Emerald Pool in Krabi Thailand

Krabi Emerald Pool

The unique Emerald Pool in Krabi is one of the most interesting Eco-tourism places I have visited in a long time. This stunning place, also known as Sa Morakot or Thung Tieo Emerald Pond, is located about an hour's drive from Ao Nang in Krabi.

The pool showcases the amazing green aquamarine-coloured waters after a perfect nature trek through the beautiful Khao Pra Bang Khram Wildlife Reserve.

For nature lovers or birdwatchers, this is one place you should not miss out on when visiting Krabi in Southern Thailand.

Emerald Pool in Krabi Thailand

Entrance to Emerald Pool in Krabi
Entrance to the Emerald Pool in Krabi.

Visiting the Sa Morakot or Emerald Pool caught me totally off guard and by surprise as my expectancy was lower than expected.

On arriving here, our tour guide had arranged for the entrance fees while we casually strolled in, armed with cameras and looking around for this pool.

A wooden notice board with the full map of the area was seen, while a relatively large wooden overhead arch structure followed next.

There were two ways to get to the Emerald Pool - The scenic way, which was an 1800-meter trek through the stunning mangrove rainforest.

The other was a general sand road straight to the pool, about 1400 meters long. Our choice? Obviously, the harder way as it builds character. 

Waterfall at Emerald Pool in Krabi
Amazing beautiful scenery at the Krabi wildlife reserve.

Hiking the Emerald Pool in Krabi
Entrance to the 1800-meter trek to the pool.

Once you start your 1.8 km trek, it may sound pretty long, but not to worry, the journey there will definitely impress you with beautiful scenery along the way.

Wooden boardwalks are built over the mangrove in most places, while other areas will be slightly different. You will see why in the following picture below.

Emerald Pool Trekking
Trekking to the Emerald Pool.

Trekking to the Emerald Pool in Krabi

We encountered what looked like a tactical commando training area at specific parts of the walk. 

Perfectly cut tree stumps were placed carefully in the ground in two rows, and you would have to walk on them to avoid the muddy grounds. Again, this trek is not suitable for elderly or non-adventurous people.

Photo of Emerald Pool in Krabi
Still waters of the mangrove area during the trek.


Parts of the trek to the Emerald Pool were absolutely stunning, with tall rainforest trees growing up to a hundred feet tall while the boardwalk snaked through the thick mangrove area. An excellent opportunity to see some natural wildlife here with sharp eyes.

Beautiful views of the mangrove.

Some of the stunning scenes along the trek.


After about 25 minutes of walking through the 1.8 km trek, we finally saw one of the pools with aquamarine-coloured waters. As it was just off the main boardwalk, I assumed this was it - but my guide shook his head.

This is only the beginning. Wow, there were more! Apparently, the waters here come from layers of porous rocks which gives it beautiful colours, and the clarity is absolutely stunning. You can see schools of tiny fish swimming too. 

Another section of the pond and stream.


Bird Watching in Krabi Emerald Pool

As we continued our trek further, our guide told us that this place was also popular with Birdwatchers or Birders. Some come here to find the once thought-extinct Gurney's Pitta bird.

The best time to do bird watching at Emerald Pool is in the early mornings, as there is a wide variety of other birds to be seen here.

Sadly during our after-lunch trip, we saw the sun peeking through the rainforest's canopy most of the time.

Update 2022: I would like to do birdwatching at the Krabi Emerald Pond as it would suit my Birdwatching Asia website.

Signboard showing the various places.

Finally, after about 45 minutes of trekking through the mangrove and rainforest, we made it to the main walkway of the Emerald Pool.

A nice signage was put up for those wanting to visit other places around the Wildlife Reserve, namely the Blue Pool.

From a distance, I could hear the tourist voices and knew that this must have been a popular area with the locals.

Krabi Emerald Lake
One section of the emerald pond.

Krabi's Emerald Pool is large and about 25 meters in diameter. It looks man-made but trust me, this is an all-natural pool.

Looking around, I see man-made structures built around the pool - Open air huts for people to have a picnic while there are wooden platforms in one area of the pool.

The pool is not deep as it is about one to two meters deep. At the far end, a stream flows water into this pool. Many are seen frolicking or swimming here, so if you plan to experience this, please bring a change of clothes.

Emerald Pool Krabi
Swimming at the Emerald Pool in Krabi

The striking feature of the Emerald Pool is the changing colour of the water. Depending upon the bacteria and algae content as well as the temperature of the water, the colour also changes.

The water obtains a greenish-blue colour when the temperature is high, and it is pale green at lower temperatures.

I saw several people here, from Caucasian travellers to local Thai people, as this place is heavily promoted in Krabi and Ao Nang areas. Most tour operators would have trips here, so check with them.

Aquamarine green stream.

Nearby, a stream flows with greenish emerald-coloured water. Something you never see, so it was totally awkward for me. At certain angles, it looked like a set of a fantasy movie.

Water flowed fast here, and I saw a few locals sit by the stream and dip their feet.

A traveller makes his way back to the entrance.

As we did not go to the Blue Pool, we made our way back via the general earth road. It was a relatively easy walk around, but I would have preferred it if it was in the morning.

It got a little stuffy and humid along the way back. But not to worry, a vendor was nearby the pool selling some soft drinks and ice cream.

Trek back to the entrance.

A strange bamboo shoot growing.

Waterfalls at the entrance of the Wildlife Reserve.

Finally, when we returned to the entrance, a local coffee shop was just outside selling iced coffee and juices. An iced cold Thai coffee made my trek worthwhile.

Actually, I lied - It was the sheer fact that I visited this amazing place to witness nature at its best; this is one of the best Eco-Tourism treks I have been on in a long while.

Krabi Emerald Pool Information

  • Admission to the Emerald Pond is 200 Baht (US$5.00) for adults and 100 Baht (US$2.50) for children. If you book a day trip, the admission fee will usually be included in the price.
  • Best time to visit: Morning 6am till 9am and Afternoon 3pm till 5pm
  • Open: All year round
  • What to bring: Water, trekking or sports shoes, a  towel, change of clothes if you plan to swim here. 
How to get to Krabi Emerald Pool?

Basically, there two ways to get here. One via a Krabi tour package where you are picked up and sent there with a guide who will explain everything. The other way is to self-drive or ride yourself here. For those driving or riding a bike, the information is below;
  • From Krabi town, use Highway No.4 to Khlong Thom District
  • Turn left to Highway No.4038
  • Then turn right to Highway No.4021
  • Head towards Sa Morakot
Map for Trekking in Krabi
Trail map and the surrounding areas.

This trip here was made possible with the assistance of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Krabi Tourism Association.

I would have never known of this amazing place as it is somewhat of a new attraction being promoted though it has been around for many years and is a local favourite.

Conclusion

The Emerald Pool in Krabi is definitely a place to visit if you love nature and the outdoors. It is also one of the most popular places to visit in Krabi.

On weekends, this place gets really popular with foreigners and locals; hence this place is best visited on a weekday. 

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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