Khao Sok Tree House Resort

The nearest airport is Phuket, about two hours away by car, with Krabi closer to three. Buses between Phuket and Surat Thani stop on the main road, and from there the resort is a 10-minute walk, or you can phone for a pickup; the turn-off from the highway is about 600 m away. Private cars and minivans can be booked from Surat Thani, Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak.

Khun Sakda and Khun Vipa Somwong set up the resort in 2004 with eight basic tree houses and now run 19, placed between 4 and 15 m up. Among the two-level ones are the Tree Top Family Tree House, with two floors and two bathrooms for up to seven, and the Bird Watching Tree House, a main room at 6 m with a lookout hut about 15 m up, for up to four. Houses for two, such as the Barbarian Honeymoon at 12 m, have air conditioning, a private bathroom with hot water and a balcony with a hammock, and the rate includes breakfast for two. Ask for the house by name when you book.

A half-day jungle trek takes three to four hours and a full day six to seven, leaving at 9 am, with lunch at Bong Le Ap Nam waterfall and a walk on to Ton Gloy; park entry is paid on top. On the Sok River you can canoe for about an hour, float on a tube or ride a bamboo raft that stops at a small cave for coffee brewed over a fire. The night safari is a guided walk of two to three hours through fruit farms, looking for civets and slow lorises.

The Cheow Lan Lake day starts with a pickup around 8:30, a drive to the Ratchaprapha dam pier, a long-tail boat among the limestone, Diamond Cave, a short walk into swamp forest and lunch at a floating restaurant, with time to swim or kayak before returning around 5:30 pm. A two-day version sleeps on a floating rafthouse, with shared or private bathrooms. Park and pier fees are paid separately. Wear sandals with straps instead of heavy boots, and bring a dry bag, swimwear and a torch for the caves.

Khao Sok National Park covers 738.74 square km in Phanom and Ban Takhun districts, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand. It was set up in 1980 as Thailand's 22nd national park and became the 50th ASEAN Heritage Park after environment ministers approved it in November 2020. TAT names the Malay tapir, the mainland serow and Rafflesia kerrii, which it calls the largest flower, among its wildlife. Our Khao Sok guide has more, and the treehouse list has other picks.