Khao Sok National Park

CHEOW LAN LAKE

Visit Khao Sok Lake
CHEOW LAN LAKE

Also called Cheow Lan Lake or Ratchaprapha Dam Reservoir, Khao Sok Lake is the best part of the national park where more interesting attractions are located, where wildlife watching possibilities are much better.

There are many raft houses/floating bungalows spread all over the lake, from which it is possible to visit caves, viewpoints, limestone hills and get to some interesting trails. Kayaking among limestone hills in morning mist is a must.

The lake contains over 100 limestone outcrops and has six tributary regions. The tributaries are; Klong Long, Klong Ka, Klong Pey, Klong Yee, Khlong Saeng and Khlong Mon where Khlong in Thai means river. Parts of the lake belong to Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary.

Municipal pier Cheow Lan Dam

Ratchaprapha Dam is located in Khaopang sub-district of Baantakhuun, Surat Thani province in Southern Thailand. Getting to the dam is no big deal and can be done in more than one way. If you are a plane traveler then the nearest airports for you are Surat Thani Airport, Krabi Airport, and Phuket Airport, then take a public transport to Khao Sok National Park's entrance. Train is also an option since that Surat Thani has a train station but you will have to follow it by a bus or similar transport to Khao Sok (trains are subject to delays though). Taking the bus is a very simple option especially if you are already in Surat Thani, there are multiple bus rides to Khao Sok from Surat Thani, you can also take a bus from Phuket, Takua Pa, Bangkok and Khao Lak. Minibusses and vans are a popular option, these can be taken with a combination of bus and boat transports from Koh Phi Phi, Koh Phangan, and Koh Samui as well as the bus only from Surat Thani and Bangkok. By boat, however, is the most suitable option for travelers on a budget and for island to island traveling.

Ratchaprapha Dam Information
Ratchaprapha or Cheow Lan Dam is a multipurpose dam; it is built for irrigation, electricity generation, flood control, and fishing. King Bhumibol Adulyadej gave it the sweet name “Rajjaprabha” meaning the light of the kingdom. The dam is 165 meters long and 95 meters high with clay core. Cheow Lan Lake has many visitors that come from all around the world to enjoy its beautiful scenery and serene water.

Transportation – How to get to Khao Sok

FIND OUT HOW TO GET TO KHAO SOK FROM HERE: BY PLANE, BUS, VAN FROM ANYWHERE IN THAILAND. TO TRAVEL TO KHAO SOK NATIONAL PARK

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SHUTTLE BOAT IN
Cheow Lan Lake

KHAO SOK NATIONAL PARK

Booking service for boat transfers in Cheow Lan Lake ,Boat Promotion through out the year.
Organize a boat tour at Cheow Lan DamTake a tour of the highlights
of the Cheow Lan Dam.

Activities and tours
on the Cheow Lan Lake

There are a number of activities on and around the Cheow Lan Lake, you can visit caves, climb a waterfall or hike to a lookout point. Some activities are seasonal and depend on the weather in Khao Sok. Also the location of the floating house where you are staying often has an influence on the activity you are going to do.

PAKARANG CAVE (CORAL CAVE)

To visit the Coral Cave you make a trip of about 45 minutes through the jungle to a lake in Cheow Lan Lake.

From here you go on a motorized bamboo raft towards the Coral Cave. This cave is over 10.000 years old and in the cave you can see special rock formations.

Because the trek to the Coral Cave is not very strenuous, this is also a fun activity for families with children.

NAM TALU CAVE

To get to the Nam Talu Cave you first have to make a spicy but very beautiful trekking through the jungle, crossing small streams. The route is 2.5 kilometers long and takes about 2 to 3 hours.

During this jungle trekking you have to be prepared for more than just wet feet. Nam Talu Cave means freely translated water cave and the water in the cave is at some points at chest height. You will use a headlamp to look for the small nocturnal animals that live in the cave. But discovering the cave is also a very special experience!

The Nam Talu Cave Tour cannot be visited in the rainy season, because the water in the cave can be too high due to a lot of rainfall.

KAYAKING AND SWIMMING

At the raft houses there are kayaks you can use for free, you can paddle on the lake without a guide and make your own mini safari on Cheow Lan Lake, very fun to do!

On some raft houses they have built scaffoldings and such from which you can jump off.

Officially you are required by National Park rules to wear a lifejacket when swimming or on the boat, but most raft house owners don’t check this very strictly. In any case, life jackets should always be present

CHEOW LAN LAKE MORNING SAFARI

The morning safari is one you don’t want to miss! It’s a bit early to get up but that’s more than worth it! When the sun rises you go with a longtail boat and a guide on the lake.

The longtail boat sails to several places on the lake and then turns off the engine. The murmuring water, the first sunbeams, a bird concert and in the background the whoop whoop sound of the Gibbons!

The morning safari on Khao Sok Lake is an unforgettable experience, if you want to experience this you have to stay in floating houses on the lake. This activity included in the price of the overnight lake tour.

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The symbol of Cheow Lan Lake (Khao Sam Kler)

The Guilin Viewpoint is very popular, you can see it on almost every picture when it comes to Cheow Lan Lake. And that’s not for nothing because the surroundings are incredibly beautiful!

The Guilin Viewpoint consists of three large limestone cliffs that tower out of the water. A perfect place for an Instagram moment and you can also take a refreshing dip there!

Guilin Viewpoint is a regular part of the tour on Cheow Lan Lake, no matter if you took a day trip or stayed overnight on the lake. You will always visit this location!

CHEOW LAN LAKE VIEWPOINT

A brisk walk and climb to the top for breathtaking views over the lake! Cheow Lan Lake is 763 square kilometres and from the viewpoint you can see quite a bit of the lake at a glance!

If the weather is good you can even look all the way to Ranong Province! On the way to the viewpoint you can also look for animals, birds and insects.

The climb to the viewpoint is regularly part of a day trip to the lake, but also if you sleep on the lake it can be part of your overnight lake tour.

Klong Ka-Swamp forest Nature trail

The Klong Ka Jungle Trail is a route that takes you through the jungle for two hours. For the hikers it is a tough trip, where you have to keep the concentration. However, for someone who thinks to take a look at nature, this hike is disappointing. The guide explains little and the pace is quite high.

Inside the Ratchaprapha Dam Reservoir About 10 minutes away from Klong Ka Tourism Development Center by long-tailed boat. The distance of walking to study nature is 1.30 kilometers. Within the route, there are various informational signs through 8 signposts. Tourists can visit throughout the year.

PRA KAY PETCH CAVE ( DIMON CAVE)

Pra Kay Petch Cave or Dimond Cave It is one of the most beautiful caves of Ratchaprapha Dam, with coral stones, stalagmites and stalactites that are unique. The length of the cave is about 100 meters, suitable for tourists to see the beauty.

Pra Kay Petch CaveThere is a stone that reflects light and shines. causing it to be named Pra Kay Petch Cave The stalactites here are strange. It is a small stalactite like hair or taproot. The floor of the cave is wet. muddy and slippery Causing the stalagmites at the bottom to become the anchor point for the cave walkers.

Khlong Long

Khlong Long is the most popular tributary within the lake, situated on the northeast side of the lake, approximately 15-16 km from Cheow Lan Lake Pier. The main attractions of this tributary are limestone hills, a cave and a nice viewpoint accessible by a 2.5 hour long hike through the jungle.

There are five raft houses in Khlong Long;

Chiew Lan Raft House
Plern Prai Raft House
Sai Chon Raft House
Panvaree Raft House
Prai Wan
The quality of the raft houses in Khlong Long is much better compared to the others in the lake.

Khlong Pey

Situated at the southwest end of the lake, approximately 20 km from Cheow Lan Lake Pier. Ton Toey Rafthouse in this tributary was the lake's first ranger station. There is a trailhead a few kilometers west from this rafthouse to Nam Talu Cave, the trail is 4 km long and partly circular. Another 6.5 km long trail to the south leads all the way to the main road 401 further south.

Aerial view of the Khlong Pey tributary from a viewpoint
View of the Khlong Pey tributary from a viewpoint

Khlong Ka

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Khlong Ka is situated on the south side of the lake, approximately 15 km from Cheow Lan Lake Pier. This tributary has one of the best caves in the park and a great view over a group of limestone hills. There are some great trails between limestone hills to the south. Although the sighting is rare, tapirs have been reported in this area.

Klong Ka and Nang Prai are two rafthouses in this part of the lake.

Khlong Saeng

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Situated on the northwest side of the lake in Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary, this tributary is approximately 26 km from Ratchaprapha Dam. Klong Saeng River is the largest watershed feeding the lake, it was the widest river in Thailand before the dam was built.

Visitors entering this area must obtain a special permission from Khao Sok National Park headquarters and pay an additional entrance fee for the wildlife sanctuary.

This remote part of the lake is very ideal for hiking and the best place for wildlife watching. It is possible to hike into the wildlife sanctuary with the park rangers to the waterfall, old mines from the 60s' and get a chance to see some common animals like gibbons and deer. With some luck even more exciting species like elephant, gaur, mainland serow, great argus and many more can be seen. There are also tapirs, clouded leopards and bear species roaming in the sanctuary.

The only raft house in this tributary area is Klong Saeng Raft House owned by the national park, the qualities of the bungalows are poor.

Khlong Mon

Situated on the north side of the lake, Khlong Mon is approximately 24 km from Cheow Lan Lake Pier. The area consists of high hills and steep valleys, an ideal place to spot hornbills, eagles and other wildlife. A nearly 3 km long exciting trail through the jungle will end up in Khlong Saeng tributary further west. There are few other shorter trails at the north side of the tributary.

Tam Gia is the only raft house in this tributary, owned by the national park.

Visitor Center area and campsite

The visitor center of the national park is located next to the headquarters. There is a campsite, basic toilet/shower facilities, a small canteen/cafe, few accommodations and other premises in the vicinity of the visitor center.

There are two trails starting from the visitor center area. One trail is Sip-et Chan Waterfall trail to the north, partly circular and the other one to the other waterfalls to the west.