Navigate Serenity and Adventure
While Krabi is often associated with its beautiful beaches and limestone cliffs, the town itself offers a unique charm that’s best experienced through a longtail boat river cruise that gives you a sense of serenity combined with a small taste of adventure.
No matter where you are staying in Krabi there are plenty of cheap and convenient transport options to get to the town. Don’t worry too much about booking in advance, if you’re staying in Ao Nang or Railay you will see plenty of tour operators that will arrange transport for you. A river tour can easily be a half-day trip no matter where in Krabi you are staying.
Krabi Town, situated along the banks of the Krabi River, is a departure from the more tourist-centric areas of the region. The town exudes a laid-back atmosphere, with its charming streets, local markets, and the friendly warmth of its residents. One interesting thing you may notice when you arrive in town is the main intersection where giant ape statues carry the traffic lights. Pretty cool to see some artistic flair applied to traffic engineering!
To start your river cruise adventure, head over to Chao Fah Park, a peaceful riverside park where locals gather for exercise and relaxation. The park offers a scenic starting point for your river tour, surrounded by lush greenery and blessed with views of the majestic limestone cliffs that characterize the region.
At this point you should start to see tour operators offer you a river cruise, but if not just walk a bit south to the pier where tour operators will definitely be waiting. As usual in Thailand, you can negotiate a tour and price with them. I ended up paying 400 baht for a 2-hour private longtail boat river cruise, which I would say isn’t bad for having the entire boat to myself! It might be a good idea to have exact change though, my tour guide did not have change for 1000 baht which led to an awkward and mad scramble to try to find someone around who could break down a 1000 baht note.
My tour include a cruise through the mangroves and a stop at the Khao Khanab Nam cave. This is pretty standard I think, but definitely feel free to negotiate and request additional stops with your tour guide. I noticed a watch tower across the river which wasn’t included in my itinerary but my tour guide was happy to stop there when I asked. I’m glad I did as it gave me nice views over the river and also included a walk through the mangroves.
Probably the most memorable part of the river tour for me was exploring the Khao Khanab Nam cave. The scenery is quite striking as you enter for the first time. Through your admiration of all the stalagmites and stalactites you might fail to notice the giant human skeleton on the ground – I know I did and only noticed it when a fellow traveller pointed it out! She seemed to think it was real, claiming that humans used to be that big (the skeleton must have been at least 10-15 feet tall) but I have my doubts. Still cool to see though.
If you’re looking for something different than the usual beaches and island hopping in Krabi, a river tour offers a unique perspective on this enchanting destination, allowing you to immerse yourself in its natural beauty, cultural richness, and the tranquility that defines this hidden gem in southern Thailand.