Khao Sok National Park

Below is a blurb from our revised Khao Sok page. Information about how to get there, what to expect and more. Oh yeah - and we do diving there!!!

Khao Sok National Park

Established as a National Park in 1980 Khao Sok is one of the most unique and popular destinations in Southern Thailand., the park itself is part of the oldest evergreen rainforest in the world. Located in the Western part of Suratthani Province, it is easily accessible from Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak and Koh Samui.

Khao Sok National Park covers 646sq km of thick native rainforest with towering limestone cliffs, an island studded lake and is connected to two other Thai National Parks, Kaeng Krug and Phang-Nga. Khao Sok is also enjoined with the Khlong Saen and Khlong Naka wild life sanctuaries. Together these five locations combine to form the largest protected nature preserve on the Thai-Malaysian peninsula, covering an area of 4,000sq km.

The landscape features three breathtaking waterfalls; Sip-Et Chan (4km), Than Sawan (9km) and Than Kloy (9km) which filter down in to beautiful smaller streams found all along the various trails.

Another prominent feature of Khao Sok National Park is the imposing Pantoorat Mountain.Named after a giant in Thai mythology who is said to have died at Khao Sok of a broken heart when her adopted son ran away, the mountain outline resembles a body laid to rest.

Wildlife
Visitors will be treated to glimpses of the plethora of wildlife living in the park, such as Wild Elephants, Leopards, Tigers, Malayan Sun Bears, Malayan Tapir, Wild Boar, Sambar Deer various species of Monkey, the Asian Ox and neumerous reptiles and amphibians.
There are also 38 species of Bat living in the network of caves scattered around the park and over 180 different species of Bird can be found in the skies of Khao Sok.

Fauna and Flora
Khao Sok is perhaps most famous for the Rafflesia flower, discovered by Dr. Joseph Arnold and named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (the founder of Singapore) this impressive bloom can grow to over 100 centimetres (39 in) in diameter, and weigh up to 10 kilograms. To see the Rafflesia flower you have to go when it is in bloom around late January or early February
Other prominent flora and fauna found in The Khao Sok National Park include bamboo, lianas, ferns, palms (such as the rare Kerriodoxa elegans which only grows at Khao Sok and Ko Phuket), rattan (including the giant rattan with 10 cm diameter stems), and last but not least the wild lotus (Bua Phut which can reach up to 80 cm in diameter).

Activities
There is so much to see and do here in Khao Sok! You can find a great selection of activities at Khao Sok, ranging from visits to caves and River Running to Elephant Trekking, Jungle Trekking, Canoeing, Rafting, Night Safaris, Zipline Riding, Spelunking, Tubing, Swimming and Scuba Diving. The great news is that here at Wicked we offer Khao Sok Diving tours to the Chiaw Lan Lake where you will see Giant catfish, caverns, submerged trees and even a sunken village!

-Wicked Diving Thailand