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Level: very easy (our easiest
trip)
Season: all year
Activities: kayaking,
jungle trekking, birdwatching, swimming
Feature: abundant wildlife,
unique floating bungalows & stunning limestone formations
 Our
Khao Sok National Park kayaking trip is aptly labeled
a "soft adventure". It's our easiest small group
tour and the perfect vacation in Thailand. The pace is very
slow and easy as the main focus of this trip is spotting wildlife.
The birding in Khao Sok is superb and the wildlife sightings
are astonishing. Khao Sok is by far the best eco tour in southern
Thailand to view wildlife!
Birdwatching
in Khao Sok
Hornbills
are actually common on this kayaking adventure tour. We
frequently see several species. We see Great Hornbills,
Bushy-crested Hornbills, Wreathed
Hornbills, Oriental-pied Hornbills,
Southern Pied and Helmeted Hornbills
on almost every kayaking trip. The Plain-pouched,
Black Hornbills and White-crowned
Hornbills also reside in Khao Sok. If you’ve
never seen a hornbill, this eco tour will prove to be very
special.
But hornbills aren't the only birds we see on this
small group tour. Serious birders can easily add a plethora
of tropical birds to their life lists after only a couple
of days on their vacation. A large number of kingfishers also
reside in the area, along with many other colorful resident
birds of Thailand. You never know what you'll see when you
paddle into a cove.
 Dave
and his team of top Thai birders have sighted and are
familiar with most of the birds in southern Thailand. But,
you don’t have to be a seasoned birder to enjoy the pleasures
of birding in this tropical wonderland. Dave’s enthusiasm
with this small group tour will make your Thailand birding
vacation both educational and fun. 
Monkeys
and other Wildlife
Long-tailed
macaques (monkeys), pig-tail macaques,
dusky langurs (monkeys), and even White-handed
Gibbons (apes) are seen on this kayaking tour. One
thing is inevitable, you’ll see and hear the monkeys
of southern Thailand on your vacation! We’ve had numerous
close-up wild pig sightings. Elephants can
still be found in the park, but they are a uncommon element
of this eco-tour. However, it's not uncommon for us to encounter
elephant tracks or hear elephants rustling beyond the underbrush.
 
Orchids
 Orchids
are a plentiful element of the Khao Sok kayak eco-tour.
There are so many different species of orchids in the trees
that it looks like something out of a Disneyland vacation
theme park. Our small group tours glide silently
through one of the best kept secret eco tours of southern
Thailand. Orchid are only part of the plant life that makes
this trip so enjoyable.
Your
kayak adventure can be as tame as you wish. Sitting in
secluded coves watching wildlife or viewing orchids is something
we love. We only offer small group tours. Nature, to us, is
a personal experience. Large impersonal group tours won't
allow you to be as intimate.
Jungle
Trekking
There
are plenty of opportunities for you to go trekking in the
jungle of Khao Sok National Park. There are only two main
trails that most tourist visit. We have dozens of trails that
we've developed for you. They range in difficulty from flat
and easy to rugged, strenuous and a bit tricky.
Guest's
comments: John Atherton (British)
Despite being middle-aged novice paddlers the Kao
Sok Trip was a fascinating experience. Dave Williams
is both a kayaking expert and a top bird spotter.
His patience on the water enabled us to learn a great
deal about handling a kayak AND about birds whilst
still relaxing and enjoying the holiday. During the
four days we saw nearly thirty different birds (some
rare), many being recognized by Dave by their sound
before we had sight of them. The tranquility of the
water shortly after dawn will bring back happy memories
for a long time to come. |
The
limestone karst topography
in Khao Sok National Park is some of the highest in the world.
The tallest is 960 meters high! This dwarfs anything in famous
Phang Nga Bay. Read more about the karst topography
of Khao Sok.
Click
here to see a map
of Cheow Lan Reservoir in Khao Sok.
Guest's
comments: Mark Strickland (American)
I can't say enough about our fantastic trip to Thailand's
Khao Sok National Park with PaddleAsia. It was a great
experience from start to finish - well organized but
flexible itinerary, with just the right combination
of paddling adventures and relaxation. The scenery
is absolutely spectacular - we explored miles of pristine
shoreline, bordered by towering, limestone mountains
and verdant tropical jungle. Thanks to Dave's expertise,
we paddled to just the right places to see a wide
range of creatures - primates like dusky langurs,
pig-tailed macaques and white-handed gibbons, and
lots of bird life, including several types of eagles,
hawks, and 3 different species of hornbills. We even
saw wild pigs feeding at water's edge. |
 Your
vacation headquarters are unique floating bamboo bungalows
located in a remote area of the massive 165 square kilometer
Khao Sok National Park reservoir. These bungalows are very
basic. They are made out of low impact material. Bamboo and
thatched roofs provide a very simple, environmentally friendly
shelter which fits well with the jungle surroundings of southern
Thailand. There is no electricity in the bungalows, but there
is electricity in the restaurant and toilets. The shared toilets
are clean and adequate. Amazingly, mosquitoes are rare in
the area. No one seems to understand why, but it certainly
makes for an easy-going kayak adventure vacation in the middle
of one the most expansive jungles in all of Southern Thailand.
 The
bungalows have fairly thin sleeping pads, so you may want
to bring your own additional pad or inflatable mattress along.
The floating walkways to the bungalows and toilets are not
well maintained, requiring constant attention to foot placement.
These accommodations are not up to normal PaddleAsia standards
but is what is provided for us by the National Park and the
government under contract. However, the jungle solitude of
this eco-tour and the joy of a kayaking trip amidst the profusion
of birds and wildlife bring us back here time after time.
This is Dave's personal favorite destination in all of Southern
Thailand. Click here to see more pictures of the floating
bungalows of Khao Sok National Park.
Click
here to see a list of
common
birds found in Khao Sok National Park.
You'll
want a closer view of the animals and binoculars
are a MUST at Khao Sok National
Park.
If
you'd like to see a photo gallery of Khao Sok, check out this
photo
gallery. There is a wildlife
gallery. We also have a reptile
gallery,a bird
gallery and a butterly
photo gallery. Click here to
see some photos
of Khao Sok taken by one of our guests.
If
you'd like to read more about Khao Sok, check out our trip
reports (click on the link):
Malayan
Tapir sighting 
More
rare animals
Baby
pig rescue
International
School of Bangkok trip
Chieo
Lan Reservoir
The
amazing Great Hornbill Story
Khao
Sok in the low season - abundant wildlife
New
South Wales kayaking club
The
Serow connection mountain goat)
Plenty
of birds
Thale
Noi and Khao Sok
Khao
Sok and further south
Khao
Sok with kids
Mountain
climbing
You
can read a feature article about is in Khao Sok written in
the Bangkok
Post. This same story is online at
Ecology
Asia.
We
are part of the natural system. Humans cannot live separate
from nature. Take a look at our Systems
Theory page
to read more.
No
kayaking experience is necessary
No
experience is needed for any of our trips. The majority
of our guests have never paddled before. No problem, we'll
teach you proper paddling technique.
Our
trips are all-inclusive
This price includes: all transfers (airfare not included),
all equipment, accommodations once on the trip, all meals,
all snacks, all non-alcoholic drinks, a complimentary PaddleAsia
shirt and insurance.
Our
Khao Sok National Park Kayaking Tour is suitable for everyone!
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