Cheow Lan Lake
Limestone peaks over green water.
Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · Marcin Kaliński marcinkalinski — CC0 · Wanjak Atikomchakorn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wanjak Atikomchakorn — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the oldest rainforests in the world, older than the Amazon according to many scientists: towering limestone mountains cloaked in dense jungle, home to gibbons, colourful birds and hornbills, where the giant rafflesia, among the world's largest flowers, sometimes blooms. The park's loveliest feature is Cheow Lan Lake, a broad reservoir of clear green water from which sheer limestone peaks rise like islands, a scene reminiscent of Phang Nga Bay. Longtail boats weave between the peaks, stopping at caves and jungle trails, and floating raft houses on the lake let visitors spend a night listening to the forest and waking to mist over the water. The park fee for foreigners is about three hundred baht per adult; the headquarters opens in the daytime, and lake trips leave from the dam pier. May to October is the Andaman rainy season, when the sea is rough and some beaches and islands close. A full-day trip from Khao Lak; better still, stay a night on the lake. Bring light clothes, a jacket for the evening and insect repellent. It is a standout experience for nature-loving families.
Limestone peaks over green water.
A night on the lake.
Gibbons, hornbills, rafflesia.
Surat Thani, about an hour and a half from Khao Lak
Yes to see the lake and caves, but the drive is long. A night in a raft house makes it far calmer and more beautiful.