choew lan lake

Our next stop was 2 nights at Panvaree Resort on Cheow Lan Lake. 

Cheow Lan Lake, is a vast emerald reservoir framed by limestone cliffs, that was created when the Ratchaprapha Dam flooded the valley, submerging the jungle and a river to form this spectacular lake.

To ensure you don't miss the long tail boat shuttle to the resort, it is imperative to be at Ban Cheow Lan Municipality Pier for the said pick up time. For us, this was 11:30am. Fortunately, we had prearranged a private driver who ensured we arrived with time to spare - and more importantly, he escorted us directly to the Cafe Khao Sok, which is the meeting place for Panvaree Resort. There is no way  we would have found this on our own!  

TIP: Bring toilet paper and disinfectant to the pier bathrooms. Very unpleasant. Also these are paid bathrooms, but there is as container to the left of the stall filled with coins to use for the turnstile.

Together with all the other guests, we boarded a long tail boat to Panvaree Resort. There were quite a few of us (I'd guess 30)  and so many bags - I worried we would sink! It was about 40 minutes to the resort. If you sit up front be prepared to get wet. Jim and Andrew got soaked with the spray back in their faces - the rest of us were tucked in behind them, so stayed relatively dry! The scenery in was spectacular.

I had reserved The Garrett House, which is one of two private villas.  All the others were semi-detached units.  It was a tight fit for the 5 of us. A king bed with 2 doubles in the loft.Bathrooms are located just outside the houses in a self contained room. Our villa was in need of a facelift. There was peeling stain on our dock, a hole in the bathroom wall, the water hammock attached to our dock had a large hole and was not sitting in its brackets, so it was off kilter. It was still useable fortunately.  The villa beside us had the same problem with their hammock and their water ladder was fully broken - though it was fixed during our visit.  The ramp connecting the villas to the main building felt a bit unstable, with a rope railing on only one side. If my boys had been younger, I would have found this concerning. Jim and the boys managed it without issue — I, however, struggled a little with my balance.

Electricity is provided from 6pm to 6am with AC only overnight. Only one of the two fans may be used during the day, which made the loft particularly warm. Fortunately, the beauty of this stay is being in the water — swimming, kayaking, and spending time outdoors.  The staff were lovely, worked incredibly hard, and kept very long hours — they seemed constantly on the go.

Breakfast is an American style buffet. Lunch and dinner are fixed menus served family style. Lunch included breaded chicken, a soup and a curry.  Dinner was much the same but with an added chicken curry dish and fish. Dinner on the second night did not look appetizing - but it was absolutely delicious. Dessert was always watermelon.  Don’t be afraid to ask for seconds for any portion of a meal.   The bar is fairly stocked except for wine. After purchasing 2 bottles, I’m pretty sure we cleaned them out. 

The nights were very quiet.  We spent our 2 nights sitting on our dock and play cards - but tried to keep the volume down!  No swimming is allowed after 6pm, which we were disappointed about when we first arrived - but once darkness fell, we realized how wise that is. It is so dark that we couldn't see 2 feet off the dock!

Book directly with Panvaree Resort as they offer an inclusive package with meals and excursions. 

On day one, you will be taken on a pre-dinner long tail boat ride around the lake. Mostly looking at the scenery which is beautiful. On the first morning, there is a scheduled 6am Morning Safari Long tail boat ride. We unintentionally slept through this!  If staying for a second night, you will be taken on a 1pm long tail ride to Coral Cove, whereby you exit the boat and hike approximately 4km. We intended to do this excursion, however, in the 30 minutes ahead of the tour, a WILD ELEPHANT appeared on the island just behind our villa! We decided that was such a unique experience that we did not want to miss. We were thrilled we made that decision after talking with our neighbours who did elect to go on the excursion. The gentleman did not enjoy the hike and had multiple land leech bites to show for his effort.

TIP: If budget or space permits, consider reserving a semi detached bungalow reserving the 2 suites for larger families especially with older kids. While the Garrett House could fit our party of 5, I am not certain it was the right option. It was wonderful not to share a dock or wall with others, but if we had booked the entire semi-detached unit,  we would have had more space and it would still be private. 

TIP: If budget allows, consider a stay at the sister property next door, The Greenery. It is smaller and more intimate. It appeared to be in much better condition. It was fully booked for our stay- so be sure to book early in high season. Website:  https://www.thegreenerypanvaree.com/

TIP: For an added, or optional stay, check out Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp https://rainforestcamp.com/

A slightly elevated experience combining both glamping and a Cheow Lan Lake bungalow stay into one experience. My original plan was to reserve this location. It was fully booked almost a full year ahead of our trip, so if you are interested - be sure to book very early. That said, we were thrilled with both KhaoSok Boutique Camp and Panvaree Resort.