The Most Beautiful National Park You’ve Never Heard Of | Thailand’s Cheow Lan Lake In Khao Sok National Park
I’ll take “Name This Place For $500 Alex”
A maze of karst (Mountains made from soluble rock) popping up everywhere throughout crystal clear emerald green waters, the worlds largest flowers, a rain forrest 150 million years older than the Amazon and one of the most diverse echo systems in the world.
What Is Khao Sok National Park?
Sitting in South Western Thailand is one of the most beautiful National Parks you have never heard of, and that is Khao Sok National Park which is made up of 285 Sq. miles of rain forrest and 64 Sq. mile lake called Cheow Lan Lake.
Cheow Lan Lake may be a man made lake, but it’s by far one of the most beautiful lakes I’ver ever seen in my life! Sitting in Khao Sok National park, the lake was made by diverting the Klong Saeng River to build the Rajjaprabha Dam Reservoir as a way to produce electricity. The Thai Government took the time to rescue and relocate the wild life in the region before flooding the area which took an entire year to fill the 64 Sq mile basin.
A Karst is a mountain made from soluble rock like limestone that dissolves overtime with rain fall. and due to the monsoon storms that roll through this area, getting more rain fall than anywhere else in the region; it has created thousands of karst shooting up our of the water up to 900 meters high.
These floating resorts sit in the many bays of the lake, tucked away in what can only be described as a giant maze of mountains that no visitor other than a locals could find! 64 Sq miles of water surface doesn’t seem very big as people take boats out into the ocean all the time. The difference is, in the ocean you know what direction civilization is and here, with only a few marinas the these karst turn it into a giant maze on water, surrounded by uninhabited rain forrest, a rain forrest that has a few animals you don’t want to see up close.
Imagine Coming Upon This Choice Every Quarter To Half Mile! Left or Right, What Direction Are You Going To Choose?
Due to this maze of mountains and the lack of ability to communicate with anyone via cell phone after just a few miles of leaving one of the main marina, tourist aren’t allowed to rent a boat as they know they will get lost, run out of gas, panic and eventually go to the rain forrest looking for a way out which would be a very dangerous situation as they would never find you under the canopy and with Khao Sok being one of the last places that 200+ Bangal Tigers call home, this is not a place where you are going to live off the land for very long, because the land would actually live off of you when a 400 lb kitten gets hungry.
The great news is, this isn’t possible like I said! They won’t rent you a boat. However, getting lost here with a guide is something we absolutely recommend. It’s on of the most gorgeous and relaxing places in nature a person could ever see.
Khao Sok National Park is not the lake, Cheow Lan Lake just happens to be a part of the the park which is made up of a giant rain forrest that’s 160 million years old getting more rain fall than anywhere else in the region with 139+ inches per year.
This rain forrest is home to one of the largest flowers in the world, known as the Rafflesia Kerrii! It only is in bloom for a few days, and it’s actually a parasite that smells like rotting meat to attract flies to pollinate after opening.
What a Jurassic Park looking specimen huh?
As I said, this is truly one of the most diverse echo systems on the planet and it has some of the most diverse wild life that call this rain forrest home. Below is a video that captured some of the creatures you will see on your adventure to Khao Sok! Some absolutely harmless, while others will turn you into animal poop!
Visitors have many choices on where to stay, with most places acting as a base camp for your jungle adventure. You will have a place where you keep your things and will stay a few nights! Some choose a cheap place on land and other choose these floating paradises that do cost quite a bit more because there is no way to them without a water taxi that can take a few hours each way depending on where your resort is located on the lake. The options for lodging in Khao Sok range from very inexpensive $30 USD up to $250 USD per night! You can get a high end base camp for $60 per night that will have anything and everything you need.
I recommend a floating resort as the experience is something special! Waking up surrounded by the most beautiful mountains and water that is so pretty it looks fake as you drink your morning coffee is just a special experience! No matter where you stay, you’re going to have an amazing time as again, it’s just your base camp before you make your way into the jungle with guides and other visitors who are staying at your base camp resort! Then as a team you will head out into the jungle and set up a camp giving you what can only be described as a real Indiana Jones experience! Yes, you will spend the night in the jungle, sleeping in a hammock.
But Didn’t You Say There Were Bengal Tigers In Khao Sok National Park’s Rain Forrest?
Yes, trust me that was my thoughts to after I got home as no one even told me there were tigers lol! I’m being 100% serious! I don’t know if they just aren’t a concern for some reason or what the deal is, but not 1 word was ever said to us about there being 200+ Bengals that roam the area. All I can tell you is that 10’s of thousands of people every year go into Khao Sok and all of them come out alive, and I can’t find any stories online of anyone having been attacked!
So remember to give your Jungle guide a tip at the end if he took care of you and made sure you had an amazing time, and most of all made sure you didn’t get eaten by a tiger considering you are sleeping in the wild with them.
I know, it sounds bat shit crazy but you only live once and there is no experience like Khao Sok National Park!
Thailand is my most favorite place I’ve been lucky to spend extended time in. So what are you waiting for? The next time we send out a cheap flight alert for Bangkok, grab you a ticket and go explore this 160 million year old paradise. You won’t be sorry that you did and it will be an adventure you will never forget.
Originally published at https://cheapflights.substack.com on February 11, 2022.
