From Art’s Riverview Jungle Lodge it is only a 15 minute walk to the entrance station of Khao Sok National Park. We hiked over one day and checked in at the station. We still had our entrance tickets from when we went to the floating rafthouses, and since they are good for three days, we were allowed to enter without paying again.
There is a visitor center at the entrance that is very interesting. There were displays discussing the natural features and history of the park. There was also information about other national parks in the province. Just outside the visitor center are the trails. There were signs up for many destinations, but our guide said that we would hike to a waterfall about two miles away.
The hike was on a nicely maintained trail through the jungle. We saw some other hikers, but not very many. There was one precarious log crossing over a fairly deep drainage, but we all made it over without incident. Then we reached the turnoff for the falls. The falls themselves we not very impressive, as we were visiting during the dry season. The guide said they are quite nice when the water is flowing at full force. But we did really enjoy the swimming hole. It was a hot day, and the water a clear and cool. The sun was peaking in and out of the clouds. When the sun came out, the water glowed greenish blue and the sunlight sparkled off the ripples in the water. We cooled off and had fun before hiking back to Art’s for a fabulous meal.
If we had more time in the area, I would have liked to explore some of the other trails. I think you could spend quite a while in the area just hiking and relaxing at Art’s.