Khao Khanap Nam

Two limestone karst towers, roughly 100 metres tall, rise straight out of the Krabi River at the edge of Krabi Town. Khao Khanap Nam translates to “mountain flanking the water,” and the pair is the most widely used unofficial symbol of Krabi Province, appearing across local tourism material even though the province’s own seal actually depicts crossed swords and Khao Phanom Bencha, the province’s highest peak. To actually reach the twin karsts, hire a longtail boat at Jaofa Port (Chao Fa Pier): about 300 THB for the boat, a roughly 10-minute crossing, with a 30 THB per-person cave entry fee paid separately once you land.

The larger of the two hills has caves you can walk into: stalactites and stalagmites, a few chambers big enough for a small group, and a scattering of visitor displays that mix genuine local history with theatre. Local accounts describe ancient human skeletal remains once found inside these caves — but the skeleton display you’ll actually see today is a modern art installation staged as a mock excavation, not the original find, and there are separate diorama scenes referencing Japanese soldiers from the Second World War. Take both with a pinch of salt; neither is presented as verified archaeology.

Insider Tip: Combine the trip with Ko Klang, the fishing village and mangrove community across the water — most boat operators at Chao Fa Pier will do both for around 400 THB total, and it roughly doubles the length of the outing to 1.5-2 hours.

Watch out: Swimming here isn’t advisable. The currents where the river meets the sea are strong and the water is murky and brackish — this is a boat-and-cave visit, not a swim stop.

Early morning is the better time to go: calmer water for the crossing, softer light on the cliff faces for photos, and fewer boats jostling for space at the landing pontoon. From the town side, the karsts are also visible — and photographable — for free from the riverside promenade near Jaofa Port, if you’d rather skip the boat entirely. The two peaks dominate the skyline directly across the water from central Krabi Town, which is why they turn up in most tourism photography of Krabi — you don’t need to book a tour to see them, only to get close. Local legend also ties the site to the province’s name: Krabi means “sword” in Thai, and one story holds that a pair of ancient crossed swords once found by villagers was kept inside a cave here before the town was formally established.

Budget under an hour for Khao Khanap Nam alone once you’re on the water, or 1.5 to 2 hours with the Ko Klang add-on. Neither peak has a walking trail to the summit; the visit is entirely boat-and-cave, which makes it an easy add-on to a morning in Krabi Town rather than a half-day excursion in its own right.