A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Airlie Beach vs. Khao Sok National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Airlie Beach or Khao Sok National Park?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Airlie Beach and Khao Sok National Park. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Airlie Beach or Khao Sok National Park?

Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach, in Queensland, offers the closest port to the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a small town of only 25,000 and has grown out of the area's popularity as a tourist destination. It's main industry remains tourism and, as such, there are many venues set up to accommodate travelers hoping to make trips to the Whitsunday Islands and the Outer Great Barrier Reef. The town has the feel of a vacation destination. While in the past Airlie Beach appealed specifically to the backpacker crowd, it's popularity has spread and now there are facilities catering to all travel types. The area has become more commercialized and there are plenty of large resorts to choose from. Even so, you'll still find no shortage of affordable accommodation around town.

Khao Sok National Park

In the south of Thailand, visitors will find a gorgeous getaway of pure nature. The Khao Sok National Park is a jungle reserve that covers over 700 square kilometers, and described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in the country.

Many say this jungle is over 160 million years old making it one of the world's oldest rainforests. The lush environment of limestone, waterfalls and thickets of vegetation will make any wanderer eager to discover more. Keep your eyes peeled for bears, boars, gaurs, tapirs, gibbons, deer, marbled cats, wild elephants and more. Look to the sky for over 300 species of bird and 38 different types of bats.

You'll find the best time to book is from December to April, better known as the dry season. From June to October there is significantly more rain and the threat of monsoons. Not only does it rain on your parade, but also it causes the leeches to emerge.

To enter the park is a 300 baht fee for foreigners, 150 for children, and 40 for Thai citizens. If someone tries to sell you a ticket for more than that, simply buy one at the park entrance. When planning your stay remember that your entrance fee is only valid for 24 hours. If you're staying multiple days, you'll need to pay up front. Often if you're with a tour, the entrance fee is included in the tour price, but you should inquire about this to make sure.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Coach Bus Tours in Australia, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Thailand, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Thailand.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Airlie Beach and Khao Sok National Park, we can see that Airlie Beach is more expensive. And not only is Khao Sok National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Airlie Beach is in Pacific and Khao Sok National Park is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Khao Sok National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Khao Sok National Park and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Airlie Beach would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Airlie Beach than you might in Khao Sok National Park.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Airlie Beach Expensive? and Is Khao Sok National Park Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Airlie Beach or Khao Sok National Park?

Airlie Beach has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Khao Sok National Park experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Airlie Beach or Khao Sok National Park in the Summer?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Airlie Beach are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Airlie Beach this time of year. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Sok National Park because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In January, Airlie Beach is generally around the same temperature as Khao Sok National Parkin July. Daily temperatures in Airlie Beach average around 26°C (79°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).

It's quite sunny in Khao Sok National Park. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach usually receives more sunshine than Khao Sok National Park during summer. Airlie Beach gets 285 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 206 hours of full sun in the summer.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. It's quite rainy in Airlie Beach. In January, Airlie Beach usually receives more rain than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Airlie Beach gets 331 mm (13 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 284 mm (11.2 in) of rain each month for the summer.

Should I visit Airlie Beach or Khao Sok National Park in the Autumn?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Airlie Beach during the autumn are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Airlie Beach for the hiking trails, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Sok National Park year-round.

Airlie Beach is cooler than Khao Sok National Park in the autumn. The daily temperature in Airlie Beach averages around 23°C (73°F) in April, and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in October.

It's quite sunny in Airlie Beach. In the autumn, Airlie Beach often gets more sunshine than Khao Sok National Parkin October. Airlie Beach gets 207 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 181 hours of full sun.

Khao Sok National Park gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach usually gets less rain in April than Khao Sok National Parkin October. Airlie Beach gets 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 351 mm (13.8 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Airlie Beach or Khao Sok National Park in the Winter?

The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Airlie Beach and Khao Sok National Park. Many visitors come to Airlie Beach in the winter for the shopping scene and the cuisine. Khao Sok National Park attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the winter, Airlie Beach is much colder than Khao Sok National Park. Typically, the winter temperatures in Airlie Beach in July average around 16°C (62°F), and Khao Sok National Park averages at about 27°C (80°F)in January.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Khao Sok National Park this time of the year. In Airlie Beach, it's very sunny this time of the year. Airlie Beach usually receives less sunshine than Khao Sok National Park during winter. Airlie Beach gets 226 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 287 hours of full sun in the winter.

In July, Airlie Beach usually receives around the same amount of rain as Khao Sok National Parkin January. Airlie Beach gets 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 42 mm (1.7 in) of rain each month for the winter.

Should I visit Airlie Beach or Khao Sok National Park in the Spring?

The spring brings many poeple to Airlie Beach as well as Khao Sok National Park. Most visitors come to Airlie Beach for the beaches and the natural beauty during these months. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Sok National Park throughout the year.

In October, Airlie Beach is generally cooler than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Daily temperatures in Airlie Beach average around 23°C (73°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 29°C (83°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Airlie Beach this time of the year. In the spring, Airlie Beach often gets more sunshine than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Airlie Beach gets 298 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 249 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Khao Sok National Park. Airlie Beach usually gets less rain in October than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Airlie Beach gets 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Typical Weather for Khao Sok National Park and Airlie Beach