Smiley Bungalows
8.6
Excellent(215 reviews)
หมู่ที่ 6 35/5 Khlong Sok, Phanom District, Surat Thani 84250, Thailand
+66 89 871 5744
+2
Hotel Description
Smiley Bungalows Retreat
Welcome to Smiley Bungalows, a charming retreat nestled in the heart of Khao Sok National Park, located at หมู่ที่ 6 35/5 Khlong Sok, Phanom District, Surat Thani 84250, Thailand. Surrounded by lush jungle, this relaxed bungalow resort offers an escape into nature while providing convenient access to various attractions, including the breathtaking Wing Hin Waterfall and the SOK River, both within walking distance. This idyllic setting is just 3 km from the edge of Khlong Phanom National Park and 52 km from the stunning Andaman Sea coast, making it an ideal base for exploring the natural wonders of southern Thailand.
At Smiley Bungalows, the accommodations vary from simple brick quarters to delightful wooden bungalows perched on stilts. Each bungalow features its own private bathroom, a fan to keep you comfortable, and many offer balconies with hammocks, perfect for unwinding amidst the serene surroundings. For families or groups, upgraded bungalows with additional bedrooms are available, ensuring a comfortable stay for all guests. The overall ambiance is designed to be tranquil and inviting, encouraging visitors to relax and embrace the natural beauty around them.
The resort boasts a delightful restaurant with an airy atmosphere and a covered terrace where guests can savor delicious Thai and European cuisine. The menu caters to a variety of tastes, making it an enjoyable dining experience after a day of adventure. Guests can also take advantage of room service for added convenience, a feature that is a rarity in this area.
Transportation to and from the hotel is convenient, with several public transport options nearby. The Surat Thani International Airport is approximately 1 hour and 31 minutes away by taxi, while Phuket International Airport can be reached in about 2 hours and 4 minutes. For those staying locally, Khao Sok Any Hotel is just an 8-minute walk away. This accessibility makes it easy for guests to explore the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes of the region.
Smiley Bungalows is committed to ensuring the health and safety of its guests. The resort has implemented rigorous cleaning protocols and health measures to create a safe environment for all visitors. This commitment is evident in their attentive service, which has received numerous accolades from satisfied guests.
During your stay, you'll find plenty of activities to immerse yourself in the local culture and natural beauty. Popular options include exploring the lush landscapes of Khao Sok National Park, visiting the Khao Sok Elephant Sanctuary, and trekking through the ancient rainforest. Adventurous guests can take guided tours to see the unique flora and fauna of the area, while those looking to relax can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the surrounding jungle.
Nearby, there are several significant landmarks to explore, including Khao Sok National Park, where you can witness the breathtaking beauty of ancient rainforests and towering limestone cliffs. The Mae Yai Waterfall, just a short 6-minute drive from the hotel, is perfect for a refreshing swim on a hot day. For dining, several excellent restaurants are within close proximity. Pawn's Restaurant, The Heaven Bar & Restaurant, Thai Herb Restaurant, NumNgern Coffee & Restaurant, and Metang Restaurant are all within a quick 1-2 minute taxi ride from the hotel, offering a variety of culinary delights to satisfy any palate.
We warmly invite you to experience the charm and hospitality of Smiley Bungalows, where nature and comfort come together to create an unforgettable stay in the heart of Khao Sok National Park!
At Smiley Bungalows, the accommodations vary from simple brick quarters to delightful wooden bungalows perched on stilts. Each bungalow features its own private bathroom, a fan to keep you comfortable, and many offer balconies with hammocks, perfect for unwinding amidst the serene surroundings. For families or groups, upgraded bungalows with additional bedrooms are available, ensuring a comfortable stay for all guests. The overall ambiance is designed to be tranquil and inviting, encouraging visitors to relax and embrace the natural beauty around them.
The resort boasts a delightful restaurant with an airy atmosphere and a covered terrace where guests can savor delicious Thai and European cuisine. The menu caters to a variety of tastes, making it an enjoyable dining experience after a day of adventure. Guests can also take advantage of room service for added convenience, a feature that is a rarity in this area.
Transportation to and from the hotel is convenient, with several public transport options nearby. The Surat Thani International Airport is approximately 1 hour and 31 minutes away by taxi, while Phuket International Airport can be reached in about 2 hours and 4 minutes. For those staying locally, Khao Sok Any Hotel is just an 8-minute walk away. This accessibility makes it easy for guests to explore the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes of the region.
Smiley Bungalows is committed to ensuring the health and safety of its guests. The resort has implemented rigorous cleaning protocols and health measures to create a safe environment for all visitors. This commitment is evident in their attentive service, which has received numerous accolades from satisfied guests.
During your stay, you'll find plenty of activities to immerse yourself in the local culture and natural beauty. Popular options include exploring the lush landscapes of Khao Sok National Park, visiting the Khao Sok Elephant Sanctuary, and trekking through the ancient rainforest. Adventurous guests can take guided tours to see the unique flora and fauna of the area, while those looking to relax can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the surrounding jungle.
Nearby, there are several significant landmarks to explore, including Khao Sok National Park, where you can witness the breathtaking beauty of ancient rainforests and towering limestone cliffs. The Mae Yai Waterfall, just a short 6-minute drive from the hotel, is perfect for a refreshing swim on a hot day. For dining, several excellent restaurants are within close proximity. Pawn's Restaurant, The Heaven Bar & Restaurant, Thai Herb Restaurant, NumNgern Coffee & Restaurant, and Metang Restaurant are all within a quick 1-2 minute taxi ride from the hotel, offering a variety of culinary delights to satisfy any palate.
We warmly invite you to experience the charm and hospitality of Smiley Bungalows, where nature and comfort come together to create an unforgettable stay in the heart of Khao Sok National Park!
The Most Outstanding Trait
1. Walking distance to Wing Hin Waterfall and SOK River
2. One of the few hotels in the area with room service
3. Some guests disliked the bathrooms in bungalows
4. Guests praised the attentive and friendly service
5. Guests frequently mentioned the presence of monkeys nearby
6. Guests highly praised the breakfast options available
8.8 Excellent
Location rating
Top sights
Khao Sok National Park
11 min
Khao Sok Elephant Sanctuary3 min
Khao Sok1 hr 7 min
Khao Sok National Park HQ11 min
Mae Yai Waterfall6 min
Nearest locations
Pawn's Resturant
1 min
The Heaven Bar & Restaurant1 min
Thai Herb Restaurant1 min
NumNgern Coffee & Restaurant1 min
Black stone Cafe'1 min
Family Thai Food1 min
Bamboo Bistro khaosok1 min
Metang Restaurant2 min
See more Interesting locations
Good to know
| Check-in | 14:00 |
| Location rating | 8.8 |
| Nearest airport | Surat Thani International Airport |
| Travel time to airport | 1 hr 31 min |
Recommended properties nearby
Location
หมู่ที่ 6 35/5 Khlong Sok, Phanom District, Surat Thani 84250, Thailand
Airports:
Surat Thani International Airport
Taxi: 1 hr 31 min
Transit: 11 hr 50 min
Phuket International Airport
Taxi: 2 hr 4 min
Transit: 3 hr 40 min
Transit:
Khao Sok Any Hotel
Walking: 8 min
Nearby locations
8.8
Excellent Location
Surrounded by jungle in Khao Sok National Park, this relaxed bungalow resort is 3 km from the edge of Khlong Phanom National Park and 52 km from the Andaman Sea coast.
Top Attractions
Top Restaurants
Amenities and Facilities
Pets
No pets
Services
Full-service laundry
Food & drink
Restaurant
Table service
Room service
Breakfast
Bathrooms
Private bathroom
Shower
Wellness
No fitness center
No spa
Children
Kid-friendly
Internet
Wi-Fi
Pools
No pools
No hot tub
Rooms
No air conditioning
Reviews
100% reviews from partners and customers booking on Dinogo
8.4
132 reviews
Wonderful
83
Excellent
22
Good
10
Below Average
5
Not Good
12
Hassen Mahomed
5/5
Booked the 3 day 2 night package with smiley , started at the eco pods and it was an awesome experience.Services from smiley over the whole trip was fantastic, facilities of the raft house was good, stayed in the new rooms and everything was in order.
Robin Van Acker
1/5
‼️Animal protection organization World Animal Protection advises against feeding and washing elephants in sanctuaries. Direct contact with tourists prevents elephants from being themselves and living the life that elephants need in the wild.We booked before we saw the first bad review about the elephant bathing. If you book this you will go to Buathong Elephant Home. The elephants themselves seem to be cared for quite well, but they still have to listen and do movements that are told to them. They also do not walk around freely after the end of the activity. I felt guilty and hope to make people realize that this is outdated. Never again, find a better alternative, because they certainly exist! Make sure you know which place your tour operator is sending you to!After this activity we did a night safari and they took us to the lake the next day. Nothing to complain about at all. Beautiful surroundings, friendly people and top activities. We went in the rainy season, but we were able to do everything as planned. I can recommend this organization (with the exception of the elephant bathing).
Lies Blancke
1/5
!!! JUST DON'T DO THE ELEPHANT FEEDING AND BATHING!!!Our experience with smileys was very nice except for the activity on the first day: we chose the elephant experience but it is very unclear where exactly you will end up (Buathong elephant home) and this is mainly a tourist trap. Preparing and feeding food is fun, but afterwards the elephant has to go into the mud bath and the water and do all kinds of tricks to take beautiful photos that you can then buy. The elephants are shouted at all the time.Other than that the tour was really fun. We also did the night safari activity and that is highly recommended, although you have to be able to tolerate spiders 😉Then we went to the lake. The activities there are really fun and there is good guidance. The guide speaks good English and always gives a clear explanation about the upcoming activities. Lunch and dinner is a buffet, breakfast you get a nice plate. I would recommend bringing some snacks with you because you can only get water, beer or Coke on site.The rooms in the village are really lovely, equipped with air conditioning. On the lake they could use an upgrade and small adjustments (suitable curtains, sheet instead of fleece blanket) would make everything a little more comfortable, but it has everything you need and a great adventurous experience.
Pascal Vollenweider
3/5
We haf a 3 days stay at the smiley resort. On arrival, we did the bamboo floating tour. We payed 1600 THB extra for this, which was way too much. Most of the time (about 20 of 30 minutes in total) we watched our bamboo tour guide making a fire for us in the wild for cooking a coffee. I would not recommend this bamboo floating.The bungalow in the village was clean. It seems that they are building a lot of new ones. Unfortunately, the water heater was not working. We told this to the manager, but besides dirty foodprint on our toilet, nothing changed. We also did a mistake and booked the wrong transfer after the trip, which we told the manager on the first evening. This then got forgotten and we had to pay for his mistake.The lake itself is very beautiful and the staff have a good english. It is stunning how well they spot monkeys, birds and spiders in the wild. We did the cave tour, the waterfall hike and the boat safari. All three activities were worth it and I would do thrm again. Food is good, despite they provide always the same dishes for all meals. Accomondation on the lake was ok, nothing fancy but we slept well. The lake itself is very clean and nice to swim or do a kajak trip.
JURADO (JOSTARIF)
5/5
Everything very well organized, you meet them at one point, in khao sok. And then there they take you by van to the park then take the boats to the bungalows which are very good, the staff is very nice and friendly,
Steve Hitchcock
5/5
Just brilliant. Well organised. Fantastic experience. Highly recommend.
Room 4
Service 5
Location5
Loezz
1/5
DO NOT GO TO THE ELEPHANTS FEEDING AND BATHING!!We also had a good tour with smiley tours. We could choose an extra activity on the first day of the tour where you could choose elephant feeding and bathing. There was no further name given as to what the organization was called. The place is called Buathong elephant home. The animals are not treated well here, as can also be read in the Google reviews of the elephants. Please do not choose this activity. I very much regret that I helped finance this
Nora Lankhof
3/5
It's a beautiful experience. You should certainly not book these tours for the beautiful rooms, but certainly for the fantastic experience. The window of our room isn't even closed yet Hahah. You do two tours with a boat and in the dry season you also go into a cave. We could see through the quality of the room. The food was okay. The staff is also helpful, especially the guide who has been working there for 12 years. He speaks good English and quickly sees all the animals in the forests!We made the trek through the jungle to the cave in the rainy season. DON'T DO THIS!!!!!!! A few days later people died in this same cave. We did not know that the cave was not allowed to be entered at all during the rainy season. So be warned and do not enter the cave during the rainy season.
Guillaume Kowalczyk
2/5
The first day we slept in the domes at the foot of the park. The place in the evening is not unpleasant and the staff are very friendly but the activities offered are a bit ridiculous: tubbing, kayaking, night safari...The 2nd day we left for the floating camp on the lake. The place is magnificent in the middle of the park but not at all secure for young children (under 5 years old): no life jacket that fits them, no guardrails in certain places... A real stress for parents!The boat safari doesn't offer much.The trek along the waterfall was good but also a bit dangerous for the children. The guide didn't seem any more worried than that.Finally, the driver on the way back dropped us off in Krabi but refused to take us to our hotel unless of course we paid extra... as a result we ended up walking 2km in the rain with our luggage and the 3 kids... not very smiley ☺️In short, I recommend the park but I do not recommend Smiley Bungalow for families with young children...
Sterre Breedijk
5/5
Really loved the tour and all the activities! It’s a beautiful lake, but all the safaris, free kayaking and cave tours were incredible. The houses were clean, tidy and really relaxing. Would recommend!
Room 5
Service 5
Location5
M S
2/5
The program on the lake was great. Unfortunately, the night here preceded him. The second time we would sleep elsewhere and choose a two-day program.We slept in smiley domes, i.e. "tents". The problem was that the room was terribly damp, musty. This also applies to all bed linen and mattresses. The pillows and parts of the tent were even moldy. In order not to smell the mustiness, the owners spray everything with a cheap fragrance that makes it almost impossible to breathe in the tent. At night there were insects, spiders, large caterpillars, etc. all around the tent, cockroaches in the tent. Luckily we plugged all the (big) holes around the door so nothing else got into the tent. The tent has its own washroom, but its condition is not the best. If someone is a big nature lover, they can definitely do it. We learned how important a certain comfort is for us... Another problem was the disco from the adjacent plot. The bass could be heard even through earplugs and played until at least midnight, so we spent the evening in stench, humidity, noise and in constant fear of insects. We fell asleep late at night. Breakfast is ok, but relatively simple (toast, jam, scrambled eggs, pineapple, watermelon, coffee).
paulinalaura
4/5
Regarding the Tour:We had a great experience! In the beginning the organisation was a bit confusing but in the end had a great time and stay at the bungalows! Loved the guide “Kitkat” and also the vegetarian food option was pretty decent so can’t really understand the bad reviews!!!Would definitely recommend it!
Sally GB
4/5
View in front of the accommodation "Khao Sok, Phanthurat Cave"The crescent moon is very beautiful.The weather is cool and quiet.Recommend good accommodations here. Very good serviceSmiley Bungalow Khao Sok
Luca Staehli
4/5
We asked an employee if he could give us some tips for what we could do during our first day. He practically said nothing and wasn‘t able to give any tip… luckily a motorbike rental place was able to do what he couldn‘t.However, I had three beds to choose from in my room, very nice.Lastly, towels smelled worse than before washing them and after drying yourself with them you were wetter than before.
Sienna Claire
1/5
I really did love the nature we saw on this tour until the night of the final day where I experienced severe food poisoning. I threw up for 12 hours and then had to go to hospital and get on an IV drip for 10 hours. Overseas medical bills are obviously very expensive and this was a terrible experience and ruined a good proportion of our trip as days later I am still stuck in bed. The hospital confirmed it was bacteria from food and 3 other people in my group also experienced food poisoning, which is why I have more than enough reason to believe it was from the Smiley buffet. On top of this, our light in our room did not turn on at all, bathroom door would not close and our chargers did not work. For the amount of money I paid for this trip I am quite upset from the outcome.
Leah Kennaway
1/5
Do not come with this company to the floating bungalows. Me and my friend got severe food poisoning from the buffet in which she had to go to hospital . We also know 3 other people who have food poisoning from the buffet as well, so we know it’s definitely from there. Can’t believe you pay so much money to come there then they give you food that is unclean and filled with bad bacteria.
Brian Youngblood
1/5
The experience at the lake houses was quite nice until after the trip when my friend and I both got food poisoning. We were not sure it was from Smiley until other people on the same trip verified. When mentioning this to the Smiley management, they threatened legal action if we wrote a review. I would not trust this company and would go elsewhere both for your health and safety and financial security
Sandra Carrasco
2/5
It was a strange experience. I explain:We reserve 3D and 2N. We spent the first night in Kao Sok in some simple but correct bungalows. In addition, we had a very rich breakfast. The next day, they moved us to the lake.To enter the lake, they make you pay a series of fees (for the natural park and for the parking). We believe that they should be included in the price to avoid the long queues that form. With fees paid, we are on our way to the lake huts.The road is incredible. The views, spectacular at all times. A beautiful place. Upon arrival, we check-in and they give us the keys to the room. We chose the old booths, not the new ones, since they had a supplement of 900 baht. What we did not expect is that being old they would be so neglected. The bathroom door didn't close, the curtains were off, the windows couldn't be closed because they didn't have a handle. Anyway.After eating, they give you free time. The moment we enjoy the most. You can swim, use a kayak and it's very cool. After that, you take a boat tour of the area. We didn't see much, the guide we had didn't do much of anything either. After a while, we went back to dinner.The next morning there is another boat tour that is more of the same and then we go to visit a cave. We did not enter the cave.Personally, we believe that another option should be offered. With us, 8 more people stayed who did not want to enter the cave.After the cave, you eat and are returned to Kao Sok or the site you have reserved. During the transfer, a boy began to feel very bad, vomiting. Other guys we agree with, too. In total, including us, we met 10 people who had tummy problems, they even had to visit a doctor after this experience due to poisoning of some kind. Clarify that we did not eat anything that was not local.This was our experience. And after experiencing it we believe that you pay a very high price for what it is.Beyond all this, the environment is idyllic.
Abby Woodward
5/5
THE PEOPLE HERE ARE SO NICE. We messed up our schedule and missed our tour and the staff went ABOVE AND BEYOND to take care of us. They were so kind and the rooms were super clean and well taken care of. They also are super close to the park which was great.
Room 4
Service 5
Location5
William Van Genechten
1/5
Tour itself was good. We were in the new lakehouses, they were basic but clean. Sufficient for a one night stay. However, both me and my girlfriend ended with food poisoning. We have been sick for 2 days and are just starting to recover now. Avoid at all costs...