Next up was one of the places I’d been most excited about in Thailand: Khao Sok National Park.
Like anywhere, you could rush through it in a day, but we wanted to really soak it in. So instead, we spent three nights in a floating bungalow—because when else in life do you get to say that?
We flew from Chiang Mai down to Surat Thani and spent our first night at a hotel near the park entrance. That afternoon was gloriously lazy: pool time, stunning views, and absolutely nothing on the agenda. The perfect warm-up for what was coming next.
The park is centered around Cheow Lan Lake, a massive man-made lake created after a dam was built in the 1980s. Getting to our floating resort was an adventure in itself—a 45-minute ride in a long-tail boat. Picture this: sitting on what felt like a 2×4 plank, wind and waves splashing your face, the roar of a car engine in your ears. Not exactly spa vibes… but the scenery was so spectacular that we smiled, surrendered to nature, and enjoyed every second.
And then we arrived. Wow. We were completely surrounded by rainforest and dramatic limestone cliffs rising straight out of the water. The resort offered a handful of activities, and we took a very relaxed approach—doing things only when we felt like it.
Emma and I went on the early-morning “safari” to spot wildlife. Since the boat left at 6:30 a.m., this was an immediate and enthusiastic no from the boys. We saw monkeys, gibbons, hornbills, and some birds of prey (maybe ospreys?). Sadly, no wild elephants—even though they do live in the park. I also snuck off on a sunset cruise one evening to admire the cliffs and scenery. The kids chose not to come. Big win for me.
Their favorite activity by far? Swimming in the lake. The water was the perfect temperature, and they spent hours jumping straight off our balcony every single day. We also kayaked daily. One time, both kids came with me, meaning I got to sit in the back and “supervise” while they did all the work. Absolute parenting victory.
Our best chance of seeing elephants was during the cave expedition, which included a hike through the jungle. We didn’t see actual elephants, but we did see elephant poop (enormous doesn’t even begin to describe it) and footprints. We also spotted Dusky leaf monkeys up close, which was extra exciting after only seeing them from far away on Penang Hill. Some people were peering into holes in the ground hoping to spot tarantulas. Hard pass. Can you imagine one jumping on your face? I’m getting chills just typing this.
After the hike, we hopped onto a bamboo raft to reach the cave, which was pretty magical. Along the way, a woman made flowers out of pandan leaves. Eventually, we reached Coral Cave—and it was stunning. The stalactites and stalagmites really did look like coral under the sea. The kids were thrilled to spot a few bats too.
Other than that, we mostly just slowed down and enjoyed being there. One afternoon, while I was reading on our balcony, I heard Teddy calling for me. I went looking for him… only to discover he’d walked into the wrong bungalow next door, wandered all the way through it, stepped onto the balcony, and then realized it wasn’t ours. He panicked and was trying to figure out how to escape without getting caught. I couldn’t stop laughing.
Oh—and the food! It was actually really good. A bit repetitive, but since most people only stay one night, they probably don’t notice. There was always rice, a chicken curry, veggies, fried chicken for lunch, fish for dinner, and sweet, juicy watermelon for dessert. Honestly, I was more than happy but Joey had enough of it after the third day.
Khao Sok was one of those places we didn’t want to leave—especially the kids, who were not impressed when we told them it was time to go. Life on the lake, surrounded by jungle and cliffs, felt adventurous yet wonderfully slow, and it quickly became a family favorite.
But with sandy beaches calling, it was time to move on. Next up: a more relaxed chapter of the trip—sun, sea, and absolutely nothing on the schedule. 🌊☀️
I couldn’t finish this post without mentioning that, somehow, in the middle of this peaceful, middle-of-nowhere paradise, it was also time to register the kids for summer camps. Of course. Nothing says “relaxing jungle escape” like frantically refreshing a website. Signing both kids up for a specific Dovercourt camp—one that fills up within minutes of registration opening—was definitely not part of the zen experience. 😂 But we survived, it all worked out, and a huge thank-you to Véro for being our backup and keeping me in the loop on all things summer camps while we were very clearly not in that headspace.
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