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Escorted Holiday Ideas In Southern Thailand

In the second of her two part exploration of the country, Carol Driver here explores the hidden beaches and bustling towns of southern Thailand.

Two weeks lazing about on a beach always sounds good in principle. But, unless there’s some adventure thrown in, it can become very boring quite quickly.

It was with this in mind I had booked myself on an Intrepid trip of South Thailand. It had just enough “free time” to feel like a holiday and allow me to unwind, but there was also travelling and activities involved to make it interesting.

I meet with my group of nine others and we start our adventure in the hustle and bustle of the country’s capital city, Bangkok, in the Viengtai Hotel which is near to the famous Khao Sahn Road.

There’s a day of sightseeing planned, taking in the stunning Grand Palace and Wat Po temple – home of the Reclining Buddha – and a boat tour along the maze-like canals of the Chaophraya River.

Then it’s a 13-hour overnight train journey to Surat Thani. Thankfully, having already experienced the Thai railways, I was prepared for a broken night’s sleep – the train also has a “disco carriage” where you can buy beer and dance to cheesy pop music until the early hours.

We arrive early and make the hour-and-a-half drive to Khao Sok National Park, which boasts some of the best remaining rainforest in Thailand.

A 50-minute longtail boat ride across the Chiaw Lan Lake takes us to our home for the next two nights – floating rafthouses.

Surrounded by water and small islands, they’re in an idyllic setting and the view of the mountains reflecting on the lake is stunning.

Here you can swim in the crystal-clear water, kayak or take a boat ride to explore the other nearby islands. Or you can just sit back, relax and take in the scenery.

We then “sabi sabi” (Thai for “take it easy”) at four more locations, including staying in treehouses (or bungalows on stilts) back on land at the Khao Sok National Park.

Here, at 5pm every day, you can expect to see a troop of monkeys making their way to the river edge, where the locals feed them. There are also activities such as elephant trekking or a trip to see the Rafflesia kerrii, the world’s largest flower.

The group then makes the four-hour journey to Krabi, where for one nigh