Tha Pom Klong Song Nam

Tha Pom Klong Song Nam is a 700-metre circular boardwalk through peat-swamp and mangrove forest in Krabi’s Khao Khram subdistrict, where fresh spring water meets brackish canal water without fully mixing. The name means “two-water canal” — walk the loop and you can see the line where the clearer, mineral-tinted fresh water sits against the darker, tannin-stained water from the tidal canal.

The wooden walkway runs on stilts above the water, past dense peat-swamp forest, jungle, and mangrove roots that thread down into the canal. Where the fresh water runs clearest, you can see straight to the sandy bottom and watch small fish move through it — visibility is best from November to May, when the dry season keeps the water still. During the rainy months the canal runs murkier and the crystal-clear stretches shrink.

Watch out: Swimming is banned along the clearest sections to protect the roots and water quality, and despite how clean it looks, the water carries a high mineral content from dissolved limestone — don’t drink it.

The trail is quiet compared to Krabi’s beaches; birdsong and the occasional splash of a fish are about as loud as it gets. Morning visits bring softer light through the canopy and cooler air for the walk, though the site doesn’t get crowded even at midday. Bring insect repellent and water, and wear shoes with grip — the boardwalk gets damp in patches even outside the rains.

Tha Pom sits well inland — this is a mangrove and canal trail, not a beach stop, despite being grouped with the Ao Nang area for tourism purposes. It’s about 35 km from Krabi Town via Route 4 toward Ao Luek, roughly 40-45 minutes by car or motorbike. Two nearby nature stops worth combining on the same route are Khao Ka Rot, a cave temple around 8 km away, and Thalane Bay, a limestone-karst bay for kayaking about 9 km off.