Khao Lak: Rafting em Bambu e Centro de Conservação de Tartarugas Marinhas

A great little tour to fill the morning with kids in mind. Pickup was seamless from our Khao Lak hotel. A small bus was the transport for the morning and there was only 7 of us in total. Itinerary was as published with our guide Marta explaining the stops and time durations. First up was the rafting, which was on a relatively clean and peaceful stream with experienced rafting guides. We saw many snakes and even a water monitor lizard. Afterward we were invited for a fruit snack and drinks as Marta explained the local fruits and their names. If you don’t have your bathers - that’s ok, we didn’t get wet at all and ponchos were offered if it rained. Next stop was the turtle rehabilitation centre located at the Khao Lak Naval Base. It was interesting seeing the turtles swimming and their behaviour. The pools didn’t look particularly great but the turtles looked very healthy and active. There is also a Navy memorial to the Tsunami victims at the same area. Lastly we were taken to Ton Pling water fall for a swim and some relaxation before heading back to the hotel for lunch. Thanks to Marta and Woody for a pleasant morning hosting our family at these popular sites.

Great guide Charle! And also great driver.

Really enjoyable day we had a lot of fun, great for all ages (10 months and 1.5yrs) Loved the bamboo rafting, got to try some unusual very tasty fruits and was extremely picturesque. We saw some turtles too and went to a waterfall which we could swim in. Tour guide charly was outstanding, she went above and beyond to ensure we all had a great day. Highly recommended.

We had a fabulous time on this tour! Everything was excellent, from peaceful Bamboo rafting, to the Sea Turtles to the waterfall which was flowing and allowed us to indulge in a refreshing dip! Charlie our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and energetic. We LOVED this adventure and would not hesitate to recommend.

Overall, this experience fell short of expectations. - Pickup was about 25 minutes late. Not a big deal. Things happen and we are not in a hurry. - Our guide (Thani, I believe) made an effort, but her English was somewhat limited. While I understand English may not be her first language, the tour is advertised as having an English-speaking guide, so a higher level of communication is expected. She surprisingly stated multiple times that “Thai people don’t speak good English” but I met plenty who did. She did have a script she was reading off of but… - AFTER pickup, we were informed that the planned waterfall stop had been replaced with a temple visit due to low water levels. While the change itself is understandable, this should have been communicated in advance. I would have preferred the option to decide whether the substitution was of interest or make alternative plans. Plus I didn’t have appropriate clothing. The posting should indicate that if the water level is low it will be replaced by a temple visit. Simple communication. - The temple visit itself was underwhelming, largely because there was little understanding of its significance (refer to language comment above). Part of the stop included walking to a seeming random river with the tour guide offering fish food to people to feed the fish. This felt unnecessary and a time filler. - The turtle conservation centre was decent—we saw turtles of different ages and anytime you can see animals it is a win. - The highlight of the day was definitely the bamboo rafting. That portion was enjoyable and worth experiencing. - The tour company did provide bottles water (twice). As well as fresh watermelon, which was appreciated. - Overall I would skip this tour and just do the bamboo rafting

Very good organised trip, Marta our guide was very informative and pleasant. Water rafting was good and an experience whilst here in Thailand. Take a towel and change of clothing as we did get a little wet. It was a nice half day trip for us which also included the turtle sanctuary and the waterfall was dry at this time of year but she took us to a temple instead. Glad we did it.

The rafting was fantastic, however this activity can be undertaken for £14. The additional cost to go to the sea turtle conservation and a five minute stop at a waterfall was not worth it as there is no entrance fee at the sea turtle naval base. As we had hired a car I would have undertaken more research and just paid for rafting and travelled to the naval base and waterfall in my own car.

We had a great experience! The bamboo rafting experience was relaxing and scenic, floating gently down the river surrounded by lush jungle. It wasn’t overly adventurous, which actually made it perfect for our two youn kids. Along the way, we were lucky enough to pick up a baby turtle out of the water and saw lots of snakes. The turtle conservatory was also great, my kids loved seeing all the baby turtles.

There was little water in both the river for the ride with the bamboo raft and the waterfall. Absolutely not the organizer's fault, but there was no waterfall everyone's to see or swim in. But it was still an ok trip to see the turtles but had not done it again. Very nice guides.

Put on plenty of mosquito repellent before you go on the bamboo rafting! It was a very relaxing experience and we saw a couple of lovely birds on the way The turtle conservation sanctuary was really interesting & had a little shop & cafe, neither were very expensive. There wasn't much water at the waterfall but made a nice quick stop on the way back