Jungle Tour to Emerald Pool – Krabi Hot Springs- Tiger cave temple with VIP van (A1 program)

Visit the must-see attractions of Krabi organised by the outstanding team of Sea Eagle Tour’s partner and get there before all other group tours. For this purpose, get picked up from your hotel lobby at sunrise and head in air-conditioned comfort to Klong Thom in the south of Krabi province.

Continue to Krabi Hot Spring near the Khao Phra Bang Khram Nature Reserve. Relax in hot-tub jacuzzis formed by Mother Nature, known locally as ‘nam tok rawn’. The water here comes from thermal springs, originating deep underground in volcanic chambers. Located in the jungle, this site features naturally hollowed-out ‘bathtubs’ in the smooth stone, filled to the brim with fresh running spring water at a pleasant 35 – 42 C.

A visit to the Hot Springs would not be complete without a trip to the nearby ‘Crystal Pool’ also known as Emerald Pool or Sa Morakot in Thai. This is a large natural pool that is filled with pure spring water which is ideal to take a refreshing swim.

The pool is reached via a network of trails through the Khao Nor Chu Chi forest, which offer a glimpse into a unique aquatic ecosystem, fed by the area’s abundant spring water. You will pass by a series of clear mini-pools, waterfalls and streams, plus hundreds of species of tropical tree, plants and birds.

The other must-see site in the reserve is the brightly coloured ‘Blue Pool’, located some 600 m further upstream from the Emerald Pool. You will enjoy a Thai style lunch at a local restaurant near the entrance area before heading to the next attraction.

Tiger Cave Temple, or Wat Tham Seua in Thai, is set in a beautiful forest and is in fact a famous meditation centre for monks and nuns who come from all over Thailand to retreat here. The temple was founded in the late 1970s, by Abbot Luang Por Chamnean Srilasatheto who came to meditate in a cave here.

The temple is laid out as a small village. The main boulevard is lined with monkeys and ends at a large statue of Guan Im, the Taoist deity revered by Chinese-Thai Buddhists. From here, you can walk around the nature trail in the Khiriwong Valley, with its maze of caves, or double back to visit the main Tiger Cave and bell tower (the largest in southern Thailand).

For those who are fit enough, a 1237 stair climb leads to the famous mountain-top shrine, for a view that will take away what little breath you have left.