Just two hours drive from Suratthani, heading west along highway 401 towards Phuket, is Khao Sok National Park. A 646-square-kilometer expanse of land blanketed with tropical and evergreen rainforest and dominated by towering limestone mountains and spectacular karsts. Few tourists make the effort to get to the park, most preferring to lie on the beaches of Samui or Phuket, However those that do are rarely disappointed and find it quite incredible that one of Thailand's last remaining rainforests and a true wilderness is so close to these major tourist centers yet relatively unknown.

Sights of Khao Sok

      Within the far-flung boundaries are numerous waterfalls, enormous bat caves, the immense Chieo Lan Reservoir, and the Sok River, Which winds through thick jungle and past huge limestone cliffs that resemble a misty vision of another world. In dense regions of the park a few tigers and leopards still prowl, although they are hardly ever seen. Elephant, gaur, serow, banteng, Malay sun-beat, tapir, and can be seen if you have the time and patience to go on a real safari. Wild gibbons, langur monkey and Macaque are more likely to be sported and are often heard, especially the distinctive whooping of the gibbon. There are over 180 species of bird living in the park, including 5 species of hornbill and birdwatchers from all over the world come to catalogue rare species, especially Guerney's Pita, which is one of the rarest species on the planet and lives only in Khao Sok. Another species endemic to the park is a flower: Bua Phut or "wild lotus" which is the largest flower in the world. Reaching a diameter of 80-centremeters and once a year it produces huge buds that emit a foul stench attracting the insects it uses for pollination.

Baan Talay Resort - ( Koh Samui Hotels )