To get from Krabi to Khao Sok you can either take the bus, a private van or also just go by scooter. Going by scooter or motorbike is the cheaper and more adventurous option which is a little bit like a sightseeing trip. Read more about the journey and why it is worth driving this route yourself.
The reason we wanted to make our way up from Krabi to Cheow Lan Lake was that we had a tour booked to explore Khao Sok National Park. Read more about this amazing adventure here.
At this time (October 2021) there was no public transport from Krabi and the minivan was quite expensive with 2,500 THB each way. Therefore we decided to choose the more adventurous option: Taking a scooter.
Read more about staying in a floating house in Khao Sok National Park in Thailand!
Renting a scooter in Krabi
To start with we rented a 125cc scooter for around 150 THB a day. I can highly recommend the scooter rental at the corner of Chao Fah Alley/main street. They’re pretty nice and it was the second time I rented my scooter with them. Regarding the luggage I would only bring the most important stuff you need. In our case we were planning to come back to Krabi so we left the main backpacks at our accommodation. Also don’t forget to bring a raincoat and enough water with you.
First leg of the journey
We started our drive at around 2pm wearing long sleeves and sneakers to protect ourselves from the sun. The first bit we were driving through the impressive mountains of Ao Nang and got to see lots of green and foresty bits. Our speed was around 50-70 km/h.
We were mostly driving on the I’d call it highway. As it can get quite busy and big trucks will pass you it’s best to drive on the very left lane (in Germany it is the security lane). That’s where most of the scooter drivers were driving. You will then drive through typical Thai towns and get to see part of the country you would normally not see. It’s different from sitting in a minibus because you can see everything what is in front if you. That made this trip so special.
After more than half way we stopped at the Forrest Cafe. A really nice and modern café that offers different kind of coffee and cake.
Second leg of the journey
After recovering from the first leg of the journey we then headed to Cheow Lan Lake which was about 50 km away. As our break was quite long we continued at around 4.30 pm. On this leg we got to see the impressive mountains of Khao Sok.
You can check our route in the map above. I included two routes. If you have a little bit more time I recommend to go via stop “C” (route 2) which will lead you to a small road going through the forest. You can see more of the countryside and hills and the road is less busy.
Read for a different scooter adventure? Here a motorbike loop in the North of Thailand!
Why you should go by scooter
If you don’t make stops the whole journey will take you around 2.5 hours, depending on traffic and speed. There are plenty of gas stations along the way, especially on the first leg of the journey.
We would definitely go by scooter again as the trip itself was a great sightseeing trip. It was very satisfiying driving all the way, having a coffee in between and finally arriving in beautiful Khao Sok.
Have you heard of the Ha Giang loop in the north of Vietnam?
Here’s my itinerary for an unforgettable DIY trip.
However, if you’re not an experienced scooter driver I would maybe get some more practice before driving for so long. The roads can get quite busy and also bare in mind that you drive on the left in Thailand. By “not experienced” I mean if you just learned how to ride a scooter in Thailand.
If you have time and like to ride a scooter definitely go for it! You’ll not only save money but also have a great time!
Are you looking for other scooter tours? Check out my blogpost about the Mae Hong Son Loop in Northern Thailand!
2 Responses
Hi! There are some rentals in a town close by (check this one for example Motorbike Rental Office
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Qv2SSgyrAFy1RvGx5?g_st=ic), but also you can rent a scooter in Krabi. A photo copy is not possible in most places (but you can always ask) as it has no value in case something happens to the scooter but you can ask for a cash deposit. ☺️ I’ve done it a few times and it worked really well!
Have a great trip!
Hi Danique, lovely plans! ☺️ Back then they didn’t have services like that & I would say it’s not very common in Thailand. This is why we parked our scooters outside the national park gate. The benefit was that we didn’t need to take a taxi to get to the gate so cost wise it was even cheaper just keeping the bikes for the total time period. I would rather try to negotiate a cheaper rental price as your total rental length will be at least 3-4 days & park the scooter while you’re in the floating houses.🙂
Have a great time!
Linda