Thai National Parks

Khao Sok National Park

Private Tour | 3-days/2-nights private tour in Cheow Lan Lake

The boat prices in Cheow Lan Lake will increase from November onwards. The price difference will be 1,000 Baht for a 2D/1N tour and with 1,500 Baht for a 3D/2N tour. This price difference will add to the total price of the all displayed per person prices further below.

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

While a 2-day/1-night stay leaves less time for various activities due to check-in and check-out times from the floating resorts, a 3-days/2-nights tour gives a much better opportunity to enjoy more of the attractions and activities around the lake.

Activities

With the 3-days/2-nights 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 and drive around in the vicinity of your raft house for wildlife watching. The tour includes two nights stay in a raft house (floating bulgalows/floating resorts) of your choice, a private guide and a private boat with driver.

Why to book a private tour?

While the group tours in the lake are conducted with larger boats shared by up to 18 people and has a fixed itinerary, no others will share the guide or the boat with you during our tours. Our tours are strictly private and flexible, our guests can decide their day-to-day activities with the their guide.

Raft house options

500 Rai Floating Resort (high-end)

500 Rai Floating Resrt is one of the best raft houses in the lake, with 15 houses/units of various sizes. It 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. It is the only option in the lake providing electricity 24 hours/day (deluxe option with only 12 h/day a/c powered, others 24 h/day).

Following are the room types;

Deluxe (4 pax) 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 pax) 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 pax) 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 pax) 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 pax) 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 pax) 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)
500 Rai - Honeymoon ruite room (the only room with swimming pool)
Panvaree The Greenery Floating Resort (high-end)

The raft house is located in the entrance of Khlong Long tributary. Compared to other optiong in the lake, Panvaree The Greenery Raft House has fewer cabins/houses which makes it a relatively quiet place even when the place is fully booked, ideal for people avoiding crowds. Quality wise it is no doubt one of the best and most popular raft houses in the lake. Electricity is provided from 5pm until 9am.

Following are the room types;

Superior room (2 pax) For couples or 2 adults + small child (child to share same bed as parents but quoted half price). Rooms can be with either a double bed or twin beds, unfortunately can't be chosen, either one can be booked depending on availability and other circumstances.
Family section (4 pax) For families up to 4 pax, 2 storeys, 2 rooms, 1 bathroom, 1 king size bed in each room.

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

Panvaree The Greenery Raft House to the right and Panvaree Resort on the background
Panvaree The Greenery Raft House to the right and Panvaree Resort on the background
Superior room for 2 pax
Superior room for 2 pax
Panvaree Resort (high-end)

Located right next to Panvaree The Greenery, Panvaree Resort has similar quality and price level with different type of bed settings, it too has less cabin/houses. The rooms gets a bit cheaper at Panvaree Resort for groups of 3 people or more.

Following are the room types;

Garret house king (4 pax)

Semi-detached to a garret house queen, with a king size bed and a loft area with 2 single mattresses on the floor.
Garret house queen (4 pax) Semi-detached to a garret house king, with twin beds and a loft area with 2 single mattresses on the floor. Max 4 people
Private garret (4 pax) Solitary unit (not semi-detached), with twin beds and a loft area with 2 single mattresses on the floor. Max 4 people

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

Panvaree Resort
Panvaree Resort
Panvaree Resort - king size double beds
Panvaree Resort - king size double beds
Panvaree Resort - twin beds with stairs to loft
Panvaree Resort - twin beds with stairs to loft
Laguna Cheow Lan Raft House

Laguna Cheow Lan Raft House is located in Khlong Long tributary, in the middle of the lake. Each room have a king size and a single bed, private bathroom, a/c, balcony and can accommodate up to 3 people. The beds are on the floor. Electricity is provided from 6pm until 6am.

(a new increased price will apply for Laguna Cheow Lan from January 2025 onwards)

Laguna Cheow Lan
Laguna Cheow Lan
Laguna Cheow Lan
Laguna Cheow Lan
Canoeing around Laguna Cheow Lan
Canoeing around Laguna Cheow Lan
Phupha Waree Raft House

Phupha Waree Raft House is set back in a private alcove just inside Klong Pey, compared to most basic raft houses in the lake it is considered a bit better option. The rooms are equipped with 2 joined 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. Electricity is provided from 6pm until 6-7am.

Phupha Waree Floating Houses (deluxe option)
Phupha Waree Floating Houses (deluxe option)
Phupha Waree Raft House
Phupha Waree Raft House
Phu Pha Waree - large rooms for 4 pax
Phu Pha Waree - large rooms for 4 pax
Phupha Waree - smaller rooms for 2-3 pax
Phupha Waree - smaller rooms for 2-3 pax
Phupha Waree meals
Phupha Waree meals
Sai Chon Raft House

Sai Chon Raft House is a cheaper alternative. While being a very basic raft house, it is still a better option when compared to most other basic options in the lake mostly because the rooms have ensuite private bathroom. The raft house is located in Khlong Long tributary of the lake, not too far from the pier. The quality is somewhere between bamboo and average options. While the smaller rooms have 1 king size bed, the larger rooms have 2 king size beds. The rooms are equipped with fan only, electricity is provided from around 6pm until 6-7am.

Unlike the other raft houses, kayaking is not free at Sai Chon Raft House, rental will cost 200 Baht per kayak. The kayak fee is optional, not included in our listed prices for Sai Chon Raft House.

Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House - room for 4 people
Sai Chon Raft House - room for 4 people
Sai Chon Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House

Itinerary

There is no strict itinerary with our lake tours, the following itinerary is just an example. Depending on the location of your raft house, weather conditions, your preferences the itinerary may be much different. 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

Day 3

A challenging but rewarding steep hike
A challenging but rewarding steep hike
Wild elephants along the coast
Wild elephants along the coast
Gaurs, a mobile shot from one of our guests (Nov 2021)

Where & When?

The tour starts at Cheow Lan Lake Pier (Rajjaprabha Dam), 65 km from park headquarters. We can arrange transfer from/to Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Ao Nang, Surat Thani and Khao Sok village straight to tour start in the morning or transfer to the mentioned towns after the tour.

The nearest airports are Surat Thani (~1h), Krabi (~2h) and Phuket Airport (~2.5h), you are recommended to arrive to the area a day before the tour start. This tour is not recommended to start the same day when arriving from the islands or the airports.

This tour is available throughout the year.

When to book?

High seasons periods in the lake are November to mid April and mid July to end of August. Bookings for these months should be done well in advance, earliest possible. Even if some of the 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.

Panvaree The Greenery superior rooms should be booked at least 6-12 months in advance for the busier months of the year, family rooms too may get booked far in advance.

Laguna Cheow Lan should be booked at least 3-6 months in advance for the high seasons months.

Phupha Waree can be booked a couple of months ahead, for the high seasons months they may get fully booked for most dates 1-4 months before.

Sai Chon tends to have more availability compared to the other raft houses we offer, sometimes days/weeks before. But for the certain peak dates, they too will eventually get fully booked many months before.

Tour details in short:

  • Duration: 3 days/2 nights
  • Type: Private tour
  • Price: * see the pricing table *
  • Group size: 2 or more people
  • Grade: Easy
  • Transport: Long-tail boat
  • Start: 10am (day 1)
  • End: around 9:30 to10 am (day 3)

What to bring:

  • Rain clothing, specially on rainy season
  • Sneakers for hiking, sandals for waterfall/cave visit
  • Personal toiletries
  • 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.

Optional charges;

Coral Cave Rafthing

Wildlife oriented tour

Although our tour is more about visiting the attractions, enjoying the scenery and water activities in the lake, our price includes a bit of safari driving around the lake in hope to see a glimpse of wildlife around.

If you wish a more wildlife oriented tour, we can arrange it for an additional 2,000 Baht for on early morning of a late afternoon session a bit further away from your raft house area. Please let us know in case. The wildlife oriented tour is only suitable for the 2nd day over a 3D/2N tour and for this price, only one driving session.

Price per person
Pax Sai Chon Phupha Waree Laguna
2 10,600 THB 12,200 THB 13,200 THB
3 8,500 THB 9,300 THB 11,000 THB
4 7,450 THB 8,350 THB 9,900 THB
5 6,800 THB 8,200 THB 9,300 THB
6 6,350 THB 7,400 THB 8,900 THB
7 6,050 THB 7,100 THB 8,600 THB
8 5,800 THB 6,900 THB 8,400 THB
Price per person
Pax Panvaree Resort Panvaree T. G. 500 Rai
2 16,600 to 18,700 THB 15,900 to 18,500 THB 27,400 to 56,700 THB
3 13,400 to 16,400 THB 16,400 to 20,200 THB 22,400 to 38,400 THB
4 10,700 to 12,200 THB 12,500 to 15,200 THB 20,000 to 30,600 THB
5 12,200 to 14,800 THB 14,700 to 18,600 THB 25,200 to 26,100 THB
6 11,400 to 14,300 THB 11,500 to 14,200 THB n/a
7 10,100 to 12,200 THB n/a n/a
8 9,200 to 10,700 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, all meals on day-2 and breakfast on day-3
  • Drinking water
  • Kayaking (not included at Sai Chon Raft House)
  • Accident insurance for incidents during the tour (covering the hospital costs)

Tour rates doesn't include:

  • Entrance fees to the park
  • Transfer to the lake from the nearby towns
  • Kayaking (only at Sai Chon Raft House, the fee is included at the other raft houses we offer)

Reviews from our guests

Rated 4.67/5 based on 190 customer reviews

By: | posted Sun 16 Apr, 2023 | Sai Chon

5/5 stars

A video review from one of our guests. This clip wasn't promoted by us, nor were we informed in advance about it.

Review by; World Wild Hearts

By: | posted Wed 2 Oct, 2024 | Phupha Waree

5/5 stars

It was a wonderful experience! The park is BEAUTIFUL and still very wild and untouched. We had a guide (Nid) and a boat capitan (Tee) only for us for the 3 days, so we have planned all the activities to our own taste. Nid is a very attentive person, very professional and dedicated. He has a vast knowledge of the wild life and he was able to find animals that were not easy to identify. We have even heard the sound of a wild elephant in the jungle! It was truly amazing! And our captain was super kind and always very careful when piloting the boat! He even offered local sweets to us.

We have stayed at the Phupa Waree Resort and it was ok, but very basic. The food was good.

We have seen some boats in the park (but not many) with groups of 10+ people, for one day trips. And although they are able to see the beauty, it is for sure not enough to truly enjoy it. So I do recomend the 3 days/2 nights in the park.

I will never forget the sounds of the jungle and the gibbon’s shout.

By: | posted Thu 26 Sep, 2024 | Sai Chon

2/5 stars

Insulting much money they put us that hovel Overpriced dirty worn out basic 2 stars fine & conscious choice 2 stars. Not dirty & broken Thai parks takes no responsibility

unkind & unprofessional spoken to Would expect high end & according to Thai parks golden opportunity for compensation reason have seen expensive houses from a distance & realized that my choice was not the right one What? Would be a reception not pointed out or visible Did not check in myself Complaining no point 4 person houses dirty & worn out Been inside of them not occupied Staff don’t speak English Cleaning lady puts her mop in the lake on the bench sweeps mops. No cleaning agent/cloth Saliva of others on mirror Cobwebs, mold water remains after showering Apparently had report the guide -> Thai Parks is the tour operator Did tell the guide Gave little response We thought not his job Let be clear -> not sayed that he is the point of contact for these issues Thai Parks passes by there should be nothing to complain about Paid €700 shabby house good guide captain & friendly staff They get a little if that Also pay parking fee a few € but for €700? Is a principle Don't sleep here literal and figuratively that bed Looks like concrete Book trips & stay outside not with Thai Parks Take a private boat/gide Complaint by Thai Parks for compensation complain of the guy i spoke House not worth a € No response from customer service Professional or not? He indicated to respond to my review do not be misled

> Soraya Van Gelder

The guide Bee, with his captain were fantastic. He guided us very well. Showed us beautiful things and did them with us. We saw wild elephants. Bee has a lot of knowledge about flora & fauna. Spoke very good English. Gave us many tips. Thank you Bee!!

The tour & guide are separate from the house & our unprofessional experience with the customer service of Thai parks.

> Tour operator's response

What you are not mentioning here is, while your guide made a short stop at Phupha Waree Raft House to drop some medicines, you saw how much better it was there and you told your guide you were not happy with Sai Chon. That was probably the moment you realized you booked the wrong raft house.

First of all, these are all your words during your compensation claim from us;

"The guide was great! And a very knowledgeable captain."

"The staff at the accommodation are very helpful & friendly. The food was good."

"But the house, how bad was that." ... and you continued about the room.

From your description, there was a clear case of room not been cleaned properly.

Below are links to some photos of you your guide took, very clearly you were happy. I skipped some other photos of you with you kayaking, again happily. Chances to see elephants during the rainy season is around 30%, but you saw it.

https://www.thainationalparks.com/img/soraya/soraya.jpg

https://www.thainationalparks.com/img/soraya/soraya-2.jpg

https://www.thainationalparks.com/img/soraya/soraya-3.jpg

Then, you wanted to claim back money because your rooms weren't clean. When asked if you addressed the issues with the staff, and if you asked your guide to help, you replied with this;

"If we had known that there was a reception at all, we could indeed have mentioned it."

"Again, if we had known there was a reception team, we would have told you."

"And it was not clear to us that our guide also served as the point of contact for these kinds of issues."

---

.. so, instead of addressing the issues with the what you described as "helpful & friendly" staff, you took it as a golden opportunity to take photos of some issues to send us AFTER THE TOUR so you can claim compensation?

And these are your excuses; that you didn't know there was a reception there, that you didn't know "if there was a reception team" which was nice & helpful? That you didn’t know the English speaking guide you paid for could be used for communicating with the nice and helpful staff that wasn’t there?

You can't even make your mind if there were staff there or not, one moment they are nice and helpful, next you didn't know there were staff there that could help. I really don't understand all these excuses you come up with to make a point.

Seriously, how many hotels are there without a reception? Here the reception, right next to the restaurant;

https://maps.app.goo.gl/c1PyAfnCtHcBe8YBA

.. and check more photos there of the clean rooms you could have changed to with a bit of effort.

And "no response" from us; We politely replied to you a few times that you have failed to address the issue with the reception team until you repeated yourself with more excuses, we eventually had no other choice to ignore your new messages.

The bottom line here is; of the 6 different raft houses we offer, you booked the most basic one. You are clearly after a high-end resort. Then, you didn't put any effort to address the issues in the middle of a low season month when there were plenty of other available rooms.

You also have your figures wrong. You didn't pay €700 for the rooms. 24,150 Baht you paid for 3 pax is 666 Euro. Room costing 666 Euro would mean the guide/boat/boat driver to work as slaves for 3 days. Of that price, the room price for 2 nights was 7,200 Baht (~198 Euro). This is not a hotel on the mainland, it is in a remote area of a lake with logistics costs, it can't get cheaper than that.

Lastly; you are the first person over the last 10 years to claim money for your parking fee at the pier. Never ever did anybody even complain to us that "they didn't know there was a parking fee". Your parking fee is not our concern.

By: | posted Tue 24 Sep, 2024 | Phupha Waree

3/5 stars

we were unlucky with the weather; a lot of rain which makes it a little less. We found the accommodation very disappointing. especially for the amount you pay

By: | posted Tue 10 Sep, 2024 | Phupha Waree

5/5 stars

BOOK THIS TRIP! We did so much research knowing we wanted to stay on the lake in Khao Sok National Park and also wanted a private tour to avoid the hassle that comes with traveling in a group, especially in rainy season. Ultimately we landed on this company after reading some reviews, and we are so grateful we did. Everything was lined up perfectly from our arranged travel from Khao Sok to the reservoir pickup, the raft house, and the arranged travel from the reservoir to our ferry to take us to Ko Tao, with the timing planned out perfectly and the cost given up front.

The raft house was what we expected - it was beautiful to be on the lake, have a kayak and access to jump straight in the water, and there were some elements of "roughing it" in terms of the room but again, it is a floating raft house, this was to be expected.

What we cannot say enough about, and what was easily one of the top highlights of our three week travels in Thailand, was our guide Junn and the boat driver Jon. Junn was the coolest, most fun person we interacted with on our whole vacation. She was so knowledgeable about the local plants and animals, and had a child-like excitement spotting the animals and plants she grew up around as a kid (she is a local.) Spending the few days with her on our little safaris, with her perfect photography and understanding of the area made our trip. She allowed us to do all the things we wanted to even in the pouring rain, huge shoutout to Junn!

What you have to understand about staying on the lake, and the tours in general, is that if you are looking for a bougie experience, stick to the islands/cities. It's sad to see people leave bad reviews for the tour company when most of the criticism is about the rain (come on, do your research, and read the info the company sends you) and the raft house (there's only so many places you can stay on the lake, and again, it's a remote floating raft house). If you are looking for a unique experience and can manage some minor issues with the lodging, which you trade for sleeping on the water, this trip is for you. We even got to hop in our kayak, travel for five minutes, and sit watching monkeys swing from tree to tree for an hour, where else can you do this?

By: | posted Sat 7 Sep, 2024 | Phupha Waree

1/5 stars

A scam. The accommodation was horrible, absolutely not like the pictures, old, very dirty, very small, and a lot of water damage (as in the paint was literally falling off the walls). Water came into the rooms through the literal holes in the doors. Our guide was nice, that was the only positive point. We could not do much due to the rain, which is understandable. On the other hand, it rains 8 out of the 12 months of the year so an alternative programme that can be done when it rains, should have been in place. Would not recommend to anyone and will never come back.

> Tour operator's response

We already informed you this during the enquiry process;

"September is a rainy season month. Although the weather will be good most of the time, there can be occasional rain, but there can be intensive and long rain sessions which happen a few times a year. Our tours will conduct even if the weather forecasts show signs of bad weather, because a boat driver and a guide will be committed to this service but also; rooms will be booked. We can't offer last minute discounts because some attractions/trails may not be accessible. The lake tours should be booked with "no matter the weather" in mind."

"While the raft house is quite basic, in lake standards it is an average option."

With these lines, we have given you all the signs you need that you shouldn't book this tour with us if the rain/raft house choice is a concern for you.

For your consideration we have in fact given some other sign to you as well, so that we are transparent about all expectation, such as the English level of our guides.

This is a lake, and you have been unlucky with the rain that you did't want to get out or so bad that you couldn't get out, what else can be done if you are stuck at the raft house? What alternatives can there be? Play chess?

All the previous reviews during the rainy season tells clearly rain is not of a big issue for most of the time, the very vast majority still enjoys the tour.

I have stayed in both rooms types at Phupha Waree, it is exactly how it is at the photos. Again, just check the previous reviews to see how many things otherwise. You are not complaining about the bed, the bed space, anything specific about the room, but you are only complaining about the water problem in the bathroom that leaked into the room, how can that be seen in the photos of the rooms?

Did you take the water issue with the reception team to sort out? This doesn't mean the same issue is with every single rooms. September is a low season month, not all rooms booked out, it would take a few moments to change to a new room.

How can water leaking to the room not be a big problem? Do you think the management would ignore a such issue? Would they allow the water do further damage the room floor and the bed? The logic tell me that this just started to happen while you were there.

We are puzzled how some of our guests doesn't bring up the issue with the reception team, but instead complaining afterwards to us. We are not managing the rooms, we book these on behalf of our guests.

So, rain ruining your tour, you are not putting any effort to address the bathroom issue and call this "a scam"?

By: | posted Fri 6 Sep, 2024 | Phupha Waree

5/5 stars

Nhum was outstanding in every way, we had a really really wonderful time!

By: | posted Fri 6 Sep, 2024 | Phupha Waree

5/5 stars

Great stay at Koh Sok NationalPark - the best thing we've done in Thailand

Junn and Jon our guide and boat captain were fab, very attentive and great at spotting animals, we saw monkey, toucan, eagle, bison and even elephant

Floating hotel was great as was the food

Thanks so much

By: | posted Sat 31 Aug, 2024 | Phupha Waree

4/5 stars

Thé hotel is located in a beatifull environment. Thé houses have their own kayak, which we used to go and see thé monkeys opposite our lodge. Thé food could be better but is ok and you wo'nt be hungry as they serve until you have enough. Our guide was friendly and helpful but his English was rather limited. We had quite some rain but liked it nevertheless, particularly thé waterfall hike.

By: | posted Thu 22 Aug, 2024 | Phupha Waree

5/5 stars

Everything was Perfect! Starting with the booking process with extremely helpful and attentive staff. The trip it self was so much fun! And having a private guide was amazing. Will definitely recommend to my friends when visiting Thailand.