Krabi
Attractions and distractions
Attractions and distractions
Krabi province offers plenty of things to do, particularly appealing to outdoors lovers, while riverside Krabi town offers its own laidback charms and fantastic food.
In Krabi town, get yourself hungry and be sure to spend time at centrally located Maharaj Market, selecting dishes from among the hundreds of authentic curries, soups and fried seafood you’ll find—it’s a world away from the bland food on the nearby islands.
The view from Wat Tham Sua. Photo: David Luekens
The easily visited Wat Tham Seua is a highlight for many people staying in Krabi town. If you can manage all 1,237 steps—and the brazen water-thieving monkeys that hang around on them—a breezy platform affords magnificent views of mountains, cliffs, rivers, city and sea.
Across the river from Krabi town, bucolic Ko Klang has preserved the old ways of Southern Thai Muslim culture. This small, car-free island is surrounded by rivers, canals, mangrove forest and the Andaman Sea while its interior is blanketed in rice fields. The island is a prime birdwatching spot and the island is said to be the home of the inventors of Thailand’s iconic longtail boat.
You’ll have probably already spied Khao Kanab Nam, two 100 metre-high limestone outcrops that rise from the sides of the Krabi river. A boat trip to explore the caves and mangroves here is also worth your time.
Out on the river near Krabi. Photo: David Luekens
Start your exploring at Than Bok Khorani National Park (50 kilometres north of Krabi town) by taking a dip in the pools of the park’s eponymous waterfall—the waters are believed to have therapeutic properties—or make your way to Tham Phi Hua To, or “Ghost Head Cave” where human remains more than 3,000 years old were found here in the 1950s. If you need a further taste of old-growth jungle, Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, named for a 1,350 metre-high peak, is your place.
Tie in a visit on the same day to Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam, or “Two Water Canal”, another refreshing dose of natural beauty. Though it’s not home to a waterfall, the area is arguably even more beautiful, and interesting, than Than Bok Khorani.
Back in town, temple hoppers should check out Wat Kaewkorawaram, Krabi’s central city temple, which boasts a white wihaan that floats over Maharaj Road like something out of a fantasy novel.
Last but not least, the most popular spot for kayaking in Krabi province is Ao Tha Len (or Thalane), a small bay that puts you within paddling distance of canals snaking through mangroves, sea caves and limestone cliffs.
Encompassing a vast limestone eminence near Krabi town, Wat Tham Seua is a forest temple founded by the famous Thai meditation monk, Ajahn Jumnien. Translating as “Tiger Cave Temple,” the name comes from a small cave where wild tigers used to sleep, and also a rock outcrop that resembles a tiger ... Read more about Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave Temple) .
Women in handmade batik skirts crack open roasted cashews. An old man teaches his grandson how to carve a boat. Fresh fish are laid out under a heavy sun, goats and water buffalo grazing in the fields. Across the river from Krabi town but a world away from mass tourism, Ko Klang has preserved the old ways of Southern Thai Muslim ... Read more about Ko Klang .
The pair of 100-metre-high limestone outcrops known as Khao Kanab Nam rise from either side of the Krabi river to form a key part of the area’s natural scenery. Virtually any visitor to Krabi town will glimpse the rocks and their signature tilted shapes from afar, but a boat trip to explore the cave and surrounding mangroves is worth the ... Read more about Khao Kanab Nam .
The most popular spot for kayaking in Krabi province, Ao Tha Len (also spelt Thalane) is a small bay that puts you within easy paddling distance of a network of canals meandering amid mangroves, sea caves and vertical limestone cliffs. Most visit as part of a tour from Ao Nang or Krabi town, but those who are comfortable on a motorbike can do it all independently. Kayaks can be rented for 500 ... Read more about Kayaking Ao Tha Len .
Up in the northern reaches of Krabi province, Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam, or “Two Water Canal,” is a refreshing dose of natural beauty that’s far off the usual tourist trail. The park’s ecology includes abundant mangrove and banyan trees and a wide range of crabs and lizards. Crystal-clear water pours off a nearby limestone mountain, mixing with seawater and turning emerald as you head ... Read more about Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam .
The modern white wihaan of Wat Kaewkorawaram floats over the centre of Maharaj Road like something out of a fantasy novel. Lined by long and colourful statues of guardian naga serpents, a long stairway takes you up to a blue-roofed hilltop structure that will challenge your preconceptions about Thai temple architecture. We arrived to find a gang of rag-tag kid monks running about at the top ... Read more about Wat Kaew .
This 50-square-km national park is named after Khao Phanom Bencha mountain, a rugged 1,350-metre-high peak that’s the source of many of the area’s rivers and tributaries. If you need a taste of dense old-growth jungle after the islands and beaches, this is your place. The main attraction is Nam Tok Huay To, a spectacular 11-tier waterfall. On the largest tier, water cascades for some 70 ... Read more about Khao Phanom Bencha National Park .
Visitors to Than Bok Khorani National Park can take a dip in an emerald waterfall before kayaking to view haunting 3,000-year-old cave paintings. Spanning a sharp ridge of limestone mountains and coastal mangrove forest in northern Krabi province, the park makes for a worthwhile day ... Read more about Than Bok Khorani National Park .
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