Our Jungle Camp, Khao Sok: Staying in a Treehouse in the Thai Rainforest

At 6am, our wakeup call was when monkeys were trying to forcefully open our treehouse door. Staff had warned us to keep the doors and windows locked. They were not kidding. During our stay at Our Jungle Camp, this was our alarm clock.

Joyanna had been counting down to this part of the trip for weeks before we left. When she saw "treehouse in the jungle" on the itinerary, the Khao Sok leg of our Thailand trip was officially non-negotiable. After the luxury of Pimalai, we pivoted to something completely different: Our Jungle Camp, a beautifully simple eco-resort tucked into Khao Sok National Park in southern Thailand.

What followed were some of the most memorable days of our entire summer.

What Is Our Jungle Camp?

Our Jungle Camp is an eco-resort set within walking distance of the town of Khao Sok, on the edge of the national park. The accommodation ranges from bamboo bungalows to two-story treehouses. We stayed in a two-story treehouse, which is exactly as wonderful as it sounds — open-air living, surrounded by jungle, with the sounds of the rainforest as your alarm clock (and occasionally overly curious monkeys).

The resort is simple and beautiful. It's not luxury in the five-star resort sense, but it's luxury in the "I am sleeping in a treehouse in a Thai national park" sense, which is its own entirely compelling category. We purchased a package that included meals and activities! We were able to customize this some and add on spa treatments, laundry, and drinks!

Getting There

We traveled from Koh Lanta to Khao Sok by van and ferry — a journey of several hours, but one that winds through gorgeous Thai countryside and gives you a real sense of the diversity of southern Thailand's landscape. The transition from Koh Lanta's beach paradise to Khao Sok's jungle feels like entering a different world entirely.

The Bamboo Cooking Class

Our first evening at camp, we jumped straight into a bamboo cooking class where we made our own dinner over an open fire. This was a genuine highlight — learning to prepare Thai dishes from scratch, outside, in the jungle, with our whole family. The kids were completely engaged, and the food we cooked tasted incredible (possibly partly because we were starving by the time we finished).

The Night Safari

After dinner, we headed out on a guided night safari through Khao Sok National Park. Walking through the rainforest after dark with headlamps and a knowledgeable guide is genuinely unforgettable. The jungle at night is alive in a completely different way than the day... the sounds, movement, creatures everywhere. There were, as I mentioned to the kids several times, a lot of critters. Honestly, I loved every second of it, the kids were not as sure!

Cheow Lan Lake: The Main Event

Our full day in Khao Sok centered on a trip to Cheow Lan Lake — and this was one of the most breathtaking places we've ever been. The lake is surrounded by towering limestone karst cliffs draped in jungle, and the water is an almost impossible shade of emerald green. We stopped at a local market on the way there (a wonderful peek into everyday Thai life), then boarded a longtail boat and cruised across the lake to a program of activities that included a jungle hike, a bamboo raft, cave exploration, a traditional Thai lunch near the floating bungalows, swimming, and kayaking.

The floating bungalows

Cheow Lan Lake has clusters of floating bungalows moored against the karst cliffs and you can actually stay the night there. We didn't on this trip, but seeing them from the water, framed by those impossible cliffs, we immediately started planning a future trip where we do. If that sounds like something you'd want to do, book those bungalows as far in advance as possible.

The Day We Had to Pivot

On our last morning at Our Jungle Camp, we were originally scheduled for a bamboo raft float down the river. But rainy season had caused flooding, and the activity was cancelled for safety reasons. Rather than being disappointed, we used the morning as a slow, gentle last day in the jungle: sent out laundry (eight dollars a kilogram... Thailand pricing continues to astound), enjoyed coconut treats from the camp owner, packed up unhurriedly, and had a last unhurried breakfast surrounded by jungle. Sometimes the unplanned slow mornings are the ones you remember most.

The Town of Khao Sok

The small town surrounding the national park entrance is genuinely charming...cozy shops, laid-back restaurants, local vendors selling fresh coconut, and a pace of life that makes you want to stay longer than you planned. We wandered it happily on both evenings.

PRACTICAL NOTES FOR OUR JUNGLE CAMP

Keep your treehouse doors and windows latched! The monkeys are bold and will absolutely come inside if you let them. Pack bug spray (the rainforest kind, not the beach kind). Bring a light rain jacket. The Wi-Fi is limited and phones can run full quickly....bring a portable charger and enjoy the digital detox.