Emerald Pool & Hot Springs: A Krabi Jungle Day Trip
By the Thongyib Thongyod team · Updated 8 July 2026
The Emerald Pool is a spring-fed jungle pool of clear jade-green water about 60–70 km inland from Ao Nang, usually visited on a 6–7 hour tour that also takes in the natural hot springs nearby. Pickup is early — around 7:45 — with drop-off back in town by roughly 14:30–15:00. The pool water is cool and startlingly clear; the hot springs a short drive away run a bath-warm 37–40°C. National park entrance fees are almost always paid in cash on the day and not included in the tour price, so bring small notes and confirm exactly what you are paying for before you book.
In short:
- The Emerald Pool is 60–70 km inland, about 90 minutes each way; the tour is a 6–7 hour day.
- Pickup around 7:45, back in Ao Nang by roughly 14:30–15:00.
- Hot springs run 37–40°C — bath-warm, worn-stone pools with small waterfalls.
- Park fees are paid cash on the day and usually not in the tour price — carry small notes.
- The Blue Pool (Sra Morakot) nearby is sometimes closed; verify before you count on it.
We run Thongyib Thongyod, a brunch and coffee cafe near Nopparat Thara Beach, and the jungle-day-trip crowd is one we know well — they are the ones eyeing the clock at breakfast before an early van, and the ones who wander back in, damp-haired and happy, in the middle of the afternoon. This is the practical version of what to expect, from people who hear the debrief every day.
What is the Emerald Pool, and is it worth the drive?
The Emerald Pool (Sa Morakot) is a natural pool inside the Khao Phra Bang Khram forest reserve, fed by a warm mineral spring that gives the water its clear green-to-turquoise colour. It sits about 60–70 km inland from the coast, so a visit is genuinely a full jungle day, not a quick hop. Whether it is worth it depends on what you want: if you have already done the boat tours and beaches and want a change of scenery — actual rainforest, a short walk on a shaded trail, a swim in fresh water instead of salt — then yes, it is one of the best inland days in the province.
The setting does the work. You walk a flat, easy path through tall forest to reach the main pool, where the water is clear enough to see your feet on the pale sandy bottom. A little further along the trail is the Blue Pool (Sra Morakot), an even more intensely coloured spring — when it is open. It closes periodically to protect the fragile source, and is sometimes off-limits for stretches of the year, so treat it as a bonus rather than a guarantee and ask your operator to confirm it for your date.
Be realistic about crowds and timing. This is a popular, well-signed attraction, and mid-morning is its busiest. Tours that leave early are partly racing to get you into the water before the tour buses arrive — one more reason the 7:45 pickup exists.
How hot are the Krabi hot springs?
The natural hot springs run about 37–40°C — comfortably bath-warm rather than scalding. A short drive from the Emerald Pool, mineral-rich water flows down through a series of smooth, worn-stone pools and small waterfalls in the forest, so you can sit in a natural hot tub with the jungle around you. The rock has been polished slick over the years, which feels lovely and means you should move carefully; the stone is smooth for a reason.
The trick most people work out too late is the contrast. There is usually a cooler stream running right beside the hot pools, and the whole experience is best as an alternating soak-and-cool: twenty minutes in the warm water is about all your body wants in a tropical climate before you slip into the cold stream to reset. Do that a couple of times and you will understand why people come out of the jungle looking so relaxed. Bring flip-flops you can walk in on wet rock, and do not expect a spa — this is nature, with all the roots and slippery edges that implies.
Most tours pair the springs with the Emerald Pool as one loop, and many also bundle in Tiger Cave Temple or a wildlife stop to fill the day. If the temple climb is on your radar too, our guide to Tiger Cave Temple covers the 1,260 steps and why you tackle them early.
The 7:45 pickup is brutal on an empty stomach. We open at 8:00, five minutes from Nopparat Thara Beach — grab a coffee and something to carry on a later start, or save us for the ride home. See the menu · Get directions
What does an Emerald Pool tour cost, and what is included?
A joined-up day tour is the normal way to do it, and the sticker price rarely tells the whole story — the national park fees are the part people forget. The forest reserve charges an entrance fee that is paid in cash on the day, frequently collected by your guide at pickup or at the gate, and it is usually separate from what you paid the agent. So two identical-looking tours can cost differently once you add fees, and a “cheap” tour may simply have left the fees off the quote. Ask directly: is the park fee included, and if not, how much is it?
Here is roughly how the day breaks down.
| Element | Detail | Paid how |
|---|---|---|
| Tour (transport + guide) | Shared minivan, round trip, ~6–7 hours | To the agent when booking |
| National park fees | Emerald Pool / forest reserve entrance | Cash on the day — bring small notes |
| Hot springs entry | Often bundled, sometimes a small extra | Confirm with agent |
| Lunch | Included on many full-day tours, not all | Check when booking |
| Blue Pool | Only if open on your date | No guarantee |
Beyond the money, three questions settle most confusion before you commit: what time is pickup and return, is lunch included, and are the park fees extra. Sort those out and the day runs smoothly. Independent drivers and self-drive by motorbike are possible for the confident, but for somewhere this far inland with timed fee gates, most people find the organised van simpler and cheaper once fuel is counted.
When should we go, and what should we bring?
Go on a drier day and go early. The Emerald Pool is at its clearest and most photogenic when recent rain has not stirred up the water, and the early pickup gets you swimming before the crowds. In the wet months the jungle is lush and the water still swimmable, but heavy rain can cloud the pool and make trails slick — no disaster, just less of the postcard.
Pack light but pack right:
- Swimwear worn under your clothes, so you are not hunting for a changing hut at the pool.
- A quick-dry towel and a dry bag for your phone and cash.
- Flip-flops or sandals with grip for wet, worn stone at both the pool and the springs.
- Cash in small notes for the park fee, lunch, and drinks — card machines do not exist in the forest.
- Insect repellent — it is real rainforest, and the shaded trails have mosquitoes.
- A light rain layer in the wet season, and drinking water for the drive.
Leave anything you would hate to lose in the minivan or at your hotel; the pools have no lockers you should trust with valuables.
Practical information
- Distance and duration: 60–70 km inland, about 90 minutes each way; the standard tour is 6–7 hours door to door.
- Times: Pickup around 7:45; drop-off back in Ao Nang by roughly 14:30–15:00. Confirm your exact pickup, as it varies by hotel.
- Fees: National park entrance is paid in cash on the day and usually not in the tour price. Ask before booking.
- Blue Pool: Sometimes closed to protect the source. Verify it is open for your date rather than assuming.
- Safety: Worn stone is slippery; move slowly, and mind children around the deeper end of the Emerald Pool.
- Pairing: Commonly combined with Tiger Cave Temple, a wildlife or elephant-sanctuary stop, or the hot springs as a single loop.
- Us: Thongyib Thongyod is at Ao Nang Landmark in Khlong Haeng, open 8:00–18:00 daily — five minutes from Nopparat Thara Beach and on the same road most jungle vans use heading out of town.
The reward at the end of the day
Full-day tours are back by mid-afternoon, which leaves a genuinely nice window before we close at 18:00. There is something specific about coming out of a cool jungle pool, sitting through 90 minutes in a van, and arriving back in the heat wanting exactly one thing: a cold drink and somewhere unhurried to sit. That is the slot we are built for.
We are twin sisters from Isan, and we developed our coffee menu over the quiet years — the Tom Yum Coffee and the iced signatures are what jungle-day people tend to gravitate to when they land back at our table. If you would rather eat, the mango sticky rice and the Thai golden desserts we are named after do the job, and the water table and fish pond are a calm place to let the day settle. Come back salty, dusty, and pleasantly worn out; we will handle the rest.
Quick answers
How far is the Emerald Pool and how long is the tour? About 60–70 km inland, roughly 90 minutes each way, on a 6–7 hour day. Pickup is around 7:45 and you are back in Ao Nang by about 14:30–15:00.
Are the park fees included? Usually not. The entrance fee is paid in cash on the day, often at pickup or the gate — bring small notes and confirm with the agent before booking.
How hot are the hot springs? Roughly 37–40°C, bath-warm rather than scalding, in worn-stone pools with small waterfalls. Alternate a short soak with the cool stream beside them.
Is the Blue Pool open? Not always. It closes periodically to protect the spring and can be off-limits for part of the year. Ask your operator to confirm it for your date.
Where can we eat before or after? At Thongyib Thongyod. The 7:45 pickup is early, but we open at 8:00 for a coffee to go on a slower start — and full-day tours return by mid-afternoon, in time for dessert and coffee before we close at 18:00.
The Emerald Pool is one of the few days in Krabi that has nothing to do with the sea, and it is all the better for it. Go early, carry cash, verify the Blue Pool — and when the van drops you back in town, you know where the cold coffee lives.