The rich biodiversity of Khao Sok National Park offers all sorts of possibilities for outdoor adventure, not just for hard-boiled adventurers, but also for families, or groups of friends looking for a 3-day 2-night jungle escape. Its spectacular, raw beauty, far from the modern world, is a source of quiet inspiration, allowing you to ponder your inner thoughts and find peace. It’s where the true spirit of nature can be found – an ancient force that somehow awakens a primeval instinct within you – drawing you closer to your loved ones and strengthening bonds with friends.
You can take part in all sorts of outdoor activities while staying in Khao Sok. At Anurak Community Lodge situated in a quiet, tranquil area, away from the hubbub of the park’s main entrance, we offer all sorts of outdoor activities, including, tubing, rafting and kayaking down the Sok River; encounters with elephants, cycling, and of course, hiking into the Khao Sok Jungle.
We’ve all seen wildlife documentaries about the world of wonderful and weird creatures that inhabit steamy tropical jungles in remote corners of the world, but to suddenly find yourself in a tropical rainforest, with 30-meter-tall trees soaring above you, the drone of cicadas filling the air and the whoop of gibbons echoing through the trees, takes your understanding of tropical forests to a whole new level.
At Anurak Community Lodge, our 3-day, 2-night Khao Sok Discovery Package is particularly well-suited to families and friends with a love of outdoor adventure. Not only can you hike through one of the oldest and most diverse rainforest habitats on earth, but you can also explore Khao Sok’s verdant-green valleys by bike, learn how to cook a delicious jungle dinner and encounter elephants close up during our ethical Elephant Experience.
Day 1
On the first day, after arriving at Anurak Community Lodge and settling into your comfortable 3-star ecolodge accommodation, head out on a Cycling Adventure lead by our local guides through the Khao Sok countryside. Riding on trusty mountain bikes, travel along small country roads surrounded on either side by the soaring ridges of the limestone cliffs. As the route continues, pass through local villages, palm oil and rubber plantations and local fruit orchards, where you’ll find plenty of opportunities to stop and meet friendly locals, taste a variety of exotic fruit and purchase locally made goodies.
In the evening, relax to the night-time sounds of nature and enjoy our signature Jungle Dinner – an experience that will take you back in time to when jungle communities relied on the forest for their cooking implements. Learn how to boil water and make soups in the hollow stems of bamboo, as well as grill pork and other meats wrapped in palm leaves. Cooked naturally on an open fire, the wood smoke really brings out the jungle flavours, ensuring a delicious meal every time.
Day 2
After an early breakfast at Hornbill restaurant, get up close and personal with gentle giants on our Elephant Experience. Help the mahouts and handlers feed and bathe these gentle creatures in the lagoon – they love a good scrub! The elephants you’ll meet here are all retired or rescued and have spent their whole lives working long hours in elephant camps providing rides for tourists, where many of them were poorly treated.
At Anurak Community Lodge, we do not support animal cruelty in any shape or form, and therefore we do not work with elephant camps that offer regular elephant rides using these chairs. In addition, groups of visitors are smaller, so that the elephants do not become stressed.
In the afternoon, embark on our Khao Sok Hike, a four- to five-hour adventure down jungle trails. Follow local guides down old hunting trails where there are opportunities to get a glimpse of the local flora and fauna, such as macaques, gibbons and kingfishers, so keep your camera ready. If you’re lucky, you may come across the tracks or scat of wild elephants, wild boar or tapir, among others. Our local guides are experts in spotting wildlife and will point out plants and animals of interest along the way.
Day 3
On your final day, wander down our easy self-guided hike along our Anurak Trail. Clearly signposted, this one-hour hike takes you through wooded areas, and rubber and oil palm plantations, close by our ecolodge. It’s an ideal short hike through the valley, where you’ll hear the haunting calls of gibbons and birds in the stillness of the early morning mist – an ideal way to leave this ancient natural world behind – refreshed, revitalized and ready to return to the modern world.
So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us to book your 3-day 2-night Khao Sok Discovery Package now.
