Our days off are few enough that we usually try to undertake some sort of excursion for at least part of the day when we have one. A recent trip was to rent a scooter and head to Khao Pra-Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary to have a look at a series of pools – the most famous being the Emerald Pool. The pools are what are really well known but the whole park is pretty nice and apparently home to some rare birds.
This is a small pool/cascade near the park entrance. Some people were swimming here.
After a ride of a little more than an hour we managed to pull into the parking lot surprisingly sunburnt. Apparently, the reflection from the asphalt really intensified the sun. For those looking to find the park, it is really well signed once you get on the highway. Follow the signs for Crystal Pool/ Emerald Pool/ Sa Morakot. They all lead to the same place. Once we arrived and got parked (10B to park a bike) we grabbed a mango shake and headed for the gate. Oops – you are not allowed food in the park. We had to gulp it down before paying the 200 B/person admission fee and heading to the pools. It’s an easy 800 metre walk to Emerald Pool from the gate. We were part of a steady flow of people heading that way and we were far from the only people there. Having said that, it was actually not that crowded for a popular swim spot in Asia. The water is really clear and quite warm.
After splashing around in the Emerald Pool for a bit we thought we would head a little further upstream and check out the Blue Pool. You can’t swim there but it is really beautiful.
We took a slightly different route out of the park and past the Crystal Pond and we have to say, it was the least crystal-like body of water we saw in the park. There were a few other decent views on the walk out though.
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- Crystal Pond? Really?
Knowing the way meant that our trip back to Krabi was slightly faster than on the way out, but were still over an hour on the road. Thankfully, we got back before the first major rain shower of the season dumped a ton of water on the town. We were comfortably ensconced in an internet cafe uploading photos when it hit. We did have to play a game of awning hopping on the way to the market, but it sure beat being caught in the deluge on the bike! Khao Pra-Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary is certainly worth the trip if you have the better part of a day to devote to it. Any less time than we had would mean more travel time than actually getting to see the place. There are also nearby hot springs that we did not visit, but they would make a good pairing as you pass them on the way to the park.
From Snow to Sand: B&T Adventures 