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

Should you visit Coffs Harbour or Khao Sok National Park?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Coffs Harbour and Khao Sok National Park can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Coffs Harbour or Khao Sok National Park?

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is in New South Wales between Brisbane and Sydney. Historically, Coffs Harbour has been a popular vacation destination among families, particularly Australian families. Most visitors today are families that are carrying on a longstanding tradition and bringing their children to the holiday destination of their childhood. You'll also find backpackers who spend up to a week here, dividing the trip between Sydney and Brisbane. The area has a well established tourist infrastructure that is not as trendy as that in Byron Bay, but it remains a wonderful community to visit if you're not looking for the party atmosphere.

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 Adventure Tours to Australia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers 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 Coffs Harbour and Khao Sok National Park, we can see that Coffs Harbour is more expensive. And not only is Khao Sok National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Coffs Harbour 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 Coffs Harbour would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Coffs Harbour 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 Coffs Harbour Expensive? and Is Khao Sok National Park Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Coffs Harbour or Khao Sok National Park?

Coffs Harbour 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 Coffs Harbour or Khao Sok National Park in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Coffs Harbour as well as Khao Sok National Park. Many travelers come to Coffs Harbour for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences. The warm climate attracts visitors to Khao Sok National Park throughout the year.

In January, Coffs Harbour is generally cooler than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Daily temperatures in Coffs Harbour average around 23°C (74°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 28°C (82°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 Coffs Harbour this time of the year. In the summer, Coffs Harbour often gets more sunshine than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Coffs Harbour gets 237 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 206 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Khao Sok National Park. Coffs Harbour receives a lot of rain in the summer. Coffs Harbour usually gets less rain in January than Khao Sok National Parkin July. Coffs Harbour gets 187 mm (7.4 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 284 mm (11.2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Coffs Harbour or Khao Sok National Park in the Autumn?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Coffs Harbour are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Many visitors come to Coffs Harbour in the autumn for the hiking trails, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area. Plenty of visitors come to Khao Sok National Park because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

Coffs Harbour is cooler than Khao Sok National Park in the autumn. The daily temperature in Coffs Harbour averages around 20°C (67°F) in April, and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 27°C (81°F)in October.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Coffs Harbour. Coffs Harbour usually receives more sunshine than Khao Sok National Park during autumn. Coffs Harbour gets 203 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 181 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Khao Sok National Park. It's quite rainy in Coffs Harbour. In April, Coffs Harbour usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin October. Coffs Harbour gets 215 mm (8.5 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 351 mm (13.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Coffs Harbour or Khao Sok National Park in the Winter?

Both Khao Sok National Park and Coffs Harbour during the winter are popular places to visit. Most visitors come to Coffs Harbour for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Khao Sok National Park year-round.

In the winter, Coffs Harbour is much colder than Khao Sok National Park. Typically, the winter temperatures in Coffs Harbour in July average around 13°C (55°F), and Khao Sok National Park averages at about 27°C (80°F)in January.

In Khao Sok National Park, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Coffs Harbour. In the winter, Coffs Harbour often gets less sunshine than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Coffs Harbour gets 219 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Khao Sok National Park receives 287 hours of full sun.

Coffs Harbour usually gets more rain in July than Khao Sok National Parkin January. Coffs Harbour gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 42 mm (1.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Coffs Harbour or Khao Sok National Park in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Coffs Harbour and Khao Sok National Park. The spring months attract visitors to Coffs Harbour because of the beaches and the natural beauty. Khao Sok National Park attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In October, Coffs Harbour is generally much colder than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Daily temperatures in Coffs Harbour average around 19°C (66°F), and Khao Sok National Park fluctuates around 29°C (83°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Khao Sok National Park this time of the year. In Coffs Harbour, it's very sunny this time of the year. Coffs Harbour usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Khao Sok National Park during spring. Coffs Harbour gets 257 hours of sunny skies, while Khao Sok National Park receives 249 hours of full sun in the spring.

Khao Sok National Park receives a lot of rain in the spring. Coffs Harbour gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Coffs Harbour usually receives less rain than Khao Sok National Parkin April. Coffs Harbour gets 103 mm (4.1 in) of rain, while Khao Sok National Park receives 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Khao Sok National Park and Coffs Harbour