The “Khao’s”: Khao Sok & Khao Lak

We were fortunate enough to get the car ferry back to the mainland, so our anxiety about another bumpy af fast boat experience was quickly eased when we boarded. Phantip again were great with our transfers, and we headed for Khao Sok via Surat Thani. It was a long day of travel that involved a taxi, ferry, bus and mini van, but we arrived at our accommodation in Khao Sok mid afternoon. After spending 4 nights in the area, we headed further South to meet up with our Danish friends for a few nights in Khao Lak.

Hit List

Khao Sok

Morning Mist Resort – located on the main street (there is literally only 1 street in Khao Sok town), this place is lovely. It has a pool and access to the local river, and heaps of local wildlife. We were ambushed one morning when Finn was doing schoolwork on our porch by a monkey who nicked his packet of breakfast cereal. It wasn’t violent or aggressive at all. We also passed a massive spider each morning on our way to breakfast that was bigger than our handspan, but it was rather high up so nothing to worry about 😊
Night hike through Khao Sok National Park. We linked up with a guide at the National Park entrance, who took us on a 3 hour walk after sundown. He was phenomenal at spotting spiders and other small insects with only his headtorch. He tried to sell us a 4 night hike into another province to look for tigers and other wild cats that lived in the jungle. We politely declined. I think he was a bit of a guru/local legend as a lot of the other guides who had bigger groups would hang back and follow his lead with pointing out insects and spiders. Finn was a legend through this, walked the whole way (even if it was way past his bedtime) and was so into it.
Overnight Lake tour. Organised through our accommodation, we booked into this experience which was amazing and we highly recommend. We journeyed into Lake Pratchaprapha via long boat and it took us roughly 1 hour to reach our accommodation. All meals were included which featured a delicious crispy liver fish as well as Thai staples. Included in the tour was a trek to Coral Cave through a jungle inhabited by wild elephants. We didn’t see any (except for remnants of elephant poop), but the walk and journey on bamboo boats to Coral Cave was amazing nevertheless. There was a decent amount of free time built in where we could swim in the lake or hire kayaks. Early the next morning pre-breakfast we ventured out at sunrise to look for wild elephants (in the jungle – not on the lake) however could not see any. We could however HEAR them though rustling in the jungle, and a small group from our tour (elephant enthusiasts – went back our during breakfast and said they saw a herd of 9 playing by the water.

Khao Lak

Outrigger resort. Our accommodation which was a step up (or 3) from our usual digs. An amazing pool, on the beach, buffet breakfast included along with a VERY comfy bed and VERY warm shower.
Seeing our Danish friends/distant relos!!!! Finn had been asking for ages when he was going to see his Danish cousins, and really enjoyed spending time with them during our stay. Even though Marius couldn’t speak English, and Oliver only a few words; and Finn couldn’t speak any Danish; they got on like a house on fire and had a great time playing together for the 3 days they were together. We also really enjoyed hanging out with Rasmus and Louise!!!!
We did a private day tour with these guys and their service was great. First up was some bamboo rafting with ‘Komos Corner Bamboo Rafting’, followed by a swim a Lampi Waterfall. We then had lunch at Nai Mueang Restaurant which included a foot spa for all of us (the kids loved it), visited the sea turtle conservation centre and whilst it wasn’t on the itinerary, we asked our guide who happily took us to the tsunami memorial centre. This blew our mind, seeing a police boat that was washed ashore during the 2004 tsunami. The memorial was built around it where it finally rested when the water subsided, 3km inland. Lastly, we also visited Ao Bon Yai Village which is inhabited by the Moken people who were displaced from the islands after the tsunami. All of the buildings in the village – residential and community – were funded by Rotary. Interestingly, these people never have had last names, only first names. Since the 300 residents reestablished themselves on the mainland, they were all given the same last name. Here we tried traditional Thai icecream, and depending on the flavour – was either hit or miss (kids got the goods ones, even though Finn was keen to give the potato ice-cream a try first up)
Lomlay Seafood restaurant next door. Whilst the Outrigger was great, the food and bevvies were quite pricey. Literally next door, some 15m away was this beachside hang that provided great service, delicious food & drinks that were WAY cheaper than and live music each night.
Watching the sun set each evening over the water was pretty spectacular.

Shite list

Only seeing our Danish friends for 3 nights – we wish it were longer!!!!!
Naughty monkey stealing Finns breakfast cereal.
Our commute from Khao Sok to Khao Lak – I haven’t quite put the pieces together, but I think there’s an app here called “Link” or something like that which is similar to Uber but for courier/deliveries. Our driver seemed to have a few side jobs which eventuated in us stopping an extra 6 times en route. It didn’t really bother us, and ended up being rather humorous as we’d pull up to random shops where he’d either collect or drop off boxes. Not something that’s ‘shit’ by any means, as he’s earning more coin for him and his family and maybe only added an extra 15 mins to our trip…….I could however be WAY off the mark, and rather than said app, our driver could’ve been a drug mule….
Durian Ice Cream. As outlined above, the ice cream options weren’t great in the displaced tsunami village, and Chantal ended up with Finn’s potato flavoured ice-cream, and Camo & Rasmus had Durian flavour…….which is a fruit, and making it into an icecream flavour should be a crime. It was the gift that kept on giving…….I can only best describe this flavour as foot odour.