Why you should consider Khao Kho for your next weekend getaway

Thailand has always been one of Singaporeans’ top travel destinations. Whether it’s the city shopping, delicious food or island life, we love this amazing country. But how many of you have ventured off the beaten path beyond Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, etc? We recently got back from Khao Khao, and here’s why you should consider Khao Kho for your next holiday!

1. Cool weather throughout the year 

Can you tell that the wind was super strong?

If you’re finding the heat and humidity unbearable in Singapore, you will love it here in Khao Khao. Not many people know that this quaint little city is actually a mountainous region in Thailand! We always knew Thailand for their pristine beaches, but this place made us see this country in a totally different light. The hottest that it probably can get is only 30 degrees and even then, the humidity is almost nil. 

Best time to go Khao Kho: Sept-Dec when it’s dry and cool. Rainy season starts from April to Sept. 

Funny thing was that we happened to be there in August, when it was too windy! We’ve honestly never experienced winds as strong as this before! But it seemed like it was only that week that the wind was so strong. 

Tip: Bring a waterproof windbreaker if you’re traveling during the rainy season!

2. Relaxing and void of tourists 

If you’re sick and tired of being bombarded by hordes of tourists, go to Khao Kho. We were practically the only foreigners in this city! 

Tip: Travel to Khao Kho during the weekdays to avoid the domestic tourists during the weekends!

3. Lots of instagrammable places for gram-worthy photos

Wat Phasornkaew – This temple’s definitely a must visit!

At Phu Kaew Peak view point. Can you tell that we were in a bird nest?!

At a local cafe where they had this super cute cat!

If you love taking photos for the gram, check out Khao Kho. The locals love taking photos and it’s no wonder that this city is full of beautiful instagrammable places! 

4. Affordable luxurious resorts for you to chill at 

We were invited to stay at De Capoc Resort and really had a very good time there! First up, the room is gorgeous. We stayed in the deluxe room and what we liked about it was that it’s super spacious! And there’s a nice balcony for you to chill at too! 

Before you go wow-ing at our room, just have a look at the villa – it’s breathtakingly beautiful! There’s even a “hammock” in the balcony where you could just lie there, watch the sunset and feel the breeze grazing your skin! We also liked how there was like a physical tree within the room! Talk abt being right there in nature. 

Bonus: The food here is AMAZING! Which was a really good thing cos the resorts in Khao Khao are kinda isolated, you’ll need to drive out to the main street to get food if you want to. Or, you can just dine here at the resort! Pricing is pretty reasonable too! Maybe ard SGD5 for a plate of local dish, or SGD12 for the pizza. Ps. the pizza is really goooood! Try it!

Read here for a more in-depth review of De Capoc Resort if you’re still considering if you should stay here!

5.There’s still shopping and street food if that’s what you’re after 

One of the highlights of coming to Thailand is the shopping and local street food! The only night market available is in Lamsat, a 30-45mins drive away from Khao Kho. Although this market cannot be compared to the night markets in Bangkok, you’ll still find the usual street food stalls and shops selling all sorts of random things from electronic stuff to clothes and even exotic animals! 

Tip: Lamsat Night Market only opens every Sat night from 7pm onwards!

6. Plenty of great hiking options 

At Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park – where the landscape was just so unique and queer!

Being a mountainous area, you’ll find yourself spoilt for choice for hiking routes! There are several national parks here in Khao Kho, and different routes available for beginners to advanced hikers! Unfortunately due to a lack of time as well as the weather not being on our side, we only did a short hike at Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park which we were glad we did. 

When we were at the start of the hike, it was super foggy with a slight drizzle! We contemplated for quite some time if we should go ahead with the hike. Eventually we decided to just go for it and try our luck, hoping that the fog will eventually clear up and thankfully it did! The terrain was definitely suitable for beginner hikers, and the entire hike only took us around 90mins. We loved that the terrain was so unique, with the little bumps that reminded us of a loaf of buns!

Have you been to Khao Kho before? Would you recommend others to visit this place?