Than Bok Khorani National Park

Than Bok Khorani National Park, in Ao Luek district north of Krabi town, is really two experiences under one park boundary. At the mainland entrance, a boardwalk leads through a botanical garden to a series of spring-fed emerald pools where the water stays cool year-round. Separately, longtail boats from piers around Ao Luek reach the park’s offshore component — the sea caves Tham Lot and Tham Phi Hua To, and Koh Hong island. Entrance to the mainland section is 300 THB for foreign adults and 100 THB for foreign children (60/30 THB for Thai nationals), the fee schedule the Department of National Parks has applied since June 2022; the boat trip to the caves and Koh Hong is a separate cost, arranged at the piers.

The mainland pools are the easy half of a visit — flat wooden walkways, cool mineral-rich water, and karst walls rising straight out of the garden. Hornbills and langurs are regularly heard, if not always seen, in the surrounding trees. The offshore half takes more effort: a longtail ride through mangrove channels past mudskippers and kingfishers, then into Tham Lot’s cave passage — navigable by boat at low tide — and on to Tham Phi Hua To, where prehistoric rock paintings mark the cave walls. Koh Hong itself is a limestone-walled lagoon island, popular for its clear, jade-coloured water inside the ring of cliffs.

Insider Tip: If you only have time for one half, go for the caves and Koh Hong — the mainland pools are pleasant but ordinary next to Krabi’s other freshwater pools, while the boat trip through the caves is the part visitors specifically travel for.

Watch out: The 300 THB mainland ticket does not include the boat to the caves or Koh Hong — budget separately, and confirm with your boat operator which sites are included before you set off.

Bring swimwear, a waterproof bag for electronics, and sandals with grip for wet surfaces on both the boardwalk and the boat trip. Nearby freshwater alternatives in the same district include Sa Morakot Emerald Pool and Namtok Huai To, while Khao Phanom Bencha National Park covers the inland jungle side of Krabi.