Khao Sok National Park On A Budget: A Cautionary Tale

*NOTE: This is our personal experience and does not aim to represent the experiences of all guests.*

We were sold a dream of a floating bungalows in Thailand...

Crystal clear water that stretches as far and deep as the eye can see, in the shadow of jungle-covered mountain peaks and limestone cliff faces that make you feel like you’re in Jurassic Park.

Knowing our money has to go a long way, we’ve said ‘no’ to a lot since we started our trip. But when I found a trip out to Khao Sok national park that offered a floating bungalow atop the sapphire lake with food and activities included, all for just £60 each, I thought we’d be daft not to.

Kayaks outside the floating bungalows at Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok on a budget: why did we ignore the warning signs?

It didn’t take long after embarking to realise that you really do get what you pay for.

Our experience felt like an organisational mess from start to finish.

Hordes of people were piled onto minivans, all being told different things about what to do with their luggage. Some arrived at their assigned minivans to find no seat for them, but when we did eventually set off, the drive was probably the smoothest part of the trip.

When we got to the ferry terminal, it became apparent that this was not the all-inclusive experience we thought it was.

Rather than making our way down the pier and straight onto the longboats, the aforementioned hordes of people (we’re talking between 60 and 80 of us) were instructed that they’d need to queue to purchase a National Park entry ticket and a pier cleaning levy.

What ensued was a continuation of the organisational chaos I previously mentioned. We were crammed into the small, open-air terminal in the pouring rain, all wondering how there wasn’t a smoother system in place. Looking around, ours were not the only disgruntled faces.

The overall vibe from the massive group was clear: most of us would’ve gladly paid a little more to have the fees included, avoiding the rain-soaked carnage. We weren’t off to a particularly good start.

Let the longboat ride of nightmares commence...

After waiting in queues (twice) and finally paying our fees, we made it onto the longboats.

And that journey was an experience in itself.

We were pressed shoulder to shoulder with the other guests, all of us crammed together with our baggage piled high down the middle of the boat, so much so that I wondered at how we even stayed afloat amidst the downpour.

Now, I know that no one can control the weather and the torrential downpour could not be helped, but it truly was so heavy that it really compromised the safety of the trip. Ramiro actually looked at me and said, “This should’ve been cancelled.” But we were already in the middle of the lake, too far gone to change our minds.

At one point, the rain became so intense that we literally could not see the almighty, towering cliff faces just metres in front of us. How the driver got us there in one piece really is anyone’s guess.

This, coupled with the precarious rocking back and forth of the boat that had my stomach churning, really set the ‘profit before people’ tone for the rest of the trip.

@therelocationchronicles I guess what they say is true: you do get what you pay for x Click the link in our bio to read the full storayyyyyyy x #thailandtravel #khaosok #khaosoknationalpark #budgettravel #floatingbungalow #therelocationchronicles ♬ Summer - Wiliam Show

Our floating bungalow reality check

When we arrived at the bungalows, freezing, traumatised and soaked to the skin, the lunch spread was laid out ready for us, which would’ve been great had the canteen area not already been stuffed with people waiting to disembark from the previous day’s trip. Finding a seat in the crowded room was near impossible, and it became quickly apparent that there wasn’t enough space on the pontoon to accommodate the constant turnover of guests. Again: profit before people.

When we did eventually get seated, however, the food was warm, fresh and delicious. We were treated to a feast of various curries, tempura veggies and fresh tropical fruits like watermelon and pineapple. A small glimmer of hope amidst the chaos that maybe, when the storm had calmed down and the prior cohort had departed, things might get back on track.

Wishful thinking. Very, very wishful thinking.

The traverse to our little wooden bungalow was along a narrow, overwater walkway covered with artificial turf. Traversing the slippery, unstable path felt like an episode of Total Wipeout, the way the structure undulated with each step we took, and it also appeared that the plastic grass had been laid down to cover holes in the wooden floor beneath. A couple of slips nearly had us tumbling into the depths.

But we made it eventually, and were thrilled to enter the bungalow to find holes in both the floor and the ceiling.

“Well, why didn’t you say something?” I hear you ask. “How do you expect them to fix it if you don’t tell them the problem?”

Valid. But by this point, we were beyond done.

Looking back on the trip, I realise that we didn’t even have an actual interaction with a member of staff during the whole stay. I wouldn’t even have known who to approach. From start to finish, it had just been listening for our names to be called out or blindly following the crowd. So any hope of getting our issues rectified was slim.

And so, the countdown began. Not the days, not the hours, but the actual minutes until we could get the hell out of there. Even after spending a couple of hours frolicking around in the blue water, cruising along in our kayak and just taking in the gorgeous scenery, time seemed to move backwards.

The trip included three mini-excursions out to explore caves and hike in the National Park, all departing on the longboats we came in on. But it would have to be a cold, cold day in hell before I set foot in one of those rickety rafts again (unless it was to escape, of course).

And so we stayed behind, along with a few others, whilst the rest braved the weather to explore. Having the lake to ourselves, listening to the birds and watching the low-lying clouds drift between the mountain peaks was my favourite part of the trip. I could’ve floated in the endless depths forever, had I been given the chance, but my dreams were shattered when I heard the abrasive hum of the longboat motors returning in the distance.

Overall, we were left feeling disappointed.

It was clear that the trip had the potential to be something absolutely fantastic, and I do put a lot of our negative experience down to adverse weather conditions. But had the sun been shining and the water still, the organisational chaos would’ve remained and we still would never have encountered a single member of crew, so there’s only so far that we can scapegoat the weather.

Had we been a little bit younger, in our backpacking prime and with a bit more in common with the other guests (who were all about five years our junior), I think we could well have taken things in our stride. Even now, I can see the funny side of the whole experience, but this has been a big lesson in the fact that you really do get what you pay for in life, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

So, if you’re a young, pre-25 budget backpacker who doesn’t mind a bit of organised chaos, check out Smiley Lakehouse Bungalows for a budget-friendly trip out to Khao Sok National Park.