren vriendelijk en Rushen antwoordde snel en duidelijk tijdens het boekingsproces.

Om eerlijk te zijn, kan je voor dit geld (private tour) leukere/mooiere dingen doen.

By: | posted Thu 11 Jan, 2024 | Sai Chon

5/5 stars

We had a truly magical time in Khao Sok (Chow Lan Lake), which was definitely the highlight of our 2 weeks in Thailand. Our guide, Ruam was excellent. We weren’t sure what to expect but Ruam showed us SO MUCH wildlife, from small creatures including chameleons to bigger including wild elephants.

The food was really delicious and although we booked late and only the basic accommodation was available it was totally fine, we slept v well after all the wildlife spotting and canoeing.

We have recommended to a few people already and one day hope to return and maybe do a longer trip, hopefully we will get Ruam again but all the guides seemed good!

By: | posted Mon 8 Jan, 2024 | Panvaree

5/5 stars

We loved our tour of Khao Sok NP, it was one of the top highlights of our honeymoon trip to Thailand. Our guide, Cheun, made every effort to ensure we enjoyed our trip and make it extra special for our honeymoon. She was very knowledgeable about the area, it's plants and animals. Booking everything through the NP service made the whole trip really easy and smooth. We also highly recommend the Panvaree Greenery for lodging on the lake!

By: | posted Sun 7 Jan, 2024 | Phupha Waree

3/5 stars

We loved the place

Booking and organization was perfect (thanks Rushen for that!).

The guide was a bit lazy from our point of view. On the first day we arrived early with the taxi from Aonang, 9:30, but the guide was doing breakfast and not yet available… the we expected to start at 10 as planned, but apparently the boat was late of half a hour and we started at 11. We then skipped the visit to the cave and to the scenic place and postponed them to tue day after. Reason for that was to arrive on time for lunch at the floating resort, but in reality we arrived early and had to wait in the resort. The day after we started later than other groups and finished earlier, then after breakfast we recovered the activities skipped on the day before and were back at the dam at 10:30.

It was a pity not to do something else, we would have liked to stay at least up to the early afternoon in day 2 and do some more activities

Guide didn’t help to make our visit more enjoyable

Thank you

By: | posted Thu 4 Jan, 2024 | Sai Chon

5/5 stars

We had a wonderful experience exploring Khao Sok National Park with our tour guide Junn. She was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and kind. It was so interesting to hear her stories about her home when Cheow Lan wasn't a lake yet. She went above and beyond to make this trip memorable for us, especially when we saw the wild elephants. It was one of the highlights of my family while traveling around Thailand. I would highly recommend doing a tour with Junn, she was the best guide we could wish for! :)

By: | posted Sun 31 Dec, 2023 | Sai Chon

5/5 stars

We took a two-day private tour with Junn at the beginning of December, and we very much enjoyed the tour with her company. She was so attentive to our interests and was really trying to do her best to accommodate all our random wishes :) We loved that she has remained so authentic despite us being quite different.

We also liked our schedule of the tour, including many sights of the beautiful rocky coasts, a cave visit, enough kayaking, a hike through the water stream and a morning safari.

Thanks to the good eye of our boat driver, Jon, we had a chance to see the elephant family during the safari.

At the end of the tour, Junn took us extra to a few viewpoints and also arranged us a quick private transfer to Phuket, which really helped us.

All in all, despite the long trip from the coast, we would definitely go for this tour again!

Some downsides to consider:

- Note that arranging a reasonable transfer to the park on your own can be hard: Despite it being only around a 2-hour drive, taking a shared van from Ao Nang took us over 6 hours and unplanned dropped us off around 25 km from our accommodation, where we had to take another taxi. The journey there costed us one full afternoon of vacation.

- We were lucky to get enough time for kayaking, thanks to Junn's advice, but we found there were not enough still-functional kayaks in the floating village for everyone interested. I am hoping someone will fix that soon.

- People working at the floating village were not exactly keen on helping. As someone informed us, it could be because they are not compensated adequately for the workload they get. I hope that this will also improve soon.