Phuket and Khao Sok are two popular tourist destinations in South Thailand. Phuket is known for its beaches, island hopping, nightlife, food, and cultural attractions. Khao Sok is known for its natural attractions including huge lakes, caves, jungles, and wildlife.
In this article, I will compare Phuket and Khao Sok to help you decide which place is better for your visit. I will outline their similarities and differences in locations, accommodations, attractions, nightlife, shopping, and food.
I’ve traveled to both Phuket and Khao Sok, so I can give you some useful recommendations based on my personal experiences.
Should You Visit Phuket or Khao Sok National Park?
I personally enjoyed my stay in both Khao Sok National Park and Phuket. I visited Khao Sok from Koh Samui, then I traveled to Khao Lak, Krabi, Koh Lipe, Koh Phi Phi, then finally Phuket.
Khao Sok has a more remote atmosphere with wildlife, stunning natural landscape of the Cheow Lan Lake and the striking limestone mountains. It has good hiking trails, beautiful viewpoints, and water activities such as swimming and kayaking.
Phuket is the most popular tourist island in Thailand, offering a mix of things such as beautiful beaches, island hopping, great nightlife, shopping, food, and many cultural attractions. If you want a well-rounded beach destination, Phuket is the best place to visit.
Phuket has its own international airport, so it’s easier accessible by air. Getting to Khao Sok is more difficult as you need to take road traffic, or flight into the nearby airport like Surat Thani or Phuet, then take an additional taxi to get to Khao Sok.
Generally speaking, Phuket is a better choice to visit if you want a classic island holiday in Thailand with easy access to everything. Khao Sok is the better option if you want to explore Cheow Lan Lake, sleep on the floating bungalows, jungle trekking, and wild animal spotting.
If you want shopping, beaches, nightlife, and food, Phuket is the place to go. Khao Sok has limited nightlife and shopping, offering a more remote and untouched feels.
If your time is allowed, you can consider visiting both places. You can spend 3-5 nights in Phuket and 2-3 nights in Khao Sok National Park to experience both sides.
They are located about a two-hour taxi drive away. You can also consider staying in Phuket, then taking a day trip to Khao Sok. A one day trip to Khao Sok is usually about exploring the highlights of the park including boat ride on the lake, caving exploring, swimming, and kayaking.
My top pick hotels in Phuket:
- Luxury: Phuket Graceland Resort
- Mid-range: Quality Beach Resort
- Budget: Seven Seas Hotel
My recommended hotels in Khao Sok:
- Mid-range: Khao Sok Tree House Resort
- Budget: Khao Sok River & Jungle Resort
- Budget: Khao Sok Morning Mist Resort
Location & How to Get There
Both Khao Sok and Phuket are located in the southern part of Thailand. Phuket is located in the Andanman Sea, and Khao Sok is located around 140km north of Phuket. It is a 2 hour dive between Phuket and Khao Sok.
Phuket has an international airport with many direct flights domestically and internationally. It is easier accessible than Khao Sok, which makes it a more popular tourist destination.
The closest airport to Khao Sok is Surat Thani airport, located around 100km west of Khao Sok. Phuket airport is around 130km south of Khao Sok. You can take a flight to either Surat Thani or Phuket airport, then take additional road transport to get to Khao Sok.
Surat Thani airport is closer to Khao Sok than Phuket, but it has less frequent and limited flights than Phuket. If you want to take a train to Khao Sok, you can get off at Surat Thani train station, then take a bus or taxi to Khao Sok.
When I traveled from Koh Samui to Khao Sok, I had to take a boat to Donsak pier, then a big bus from Donsak Pier to Surat Thani, and transfer to a van to Khao Sok.
Accommodations
As a more developed island, Phuket has more luxury big brand resorts, while accommodations in Khao Sok are mainly in the form of budget backpacker hostels and mid-range hotels.
Phuket has typical accommodations with a pool, fitness center, onsite restaurants, and bars. Khao Sok has both typical accommodations and unique forms of accommodations like the floating bungalows.
Many visitors come to Khao Sok to experience staying in the floating house. The budget option offers a mattress on the floor while the luxury floating bungalows have more modern amenities. Both offer stunning views of Cheow Lan Lake. These hotels are only accessible by taking the long tail boats.
Accommodations in both Phuket and Khao Sok are usually expensive and often sold out in the high season from November to May. So, if you’re traveling into this region during the peak period, make sure to book well in advance.
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Natural attractions
Both Phuket and Khao Sok are great destinations for natural lovers. The two places are surrounded by natural attractions. Khao Sok is all about the lush jungle, wildlife, tranquility, and dramatic landscapes. Phuket is all about the beaches with some mountain activities.
In Khao Sok, I enjoyed hiking by myself on the natural trail to Bang Hua Rat Waterfall and to San Yang Roi Trail. This is a short trail, so visitors are allowed to do this at their own pace.
For longer and more difficult trails, you need to hire a local guide or take a group with you. If you want to take the trail to Sip-et-chan Waterfall and Ton Kloi Waterfall, you need to book a tour in advance.
The short tour is enough for me. Along the way, I can explore the stream, and encounter some wild animals such as the black monkey. In the evening, I booked the safari from the park, which takes me to the same trails but I can see different animals at night.
The massive Cheow Lan Lake (165 km²) is the highlight of the park. It is a man-made lake with dramatic limestone karsts, emerald waters, floating bungalows, caves, and jungles. You can take boat trips along the lake to enjoy its breathtaking scenery or stay a night on the floating raft house.
I took a day trip to the lake and was able to see some major sights on the lake such as Three Brothers Rock (Gui Lin of Thailand), Prakai Petch Cave (Diamond Cave), jungle trail, natural springs, buffet on the floating house and water activities such as swimming and kayaking.
Furthermore, there is a long river running through Khao Sok Village, where you can enjoy river activities such as river tubing, canoeing, kayaking, or bamboo rafting.
The main natural attractions of Phuket are the beaches and the mountains. The beaches line the shore, while the mountains rise farther inland. You can explore the viewpoints and hiking trails and enjoy lots of water activities in Phuket.
Beaches & Island Hopping
There are no beaches in Khao Sok. The closest beach to Khao Sok is Khao Lak, around 1 hour drive away. You can enjoy some water activities on Cheow Lan Lake such as swimming and kayaking.
If you want a beach holiday, Phuket is a better place to go. The island itself has dozens of beaches and you can also take boat tours to nearby islands in the Andaman Sea for more crystal clear water and white sandy beaches.
The major beaches of Phuket are located on the west coast of the island. They are Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala, and Surin Beach. To the far north and far south of Phuket, you can find quieter beaches like Nai Harn, Mai Khao, or Nai Thon Beach.
The beaches are very well equipped with beach facilities such as sunbeds, umbrellas, watersport equipment for rent, beach bars and restaurants.
Being located in the Andaman Sea, Phuket is a great base for island hopping tours to famous islands. The most popular boat trips from Phuket are to Phi Phi island and James Bond islands. These places have more crystal clear beaches with stunning landscapes of the limestone cliffs.
There are also many more direct boat trips from Phuket to other islands such as Similand islands, Hong Island, Railay/ Ao Nang, Koh Lanta, and Koh Lipe.
Nightlife
Khao Sok is all about the natural attractions, and it’s not the place in Thailand to go for nightlife. The main town, Klong Sok, is very compact, centering around the 2km long main road. There are some bars and restaurants for food and relaxing drinks after a day of sightseeing and exploring nature.
Phuket is one of the best places to go in Thailand for nightlife, so if you want to party, Phuket is a better place to go. Patong and Bangla Beach are the nightlife hubs of the island where you can enjoy wild parties with many go-go bars, night clubs, massage shops, and a night market.
I’m not a party person, but I enjoyed walking around Bangla Road and people watching. I was lucky to visit at the time, when a group of police were standing in the middle of the road, and offered opportunities for tourists to take photos with them. I had some fun photos with the police.
I enjoyed the nightlife in Phuket Old Town. It has a more laid back atmosphere and historical charm. The town has trendy restaurants, cafes, night markets to explore at night.
Additionally, the nightlife in Kata and Karon are also great. They are lively but quieter than Patong, ideal for those who want a nightlife that isn’t too loud. They are a selection of bars, restaurants, and a good night market in each area.
Shopping
Khao Sok is a remote region in South Thailand and is not the destination to go shopping. There are no 7-Eleven stores at the main village, just several local miniarts. There are also some small shops for buying souvenirs and daily essentials.
Phuket is the shopping hub of South Thailand, packed with night markets and shopping malls. You can find almost everything on the island, from luxury international brands to cheap local Thai souvenirs.
I like to browse shops and enjoy the cool atmosphere from the modern Central Phuket and Jungcelon Mall. These are excellent places to escape from the heat. They have foot courts, restaurants, and a great air conditioning system. You can find mid-range of luxury products at these malls.
In terms of nightmarkets, I enjoyed shopping at the Chillva Night Market, Indy Night market, Banzaan Night Market, and Kata Night market. These are fun places to do bargaining shopping. Make sure to use your bargaining skill to negotiate the price with the vendors.
Phuket Old Town itself also has many trendy shops and boutiques with cool clothes, and handmade souvenirs. There is a high chance to find unique souvenirs in this town.
Food
Both places have a wide range of restaurants serving local Thai food. There are limited restaurants and eateries in Khao Sok and these facilities are mainly located on the 2km long main road of Khao Sok Village.
Phuket has a wider range of restaurants and cafes, serving a variety of dishes, including both Thai dishes, seafood, and international food. Phuket Old Town is a must-visit destination for foodies.
The beach towns often have more dishes catering for tourists and are often more expensive than the Old Town. The Old Town offers more local authentic food with reasonable prices. It has stylish restaurants, cages, and many street food stalls at night markets such as Indy and the Sunday Markets.
Most popular beach areas also have many dining options including restaurants and night markets. Patong itself has three night markets like Banzaan, Otop, and Malin.
There are also several markets along the beachfront where you can eat Thai food, fresh seafood, and enjoy the ocean views. I like the beachfront market at Nai Harn Beach, Kata Beach, Surin, and Kamala Beach.
Cultural attractions
Khao Sok has no significant cultural attractions, most visitors come here for its natural landscape. Phuket has a good combination of natural and cultural attractions. If you’re into culture and history, Phuket is a better place to go.
Phuket Old Town is packed with colorful 19th-century old houses, museums, Chinese temples, and mosques. You can walk around the main streets of the old town, Thalang Rd, Dibuk Rd, Krabi Rd to explore historical sites such as Jui Tui Shrine and Wat Mongkol Nimit.
If you’re interested in the history of the area, you can visit the well-preserved Sino-colonial mansion Baan Chinpracha, Phuket Thai Hua Museum, and the Blue Elephant Mansion. The old town also has beautiful murals telling the history of Phuket and local stories.
There are also many Buddhist temples scattered around the island. The biggest and most popular ones are the Big Buddha and Wat Chalong. If you have time or you rent a scooter, I recommend visiting the lesser-known and more peaceful temples such as Samnaksong Laem Phromthep.
Viewpoints and Hiking
Phuket has more beautiful viewpoints with stunning views of the coast and the nearby islands. Some of my favorite viewpoints on the island are the Karon Viewpoint, Promthep Cape, Black Rock Viewpoint, Windmill Viewpoint, and Rang Hill Viewpoint.
Most viewpoints on Phuket are easily accessible by scooter and car. There are options to hike to some viewpoints such as the Big Buddha trail from Karon/ Kata, and the challenging trail to Monkey Hill Viewpoint. There is also a nice coastal trail from Nai Harn to Cape Krathing.
Khao Sok does not have many high elevated viewpoints like in Phuket, but when you take the boat trips along Cheow Lan Lake, you can have sweeping views of the limestone cliffs.
Krai Sorn Viewpoint is a good hiking destination in Khao Sok along with other jungle trails. This headtrail is only accessible by long tail boat and at the top, you can enjoy sweeping views of Cheow Lan Lake.
Khao Sok has excellent hiking trails. There are plenty of easy and challenging trails inside the dense jungle of Khao Sok National Park and you can encounter wild animals along the way.
Getting Around
On Phuket, I rented a scooter to explore the island. In Khao Sok, I explored the area by walking and taking the day trip tour Cheow Lan Lake.
Phuket is a more developed island, so it has plenty of riding share services such as Grab, InDrive, or Bolt. You can easily get around using these services without having to bargain with drivers when taking a local traditional taxi.
My favorite app for requesting a taxi ride in Phuket is InDrive because it’s usually cheaper than Grab and Bolt. I used it to get from Bang Rong Pier to Phuket Old Town, from Phuket Old Town to Patong, and from Patong to the airport.
Additionally, the island also has local buses connecting popular areas between the airport, Phuket Old Town, and major beach towns like Patong, Karon, Kata, Kamala. Local taxis, songthaews, and tuk tuk are also widely available in tourist areas.
Khao Sok is a more remote area, so there are no riding share services like Grab serving here. You can book a taxi from a local agent on the 2km main road in Klong Sok village or ask your hotel to hire a taxi for you.
Most people visiting Khao Sok stay in Klong Sok village. From the village, you can walk to the park for some hiking, visiting waterfalls, explore the wild animals like black monkeys, and do the night safari. To get to the lake, you can rent a scooter or take a guided tour.
See more:
- Phuket or Koh Lanta
- Phuket or Koh Tao
- Phuket or Koh Phi Phi
- Phuket or Pattaya
- Khao Sok or Khao Yai National Park
- Khao Lak or Khao Sok National Park
So, you have it, my comparison between Phuket and Khao Sok National Park. I hope you have found useful information after reading this article.
In conclusion, I recommend visiting Phuket if you want a beach holiday, easily accessible, wide range of tourist amenities, and lots of island hopping tours. It’s an ideal island for first-timers to Thailand.
Khao Sok is a great place to visit if you want to experience the stay on the floating house in the massive Cheow Lan Lake with stunning landscapes, or you want to explore the wildlife.