1 Day Khao Sok Jungle Safari and 2 Days Cheow Lan Lake Explorer from Krabi

Great trip, especially the jungle stay

The lake stay and activities were great, longer time for canoeing or swimming would have been welcome. The jungle safari and stay were the outstanding highlights, the accommodation was basic but very comfortable, and luxury compared to the boathouse. The food (Tom yum soup and Panang) was astonishingly good, and the homely, family vibe was so welcoming from the hosts. Great jungle stories and a challenging jungle trek was topped off with lovely dinner. The wonderful breakfast after an unbroken 10hr sleep was followed by a very relaxing bamboo raft down the river back to our hosts. The best Pad Thai we have ever had then concluded our trip. Would defintely recommend, and if you're short for time go for the jungle stay.

via Viator

Nice trip, poor guide!

The locations we visited and the accommodation were nice, but unfortunately our guide pulled down the overall experience of our trip. For some reason, the two activities were swapped such that we went first to the lake and then to the jungle. Not a big deal, but it would have been nice to be informed about it. Furthermore, it meant that the second day was very packed, and we had to make a one hour detour on the last day to drop off some other participants going to the lake. The main problem during our trip, however, was our guide. We did not start of well, having to stop twice on the first day because he was vomiting. I feel sorry for him if he was ill (he never told us what was going on), and maybe this explains his lack of interest, but he seemed to feel better towards the end of the first day. However, his role seemed to mainly be to give us logistical information. On the first day, we were dropped first at a mangrove forest and then at a temple, simply with the information that we had to be back one hour later. He did not tell us anything about the places we visited, or what we could expect to see. The same was the case on the lake. During the jungle walk, it all seemed very rushed, and he made no effort to help us spot any animals, or to tell us what we could expect to see. Whenever we wanted to stop and look, we were rushed on. At the end of the trip he left the car without even saying goodbye. Luckily, we also had a very kind driver with us, who in the end seemed to care more about us than our guide... We did enjoy the trip, that took us to very beautiful and interesting locations. But we are left with a feeling that we could have gained a lot more from the trip if we had had a guide with us who actually cared.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We are pleased that you enjoyed the beauty of the locations and the quality of the accommodation, but we sincerely apologize for the significant shortcomings regarding your guide and the tour logistics. We are very concerned to hear about your guide's lack of engagement and the unprofessional conclusion to your trip. While we understand he may have been unwell, it is his responsibility to ensure you are informed and supported throughout the journey; providing only logistical instructions is not the standard of guidance we strive for. We are launching an internal review to understand why the activities were swapped without notice and why a detour was made that impacted your schedule. We are, however, glad to hear that our driver provided the care and kindness you deserved. Your feedback is vital as we work to improve our staff training and itinerary management.

via Tripadvisor

Beautiful nature and hospitality let down by poor guiding and value

The nature at Khao Sok and Cheow Lan Lake is undeniably beautiful and worth visiting, though this specific tour was a major disappointment in terms of service and value for money. On the positive side, the staff at the first jungle accommodation were very welcoming; the lady who seemed to be the owner spoke good English and made us feel at home, and the food there was quite nice. Additionally, the accommodation on the lake was a stunning and unique experience. However, the actual guiding service was very poor throughout the entire trip. This did not feel like a "guided" experience in any professional sense. To start, the guide never even introduced himself, so we didn’t even know who he was or how to address him. He showed a complete lack of engagement; at the temple and during the initial walk, he simply dropped us off and waited in the parking lot without providing any information or context. Just saying we have an hour to explore. This lack of effort continued during the safari, where his limited English made communication difficult, and he didn't seem particularly knowledgeable or interested in helping us spot wildlife. We saw very few animals and felt we were essentially paying a premium for transportation rather than an expert-led safari. The logistics also fell short regarding the food on the second day. While the first location was good, the food at the lake was not of the same quality, and the limited portions provided left us feeling hungry after lunch. Given the high price of the package and the basic nature of the first accommodation, the overall trip feels significantly overpriced. I would recommend visiting this beautiful area, but I would suggest looking for a different operator if you are looking for an informative experience.

Response from the operator: Thank you very much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We are truly pleased to hear that you enjoyed the natural beauty of Khao Sok and Cheow Lan Lake, as well as the warm hospitality at the jungle accommodation and the unique experience on the lake. However, we are very sorry to learn that the guiding service did not meet your expectations. This is certainly not the standard we aim to provide. Your comments regarding the guide’s lack of introduction, engagement, and communication have been taken very seriously, and we will address this directly with our team to ensure improvements are made. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the safari experience and meal arrangements. We understand how important these aspects are to the overall experience, and we will review them carefully with our partners to improve both quality and consistency. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us, and it helps us improve our services. We sincerely apologize for the disappointment caused and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a much better experience in the future.

via Viator

Beautiful part of Thailand

An amazing experience if you want to see and feel the Koh Sok national park. Dont expect luxury but expect the beauty and diversity the lake and jungle has to offer. Well organised, lots to see and our guide Pradep was a gem.

via Viator

Great tour

This tour program is highly rated and speaks for itself. The accomodation is good and food throughout was excellent. Not much detail provided prior or during the tour which left us wondering at every stage. For information it included hotel pickup, mangrove/spring boardwalk, temple, 7k jungle trek, canoe on river, longtail boat on lake, evening wildlife boat tour, morning wildlife boat tour, cave walk and hotel drop off. Guides need better training, very limited interaction with clients and only as required. First guide appeared to have limited tour knowledge or perhaps just limited English, contrary to tour preamble. Clients were left to visit most sites alone and no information was provided during the hrs of driving. The driver and guide were happy to continually chat to themselves in Thai and an occasional snooze for the guide, driver was observed scrolling videos and texting on his phone while driving, which made me uncomfortable and feel unsafe. Their basic guidance information was confusing at times due to their limited English. Nice friendly crew but perhaps a review with further support and training is warranted. Second guide at lake was far more organised and provided good commentary which was valuable to clients. Boat driver was excellent providing wildlife spotting and good boat work. Overall a great tour not to be missed, highly recommended.

via Tripadvisor