Cheiwlan Camp & Resort

We stayed in a tent with A/C and a private bathroom. It wasn't especially comfortable, and without earplugs the chickens will wake you up pretty early. The mountains around it are beautiful, and it's well placed for visiting Khao Sok national park. Our tour started very early, so we didn't try breakfast.

The biggest letdown was the boat trip we booked and paid for at the hotel for Cheow Lan Lake. We got no receipt or proof of payment, just a staff member's phone number and a promise that the driver would contact us when we arrived. At the meeting point nobody called. When we phoned the hotel to explain, the staff member hung up and blocked our number. Calls from other numbers didn't work either, and the hotel's phone became unreachable. We had to figure it out ourselves. Some helpful, capable local Thai people spent about 30 minutes helping us find the boat driver. For other travelers, Google Translate may help with locals, as they speak very little English. The place itself is peaceful, with pleasant riverside accommodation that sits nicely in nature, and could be fine for a night or two. But the included breakfast was disappointing and had very little choice, not even fruit juice.

We stayed nearby, not at this place, but loud music and karaoke carried on late into the night. That's not the kind of atmosphere you expect when you come out to nature.

Waking up to flowing water and birdsong was such a refreshing start to the day. Our spacious, well-kept room had a lovely river view, and we really enjoyed this getaway close to nature. We'd definitely come back.