Cycling Thailand Stage 4: Surat Thani to Khao Sok | 172km Through the Jungle

Cycling Thailand Stage 4: Surat Thani to Khao Sok | 172km Through the Jungle

Stage 4 of 8: Surat Thani to Khao Sok National Park. I planned to ride 100km and ended up doing 172km because I didn’t feel like stopping.

Jungle back roads, the dam at Cheow Lan Lake, a cliffside cafe break for my birthday, and a thunderstorm welcome to one of Thailand’s most beautiful national parks.

This is part 4 of an 8-stage bikepacking series across southern Thailand. I’m riding the entire southern peninsula by gravel bike, stage by stage, sleeping in small-town hotels, eating at local markets, and finding the parts of Thailand that most travelers never see.

In this stage:
00:00 Leaving Surat Thani, the market is already busy at sunrise
00:46 Riding into the jungle on small back roads
01:54 Lunch break, fried chicken and sticky rice (again)
02:45 Arriving at Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok
02:59 What you can actually do here (longtail boat tours)
04:20 Bridge Hill Cafe with views over the national park
04:22 Why this stop is special (it’s my birthday)
05:51 Why I rode 172km instead of the planned 100km
06:30 The bungalow I checked into
07:10 The thunderstorm that ended the day

Khao Sok National Park is one of the oldest rainforests in the world, older than the Amazon. Most travelers come for the longtail boat tours on Cheow Lan Lake, the limestone karsts, and the floating raft houses.

Almost no one comes here by bike, which is exactly why it was the best day of the trip. If you’re planning a southern Thailand itinerary and skipping
Khao Sok, reconsider.

→ SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss stages 5 through 8. Stage 5 drops April 28: a short 70km from Khao Sok to Khao Lak, leaving the jungle for the Andaman coast.

→ Stage 1 (Patalong to Khiriwong): https://youtu.be/hZQTi46MeNY?si=zzCU1H6O91YFRLVy
→ Stage 2 (Khiriwong to Sichon): https://youtu.be/myX_A3XjQiQ?si=qSa1IukNJF_c-pS1
→ Stage 3 (Sichon to Surat Thani): https://youtu.be/q8yoJIpl8yg?si=OyblDTPqTXwsd17I
→ Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8yoJIpl8yg&list=PLBH1yX75Sh80FEl9GbfkGyuzWkeS0pb0O
→ Instagram: @itstimkroeger

About me:
I’m Tim, based in Bangkok for years, traveled to 112+ countries, cycled 8,000+ km across Southeast Asia. I coined the term Luxury Bikepacking — long-distance cycling without the tent, sleeping in real hotels, eating real food. This 8-stage southern Thailand series is one of the longer routes I’ve ridden.

#bikepacking #cyclingthailand #khaosok #thailand
#luxurybikepacking