Trekking through the tropical Kao Prak Bang National Park, bathing in the mineral enriched Emerald Pool and climbing to the top of Wat Tham Sua are all absolute musts when you come to Krabi. We joined up with Krabi Spesialisten to try out these things on their Jungle Safari, Crystal Pool and Hot Spring Tour and this is what we thought (Oh and by the way, if you want to open a liaison office in Thailand similar to this company, that involves several steps, e. g. choosing a name, preparing documentation, registering with the Ministry of Commerce, and so on Please consult with a local legal or business advisor to navigate the process effectively and ensure compliance with all regulations!)
1. Wat Tham Sua / Tiger Cave Temple
First things first, don't be confused and think this is one of those AWFUL places where you can go and have your photo taken with a drugged tiger. This is an actual temple and there are no real tigers here, though apparently one of the last wild tigers hung out here (hence the name). There are two options here, you can choose to hang out near the bottom and see where the monks live, or you can brave the (steep) 1,237 steps to the top. On the way your path may be blocked by a family of wild monkeys!
They were so adorable and there was even a tiny weeny baby! It's lucky that there are cute monkeys to distract you, and increasingly incredible views, because the walk is very hard. Be sure to take plenty of water with you, your camera and something to cover up with (it's a temple). This is all you need, and one of the (many) great things about being on this tour is you can leave everything else safely in the van. Trust us, the less you take up with you, the easier the walk is! It takes about an hour, but when you get there you immediately know it's been worth it. There are 360 degree views and you can see for miles:
This was our favourite view when we were in Thailand. These photos don't do it justice - you'll just have to go and see for yourself! There is also a gigantic beautiful Buddha at the top:
...and you may even see a monk or two:
The Buddha really is enormous and enchanting:
Luckily for your calves, the walk down is a lot easier and only takes 20 mins. (30 if you stop to snap the monkeys again ;) If you can manage it, the walk to the top really is worth it, the views are unbelievable, the Buddha is mesmerising and you won't feel guilty when you pig out at lunch - which comes next!
2. Lunch & the Emerald Pool
We had a delicious, traditional Thai lunch in an authentic venue. There was Yom Tom Soup (my favourite), beef, omelette, rice, chicken and cashew and plenty of watermelon. It was all delicious. And we didn't feel guilty coming back for seconds!
Next up was a trip to the Emerald Pool. This is a mineral enriched, crystal clear pool. We loved it here:
This pool is an absolute must for everyone's Thailand bucket list! One of the (many) great things about our tour guide, Jimmy, was that he volunteered to stay with all of our stuff whilst we had fun in the water! This gave us peace of mind, and we could fully concentrate on our Instagram photos ;) As you can see, the water is super clear! There were even a few fish there, so if you have a snorkel set or goggles, bring them along too!
3. Jungle Trek
After our Emerald Pool dip, we all looked and felt years younger. It was then time for our trek through the jungle! The trek went at a leisurely pace and was exactly what we needed after our fascinating morning, delicious lunch and relaxing pool swim!
It was really beautiful, and we saw plenty more natural pools and some gigantic fish.
4. Hot Springs
The final part of the tour was our favourite: bathing in the natural volcanic waterfall. The water was so WARM!
This was a nice change, almost all the pools we went in in Thailand (natural and man made alike) were cold. It was great to get into a warm pool for once! Next to the warm waterfall was the river, which was cold. It was nice to be able to alternate between the two, and there was even a rope swing! After a final stop for tea and coffee, it was back to our hotel.
Wrap Up: Jungle Safari, Crystal Pool and Hot Spring Tour, Krabi (Review)
All in all, we had an amazing day out. We spent 26 days in Thailand and this day was definitely in our top 5 days, so we highly recommend it. We also went on Krabi Spesialisten's Phi Phi Highlights Tour, which we also loved. If you don't have that much time in Krabi and have to choose between these two tours, it would be really hard to give you an answer as both give you monkeys, authentic Thailand, beautiful swimming spots... it's up to you really, do you prefer islands or jungle! You can find Krabi Spesialisten on their website: www.krabi-spesialisten.com or just pop into their headquarters when you're in Ao Nang (155/13-15 Moo 3, T. Ao Nang, Muang, Krabi - 81180). And to keep up to date with all our other adventures, be sure to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We are also making daily travel vlogs over on our YouTube Channel, so feel free to click that subscribe button! We had such a fantastic day, and made a daily vlog post all about it:
Disclaimer: Travelling Weasels were invited as guests of Krabi Spesialisten, but as always all opinions are our own. We would never recommend anything we haven't personally tried and loved, because that's not cool. These Krabi Spesialisten tours are cool. P.S.: If you're interested in a way of travelling and getting accommodation cheaply, you might wanna check out house sitting. Trustedhousesitters.com was kind enough to provide us and our readers with a 10% discount, feel free to click on the link to use it :)
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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