Our trip in Krabi began with the much recommended Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool and Hot Springs… And the tour began with the van picking us up at our hotel, the Centara Anda Dhevi in Ao Nang…

Just as we were thinking that the van forgotten us, it arrived at our hotel driveway… The van was slightly late due to picking up everyone one else and we were the last few  they were picking up… So one more stop at the neighbouring hotel after picking us up, to pick our other fellow travelers for the day and we were on our way…

Our tour guide Johnny was Thai but spoke good English.. He introduced himself and told us the itinerary for the day which was the exact opposite of what we thought to begin with…

He decided to bring us to the Tiger Temple Cave first and leave the hot springs last as to make the trip more enjoyable or to spread out the crowd…

Johnny told us we were gonna climb just about 300 steps.. And we groaned at the thought… And he laughed and said it was a good thing we were not going up all the way to the new temple that was 1200 over steps to climb… I gave a nervous laugh… I am OK with walking 3000 steps or more or even 3 km or 4 km but when it comes to ascending somewhere…. It is sheer torture.. Signs of old age I guess…

Anyway we soon arrived at our destination Wat Tham Sua, and Johnny led us to the main temple at the bottom before asking us to climb….  We met a dog there, which Johnny laughed and said was the local tour guide… And since there were no more tigers in the area, we all decided to nick name the dog Tiger….

While we were huffing and puffing our way up the stairs Tiger was coolly climbing it alongside Johnny… OK.. That dog has more energy then me…

We soon arrived to the place where the monks lived at the side of the cave area in tiny huts barely big enough for one or two…

Aside from being the site of a meditation center, it is said to be a place of archaeological and historical interest…

Stone tools, pottery remains, and the mold for making Buddha footprints have been found in excavations.

Wat Tham Sua teaches a form of Buddhism called Vipassana (insight meditation), which is based on the teachings of the earliest Buddhist texts.

In the main meditation hall kind of place, you will find bizarre photos of internal organs and split cadavers, including a skeleton of a woman in a glass box. Apparently there was a woman who insisted that once she died, her body was to donated to the monks for their study…

These is supposed to reinforce the temporary nature of the body and help the monks to focus on more spiritual matters.

There are several small caves where Johnny then brought us to explore where he told us was the home of a tiger (or two) who lived with the monks…

There are limestone stalagmites and stalactites as a very small mineral water/ limestone water pool…

Many big trees can be found in the temple’s area, said to be hundreds of years old…

Tiger the dog just coolly led the way with Johnny until the tour was over and decided to abandon us in favour of his four legged canine friends…

Exhausted, we headed back to our van which then took us to our next destination… The Emerald Lagoon…

The Emerald Lagoon is located in a a National Park area and no food or drinks are allowed inside for obvious reasons…

Already the walk to the Emerald Pool is an interesting experience… You can choose between a 800 metres walk through the jungle with only the trees and some beware of snakes signage (showing a cobra) or a very well signed foodpath leading about 1.4 kilometers into the jungle with views of  crystal-clear streams, small ponds and of course, many plants and trees including the Crystal Pool, and eventually the Emerald Pool…

The Emerald Pool area is forested and shady and at different times of the day, it is said the color of the water changed to different hues…

The Emerald Pool is around 1-2 meters deep so if you feel like bathing or going for a dip, you really should…

The ambience of the pool is truly but be careful of the slippery limestone rocks…

The beautiful emerald of the water is caused by the high limestone and mineral content of the lake… You are only given about an hour to spend here…

Once you are done, a simple lunch will be serve at the restaurant just outside the park…

From here, we moved to our last destination… The Hot Spring…

From time to time there is nothing more relaxing then dipping yourself in the some hot spring…

A visit to Krabi should include its natural hot springs near Amphoe Khlong Thom.. There are many natural hollowed out ‘bathtubs’ caused by the running water from the thermal springs which you can relax in while watching the warm relaxing water cascade into the cooler pools.. It is a beautiful picturesque sight..

I know I could not stop myself from jumping in… And the feeling was so soothing on the muscles after the climb and all the walking… Heheh….

This hot spring is hotter than any others nearby. The minerals and the temperature (38-42c) of the hot springs here are ideal for Hydrotherapy bath…

Anyway our trip here was with KKday and personally, we loved the service and overall… So to book your own trip, do check the links below…

KKday Website: https://www.kkday.com/en?cid=8700

Emerald Pool Tiger Cave Day Tour Product Link: https://www.kkday.com/en/product/10987?cid=8700

By the way AirAsia flies to Krabi 4 times a day, and it is pretty affordable there in Krabi and pretty easy to get Halal food since Krabi Muslim population is about 70 percent…

Centara Anda Dhevi is a beautiful hotel to stay with welcoming and friendly staff… And in the heart of Ao Nang, which makes it a convenient hotel to be at…