500rai: the Maldives of Thailand!

ARE WE IN THE MALDIVES??

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That's the first thought that crossed our minds when we arrived to 500rai, but let's back up a second.

When planning our trip to the islands of Thailand, we knew we wanted to visit somewhere special. Something off the beaten path and not on every Instagram post that graces the #VisitThailand page.

That’s when we came across Khao Sok, and even more special, 500RAI.

Getting There

We came from Rayavadee (in Krabi) and it took a little over 2 hours by private taxi to arrive and cost 3,500 bat.

Once you arrive to the port of Khao Sok National Park, you check in to the booth of the hotel or resort you are going to and pay a fee to enter the national park. It was 300 bat per adult.

From Khao Sok, we had a 1.5 hour speed boat ride arranged by the resort in order to get to the resort. The entire ride is awesome and felt like a sightseeing tour. Massive rock formations lining on both sides, beautiful, clean turquoise water and endless greenery. I can’t image what the first people to ever discover this area must have felt, because it’s truly incredible.

The Resort & The Concept

"DISCONNECT TO RECONNECT"

Arriving to the Resort was nothing short of a dream. Upon arriving, you're greeted with fresh, cold juice, as you do in all hotels of Thailand, but this hit different. After the 2+ hour car ride and 1.5 hour speed boat, the butterfly tree flower juice was heaven in a cup.

The overall vibe of the resort is very quiet and serene. Their motto is "disconnect to reconnect". Which is felt from the moment you arrive. The entire resort is floating, so it is a bit of an adjustment to get used to the constant light movement happening under you while you're there.

The resort has electricity 24/7, so you don't need to worry about A/C, but there is no service or wifi. You can purchase wifi packages for chunks of time if you need. And there are no TV's in the rooms. It's truly a place to reconnect and be one with the nature around you.

The Room

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All the rooms are connected to a really long floating path. We stayed in a villa room which has two floors with a twin bed on the bottom floor with the view of the water and another two single beds upstairs.

Each room has a clear, open view out onto the open water and a little balcony you can sit on with a kayak you can take out onto the water.

We spent our entire time at the resort drinking cold, fruity smoothies on the balcony, taking turns floating out on the kayak. As two content creators, it was really great disconnecting and taking a moment without our phones or laptops.

I think this resort is amazing for young couples looking to spend quality time together or even maybe a mother/daughter trip for some time to reconnect.

Important to Know:

500Rai is very remote and the only activity on hand is your private kayak. They have a safari tour on the day you arrive and a few activities available for purchase, like massages and SUP. And you don't leave the resort unless you are checking in or checking out. You definitely have to come with the intention of relaxing and not doing too much activity.

Side Trip:

If you're looking for a fun activity on your way back from Khao Sok, I recommend visiting Sonchana Farms! Sonchana Farms is the home of a single elephant where you can feed him, bathe him and play with him. There's no animal brutality or forcing the elephant to do anything he doesn't want to do.

Read more about Sonchana Farm on my blog post here.

Book here on booking or direct on the website.

**I don't make any commission on bookings**

#TravelThailand #Thailand