Luxury 4 day tours to Khao Sok
| country: | Thailand |
| location: | Khao Sok National Park, Southern Thailand |
| departures: | Departures every Monday, Wednesday & Saturday |
| price: | From Baht 17100 (approx £290) - Baht 20050 (approx £340) (4 days) excluding flights, depending on season and based on twin share. Single supplement Baht 6000 - Baht 7500 (approx £100 - £125). 50% discount for children (4-12 years). Recommended min age 7 years |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
4 day luxury beach and rainforest nature safari visiting Khao Sok, Takuapa and Cheow Larn Lake.
Highlights include:
Mangrove exploration by speed boat Canoe through Mangrove Channels Cruise onboard our classical Burmese Junk Swim and relax on a deserted beach Elephant trekking through the forest Canoe safari down the Sok river Boat trip on Cheow Larn Lake Lunch at a local raft house Visit local markets to sample the local way of life Walk in Southern Thailand's unique rainforests
Accommodation: Our resort is Thailand's first luxury jungle camp combining the camp idea of African national parks with Thai tropical forest environment.
Our 20 luxurious tents are tailor-made and set in the largest area of rainforest in Southern Thailand. Each tent features twin beds, fan, kettle, and a luxurious bathroom with toilet and hot/cold shower. The tents provide ample space and are well protected against mosquitoes and other possible intruders. The furniture is handmade by our very own skilled craftsmen using natural materials and provides all the comfort a guest would normally find in a hotel room. There are enough lights to read by and fill your diaries with the days observations.
At the center of the camp is the semi-open air main camp housing the restaurant. This serves as the place to meet other guests. Two resident monkeys also make an occasional appearance and a variety of birds can be watched.
The forest is filled with animals and plants, some of them can only be found in this environment. A night at our resort is a unique experience; the temperatures drop, campfires create a romantic and warm atmosphere in which to share travel tales and the rainforest and its inhabitants form an exciting concert that accompanies visitors through the night.
In the morning you will awake to the different noises of the forest; the jungle wakes up whilst the hills surrounding the camp are still covered in mist. Once the mist disappears, the lush greenery of the tropical rainforest stunningly lights the day and it is possible to take in the magnificent views of the surrounding rainforest covered mountains.
Various activities are offered, from a scenic canoe trip on the Sok River and a ride on elephant back through the forest, to various trekking routes that can match all skill levels the camp is the perfect base to meet the unique and natural treasures Southern Thailand has to offer. Guests are able to learn about the tropical environment and its inhabitants, elephants and their conservation and some of the secrets of Thai cooking will also be lifted here.
Please note: Under normal circumstances we will undertake all tour itineraries in line with those issued on responsibletravel.com and our website. However all tour itineraries may be subject to change, due to weather, local and political conditions and for reasons outside of our control on the day of the tour. Under these circumstances tour itineraries will be run as close to the issued itinerary as possible.
Highlights include:
Accommodation: Our resort is Thailand's first luxury jungle camp combining the camp idea of African national parks with Thai tropical forest environment.
Our 20 luxurious tents are tailor-made and set in the largest area of rainforest in Southern Thailand. Each tent features twin beds, fan, kettle, and a luxurious bathroom with toilet and hot/cold shower. The tents provide ample space and are well protected against mosquitoes and other possible intruders. The furniture is handmade by our very own skilled craftsmen using natural materials and provides all the comfort a guest would normally find in a hotel room. There are enough lights to read by and fill your diaries with the days observations. At the center of the camp is the semi-open air main camp housing the restaurant. This serves as the place to meet other guests. Two resident monkeys also make an occasional appearance and a variety of birds can be watched.
The forest is filled with animals and plants, some of them can only be found in this environment. A night at our resort is a unique experience; the temperatures drop, campfires create a romantic and warm atmosphere in which to share travel tales and the rainforest and its inhabitants form an exciting concert that accompanies visitors through the night.
In the morning you will awake to the different noises of the forest; the jungle wakes up whilst the hills surrounding the camp are still covered in mist. Once the mist disappears, the lush greenery of the tropical rainforest stunningly lights the day and it is possible to take in the magnificent views of the surrounding rainforest covered mountains. Various activities are offered, from a scenic canoe trip on the Sok River and a ride on elephant back through the forest, to various trekking routes that can match all skill levels the camp is the perfect base to meet the unique and natural treasures Southern Thailand has to offer. Guests are able to learn about the tropical environment and its inhabitants, elephants and their conservation and some of the secrets of Thai cooking will also be lifted here.
Please note: Under normal circumstances we will undertake all tour itineraries in line with those issued on responsibletravel.com and our website. However all tour itineraries may be subject to change, due to weather, local and political conditions and for reasons outside of our control on the day of the tour. Under these circumstances tour itineraries will be run as close to the issued itinerary as possible.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Mangrove forest, Burmese junk & beach: Pick up from hotels in Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak & Surat Thani and Kho Samui then transfer to Phangnga province passing small rural villages, rubber and oil palm plantations. Glimpses of rural life in tropical southern Thailand can be seen along the way. Explore the rivers that cut through the mangrove forest by dinghy with outboard motor (speed cat). There is a maze of channels between the island and along the coast, it really feels like some primeval swamp. For people who want to explore the smaller creeks, see some bird life and get closer to nature self paddle canoes with life jackets are available for a silent journey into this dense green world. Emerging further along the coast meet up with our classical Burmese junk where lunch will be served, a variety of Thai dished cooked not too spicy. Drinks are available, as well as bathroom facilities on board. Spend the afternoon on a deserted beach, swim, relax or paddle canoe. The panoramic views of distant mangroves and banyan tree stretch to the horizon. Few people live in the area and little has changed here in hundreds of years. Cruising on the junk gives the feeling of traveling back in time when nature was untouched. Late afternoon is the time to transfer to Khao Sok, dinner and overnight at our resort. |
| Day 2: | Elephant trek & jungle river canoe: When the sun comes up and clears the mist over the mountains and jungle to the south of the resort the gibbons start to make their morning territorial calls that echo down the valley. Tea and coffee making facilities are available in the tent for early risers; breakfast is at your leisure. Then transfer to elephant camp, here you can see, touch and find out about the life of Thai elephants and about the elephant conservation project the company is running. Also the guide will explain about the life of the mahout, the man who takes care of the elephant. Trekking on elephant back is a unique experience here in the rainforest, what better way is there to get a bird's eye view of nature. Returning from the jungle with a huge appetite you will appreciate the buffet lunch that is served, a variety of Thai dishes cooked not too spicy. After lunch take a jungle river canoe trip down the Sok river. The canoes are very stable and safe, life jackets are provided as well as a local river guide to paddle the canoe. Drift along the jungle river passing limestone mountains and cliffs covered with exotic tropical vegetation. Some times hornbill can be seen flying high overhead or reptiles basking in the sun on the riverbanks. From the canoe you can experience a world that has changed little in thousands of years, some of the last areas of primary rainforest. Dinner and overnight at our resort. |
| Day 3: | Lake boat trip: After a good nights rest lulled to sleep by the back ground symphony of insects and frogs its time for a wholesome breakfast. The activity planned for today is to explore a lake in the jungle by local boat. The lake is surrounded by limestone mountains and cliffs covered in tropical rainforest that rise up from the shore of the lake and disappear into the far distance. The scenery has been compared to Qualin in China or Halong Bay in Vietnam. Few people know of the lake and even less have visited it. There are over one hundred islands in the lake and it is over 60 km from north to south. In the 70s the area was a hide out for communist and students opposing the military dictatorship. We will see some of the spectacular scenery from the boat, have time for a swim and may be able to trek and explore some caves depending on the weather. Please bring swimwear and a towel. Lunch will be provided with dinner and overnight at our resort. |
| Day 4: | Jungle walk: Wake up to the sounds of nature and birds calling from the bushes close to the tent. When the sun comes up and clears the mist over the mountains and jungle to the south of the resort the gibbons start to make their morning territorial calls that echo down the valley. Tea and coffee making facilities are available in the tent for early risers; breakfast is at your leisure before coming face to face with the jungle by exploring it on foot. You have seen it from elephant back, from your canoe on the river and even all around you from your boat on the lake but nothing compares to actually walking yourself inside the jungle. It is not an army survival exercise, there are no prizes for the fastest, snakes and spider do not jump out at you, it is just an opportunity to explore the ecology of the rainforest, to see a great variety of exotic plants, tropical hardwood trees with huge roots, orchids, palms, ferns, bamboos, mosses; the variety is unlimited. Birds such as the hornbill live high up above, gibbon can often be heard calling to their mates, a macaque or leaf monkey may be heard swinging through the branches, every day is different but it is truly wonderful to discover the great variety of life forms that co-exists together, this can only by experienced on foot, take it slowly, look, learn and listen then you too will start to discover some of the secrets of the rainforest. Weather permitting lunch will be served in the rainforest cooked in bamboo, a tradition of jungle explorers for centuries past. The jungle bar will be open for people wanting to exchange stories of their day's experiences in the jungle. In the late afternoon return to your hotel or the airport but you will always know how it feels to be close to nature in the jungle, some thing you will never forget. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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Being the largest employer in the Khao Sok National Park area we provide a large percentage of jobs that many locals will fill. Every position from cooks, bar staff, cleaners to trained tour guides, carpenters and canoe paddle guides are filled by people from the Khao Sok area. Foods and goods are also bought (on a daily basis) at various shops within the area, therefore profits from the running of our tours are directly filtered back into the surrounding community.
Tourism can show many locals the value of maintaining and protecting such a beautiful, diverse and unique habitat such as the Khao Sok National Park. Our Children’s Project is lending a helping hand to the future generation of Khao Sok. Future employment for these children in or outside of Khao Sok will be made more readily available to them if they have had the appropriate equipment and right mental stimulation during their early schooling days. They may also turn out to be the future torch bearers of eco/nature tourism or responsible travel. We have donation boxes and information boards for our Schools Project and many guests already have donated money and in some cases have donated computers for the schools to use. The guests are fully aware that they can use us to facilitate donations. We are dedicated to preserving Thailand’s heritage and culture. Traditional cooking demonstrations and Thai food are served in our camp. The decor and building is also planned to fit with the surrounding jungle environment and uses traditional Thai construction techniques in many aspects of its design and build. All waste is separated into plastics, recycleable cans, bottles and food waste. Dung from our Elephants is used as a fertilizer and used along with composted kitchen waste for our organic vegetable gardens and plants. Waste from toilets is sent through a septic tank filtration system and any runoff of grey water is filtered through non edible plants around the camp. Our tours include the services of a fully trained guide. Our guides inform all guests of the dangers and disturbance that picking plants and touching any animals can cause. We do not deviate from the trails in order to reduce the impact of erosion and animal disturbance. Before we opperated treks in this area there were many traps and a large amount of poaching. When we started to opperate tours the poachers stopped hunting and we removed many traps that were left around. The wildlife slowly came back to the point where the extremely rare wild Mountain Serow has been spotted in and around our camp! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |