Hi U 2 ! First of all : you are such an authentic and sympathetic couple ..."refreshingly" different from those usual youtube-/instagram-couples ! The cave-tour was really great ! Still : I don't really get the joke of HOW and WHERE to book. There are extreme price-differences even for the same categories : yours up to 6500/p.person - even when you book as joining a group and not as a couple only. Do you HAVE to drive til Khao Sok-village with all its hotels to get there (by whom??) such a overnight/transport/tour/food-bundle as you made it or can I save those 50 km (coming e.g. from Surat Thani) and get the same tours/ packages and prices right at the pier where all boats start from ? Would be very happy to get clesr details about that since we'll definitely go there ! Thanx a lot to all of you !
@@robertschlicht2683 Thanks so much for the encouraging words! Yes, we'd have to admit that what's published online can be really confusing and not up-to-date! Here's what we know: there are clusters of bungalows scattered around different parts of the lake run by a few different outfitters. I think the best option is to contact an accommodation directly. Depending on your budget, there are pretty basic accommodations like ours (Smileys Lake Houses/Bungalows, on the cheaper end of of the spectrum) up to more expensive, resort-like accommodations like Panvaree the Greenery or 500 Rai. We found an email for Smileys and found their rates to be competitive, so we booked with them via email, no deposit required. I'd certainly recommend that. If you're coming straight from Surat Thani, I'm almost certain that you can go straight to the pier, but you'd need to get there fairly early in the day, as long as you pre-arrange it with the company you're ultimately going with. Most travelers do seem to go stay in the town the night before the tour, but yes, it's still quite a drive to the lake. We would imagine it to be pretty difficult to just get to the pier and find a tour that works for you. We did, however, have a guy in our group go straight from the pier (after the tour) to Surat Thani, so that's why we feel relatively confident that you can get to and from the pier directly from Surat Thani. Hopefully that answers your questions, and feel free to follow up if you have any other questions! You're going to have an amazing time!
Hi again ! Thanks a lot for all those details ! So we will do it the same way and contact them by email . We need no transfers since we go by rentcar right to the pier ! Wishing you all the best and looking forward to your next adventures !
Perfect! Having a rental car would definitely make things a lot better/more comfortable, and I'm pretty sure you'll be able to work just the right timing out with the accommodation. I don't imagine parking by the pier to be too expensive! Have an amazing time-we're so jealous, we'd be back there in a heartbeat!
Hi U 2 divers of Koh Tao! Unlucky enough it will still take quite some time : we only start-off our one year + worldtour end of June : according to the still much stricter covid-rules in eastasia we start with central- /southern America followed by Australia and Bali etc. reaching our 3 months stay in Thailand about Febr. 23 ....but trying to PRE-pare as much as we can ....will follow your trip with loads of curiosity too!
Hi Chen, Khao Sok is a nice place, I plan to join the smiley Lake Tour. Could you please provide the model name of your microphone, the sound quality is great. Thank You
Hi Chens! Love the video and really appreciate the content. Got some quick questions: 1. What time did the tour start on Day 1 (pick-up time from your hotel)? and what time did it end on Day 2 when you arrive back on the pier? 2. Did you book this tour online or in person when you arrive in town?
Hey! Thanks so much for watching! To answer your questions: 1. Pick-up time on Day 1 was at about 6:30am, and we arrived back onto the pier at about noon the next day. 2. We made arrangements online after getting in touch with a few reputable companies, but most of the other travelers we were with made the arrangements after they arrived in town. The two-day, one-night overwater bungalow tour is a very common offering, so you shouldn't have any difficulty finding someone offering it. However, if you wish to stay for longer (which, considering the beauty and the fast-paced schedule, we might have wanted to if we could), it may make more sense to try to arrange that in advance with a company that can host you in such a manner, but this all depends on your schedule, preferences, and budget! Hope this helps!
We stayed at Smiley's Lake Houses/Bungalows. They have a website, and you can get in touch with them via email. They are on the more budget side of accommodations available on Chiew Lan Lake. There are certainly other options at other price points as well! Hope this helps!
The closest airport is Surat Thani airport, but it requires a 2-2.5 hour ride to get to Khao Sok! The agency you go with depends on your budget, but many of the offerings are comparable. Check out the description in this video for all the details of our time there! Hope this helps!
Which part of this adventure would you have wanted to try most? Let us know in the comments! 🤗
Hi U 2 !
First of all : you are such an authentic and sympathetic couple ..."refreshingly" different from those usual youtube-/instagram-couples !
The cave-tour was really great !
Still : I don't really get the joke of HOW and WHERE to book. There are extreme price-differences even for the same categories : yours up to 6500/p.person - even when you book as joining a group and not as a couple only. Do you HAVE to drive til Khao Sok-village with all its hotels to get there (by whom??) such a overnight/transport/tour/food-bundle as you made it or can I save those 50 km (coming e.g. from Surat Thani) and get the same tours/ packages and prices right at the pier where all boats start from ? Would be very happy to get clesr details about that since we'll definitely go there ! Thanx a lot to all of you !
@@robertschlicht2683 Thanks so much for the encouraging words! Yes, we'd have to admit that what's published online can be really confusing and not up-to-date! Here's what we know: there are clusters of bungalows scattered around different parts of the lake run by a few different outfitters. I think the best option is to contact an accommodation directly. Depending on your budget, there are pretty basic accommodations like ours (Smileys Lake Houses/Bungalows, on the cheaper end of of the spectrum) up to more expensive, resort-like accommodations like Panvaree the Greenery or 500 Rai. We found an email for Smileys and found their rates to be competitive, so we booked with them via email, no deposit required. I'd certainly recommend that. If you're coming straight from Surat Thani, I'm almost certain that you can go straight to the pier, but you'd need to get there fairly early in the day, as long as you pre-arrange it with the company you're ultimately going with. Most travelers do seem to go stay in the town the night before the tour, but yes, it's still quite a drive to the lake. We would imagine it to be pretty difficult to just get to the pier and find a tour that works for you. We did, however, have a guy in our group go straight from the pier (after the tour) to Surat Thani, so that's why we feel relatively confident that you can get to and from the pier directly from Surat Thani. Hopefully that answers your questions, and feel free to follow up if you have any other questions! You're going to have an amazing time!
Hi again !
Thanks a lot for all those details !
So we will do it the same way and contact them by email . We need no transfers since we go by rentcar right to the pier ! Wishing you all the best and looking forward to your next adventures !
Perfect! Having a rental car would definitely make things a lot better/more comfortable, and I'm pretty sure you'll be able to work just the right timing out with the accommodation. I don't imagine parking by the pier to be too expensive! Have an amazing time-we're so jealous, we'd be back there in a heartbeat!
Hi U 2 divers of Koh Tao!
Unlucky enough it will still take quite some time : we only start-off our one year + worldtour end of June : according to the still much stricter covid-rules in eastasia we start with central- /southern America followed by Australia and Bali etc. reaching our 3 months stay in Thailand about Febr. 23 ....but trying to PRE-pare as much as we can ....will follow your trip with loads of curiosity too!
Looks like an amazing experience. Beautifully filmed b.t.w.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words! It was definitely amazing 🥰
Wow! It's a great place with a stunning view and You guys are very lucky to see the Gaur(Bos gaurus) and Hornbill in the wild
Yes! Truly such a wonderful place! We also feel so blessed to have seen those animals! 🥰 Thanks for watching!
Wow, this is fun !!!
It was such an amazing time! 🤗 Thanks for watching!
Hi Chen, Khao Sok is a nice place, I plan to join the smiley Lake Tour. Could you please provide the model name of your microphone, the sound quality is great. Thank You
So beautiful! I haven't gotten a chance to go there yet as I have "Bridge Hill Cafe" on my list to visit. Great video guys.
Ah yes! Khao Sok is a must! Hope you have the chance to get out there soon 🤗
what a great place to go - thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching! This is really one of our top experiences thus far, and it's really an incredible place!
Bos gaurus : wild animals (rare) different from water buff (you can see white sock at 4legs :)
Ah cool fact! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Hi Chens! Love the video and really appreciate the content. Got some quick questions:
1. What time did the tour start on Day 1 (pick-up time from your hotel)? and what time did it end on Day 2 when you arrive back on the pier?
2. Did you book this tour online or in person when you arrive in town?
Hey! Thanks so much for watching! To answer your questions:
1. Pick-up time on Day 1 was at about 6:30am, and we arrived back onto the pier at about noon the next day.
2. We made arrangements online after getting in touch with a few reputable companies, but most of the other travelers we were with made the arrangements after they arrived in town. The two-day, one-night overwater bungalow tour is a very common offering, so you shouldn't have any difficulty finding someone offering it. However, if you wish to stay for longer (which, considering the beauty and the fast-paced schedule, we might have wanted to if we could), it may make more sense to try to arrange that in advance with a company that can host you in such a manner, but this all depends on your schedule, preferences, and budget!
Hope this helps!
@@ChensofaLifetime Thanks, appreciate the reply!
Wow what a cool interactive cave experience. Lonely Planet forgot to tell you to wear swimwear only! (5 more til 1K!)
And to bring sandals with back straps!
Great video and enjoy the prices in the discrimination
Thanks for watching! 🤗
What is the name of the place where you stayed on the lake? Great video
We stayed at Smiley's Lake Houses/Bungalows. They have a website, and you can get in touch with them via email. They are on the more budget side of accommodations available on Chiew Lan Lake. There are certainly other options at other price points as well! Hope this helps!
From Malaysia, if taken a flight, which is the arrival point and any recommendation for guild agency.
The closest airport is Surat Thani airport, but it requires a 2-2.5 hour ride to get to Khao Sok! The agency you go with depends on your budget, but many of the offerings are comparable. Check out the description in this video for all the details of our time there! Hope this helps!
Price?
For this tour, the all-inclusive price was 2,500 THB ($75 USD). There are more details in the description!