Tha Pom Nature Trail in Krabi Thailand

Krabi Tha Pom Nature Trail 

The Tha Pom Nature Trail in Krabi is probably one of the most beautiful trails I have ever been on in my hiking and trekking life. Located in the south of Thailand, this place is not to be missed by any nature lover.

Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam also has another nickname, ' Two Water Canal' or Tha Pom Canal. This is because of its unique feature where crystal clear freshwater meets with seawater from the mangrove forest giving you one of nature's natural wonders here in Thailand.

Tha Pom Nature Trail Krabi

Never before have I seen such clear waters in a myriad of aquamarine and green in one place. This was indeed a treat to me and will be a massive treat to nature lovers visiting Krabi. 

Krabi Tha Pom
Mesmerizing scenery.

On my arrival at Tha Pom Klong Song Nature Trail, I was fascinated with the natural beauty of the surrounding, even before we started our walk. I was also glad that I had brought my DSLR camera with me.

Initially, I just wanted to bring a small compact as I assumed there would be some swimming activities, but I found out that the authorities have disallowed visitors to swim here except for one area. This place is also known as the Krabi Crystal Stream.

Nature Trail Krabi
Elevated wooden walkway.

After paying the entrance fees of 50 Baht, the trail started with a wooden boardwalk over the mangrove rainforest about two meters high, even sparing trees that were in the way as they built the walk right through it.

The entire walk is not very long as it is a circular walk where you start and finish at the same point, which takes about 45 minutes.

The good thing about this nature walk is that every step taken, you are bound to see something interesting along the way. I found this very educational and yet breathtaking.

Krabi Tha Pom Khlong
Pure, beautiful nature.

Krabi Nature Trails
Wooden elevated boardwalk.

Krabi Tha Pom
Incredible views at Tha Pom Nature Trail.

As we walked about ten minutes in, we arrived at one of the most amazing natural scenes I have seen in my life.

It looked so surreal; I was in awe when I saw the colours of the water here. A blue-toned aquamarine which was crystal clear, had me stunned for a few moments.

According to my local guide, this place was considered sacred, so the natural ecology was not affected by modernization of any form.

Again, Wow... words in this article do not do justice to seeing this place with your own eyes. This would be one of the places if a fantasy movie were to be filmed.

Krabi Tha Pom Trails
Enchanting views at the nature walk stream.

The waters here were so crystal clear you could see right to the bottom of the stream, and I even saw little fishes swimming happily in schools without care.

The best times are when the sunlight hits the water, and you see an explosion of blues and greens from various angles. I would recommend you visit this place from late morning till afternoon.

Just take a look at the incredible colour of the water.

In one section, a jetty-like area is created out of wood for visitors to admire the natural beauty offered here. You are also allowed to swim in this area so expect more people when you visit this part of the nature walk.

I wanted to swim but got seriously carried away in taking photographs while here. A friend of mine took off his shoes and had a soak in the stream. His response - was really cold water.

Soft Shell Crab saw in the stream.

If you look closely at the roots of the trees at the clear pool here, you may see soft-shelled crabs moving around at the base of the tree root.

These crabs are about five to six inches in size and are edible. But you are advised not to try to catch them at all. Also, when dipping your feet or swimming, please be careful.

Photo of Tha Pom Nature Trail
Beautiful Emerald clear-coloured waters.

Emerald Lake Krabi
Emerald Green water at the nature walk.

Moving along the trail, I noticed the change in water colour as it became a little jade in colour but cloudy.

Here, plant life thrived with a good mixture of greens throughout. You are not allowed to swim in this area, but if you see locals doing it, please do not follow.  

Krabi Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam
The boarded walkway at the nature trail.

Walking further along the elevated wooden boardwalk over the mangrove, we see some local children swimming and playing in the waters.

A local Thai canoe alongside us pulled an empty canoe back to the start point. You hear sounds of birds and other insects along the way back to the start. Expect to spend at least one hour on this nature trail walk.

Children swim at the nature walk.

Crab from Mangrove
Mangrove Crab.

Just as we were to finish our nature trail, I noticed something moving on one of the plants in the mangrove. Looking closely, it was a crab.

I thought it was a baby soft shell crab and asked my nature guide if it was. Apparently, this was another species of crab called the Mangrove Crab, which lives off the plants here. 

For those into Canoeing, canoes can be rented for 100 baht an hour or for 700 baht a day, and the pick-up point is near the entrance.

The canal takes you all the way to the Andaman Sea via the Palee canal (Klong Palee), so only those with experienced are encouraged to do this. If not, stick to the hourly rate and explore the main areas here.

Map of Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam
Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam Map.

If you are a nature enthusiast and visiting Southern Thailand, I would recommend that you make a visit to Krabi as they have some stunning nature trails and places to explore.

Apart from the perception that Krabi is known for its beautiful islands and beaches, there is an abundance of Eco-Tourism and Nature here waiting to be explored.

I will make another trip back here to visit some of the other interesting and recently opened nature sights in Krabi next year.

A very big thank you to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Krabi Tourism for arranging this Krabi trip and for taking me to some of the new tourist places here. 

Information on Tha Pom Klong Song Nam Natural Trail in Krabi;


Krabi Tourism Coordination Center Tel: 0 7562 2163 or the Tourist Call Center on 1147.
Khao Khram Sub-district Administration Organization  Tel: 0 7569 4165 or 0 7569 4198

Pa Phru Toh Daeng Forest Research Centre (for information on canoeing, bird watching, nature study and peat swamp forest research), Tel. 0 1230 7159 

How to get to Tha Pom Klong Song Nam;
  • Tha Pom Klong Song Nam is located in Moo 2, Baan Nongjit, Khao Khram Sub-district, Muang District, Krabi Province. To get there from Krabi town, take the Krabi-Ao Luk road (Highway 4) and turn right at the Pom Khao Khram intersection after five kilometres. There are signages along the way here.
  • Alternatively, you can rent a motorbike and ride here with a map.
  • The easiest way for groups or families would be to book a tour here from one of the local tour agents in Krabi or Ao Nang.
Ticket Prices for Klong Song Nam;
  • Car parking is available at 20 baht per car.
  • There is a local restaurant and souvenir shop adjacent to the parking area.
  • The admission fee for adults is 50 baht and for Children 30 baht 
Pictures here were taken by me using a Nikon D60 with an 18-200mm lens in 2010.

Conclusion

Please look at my other Krabi travel articles if you plan to visit this place. And if you do, there is one place that you should also visit, which is the beautiful Emerald Pool of Krabi.

Again, for those seeking something different apart from the beach, this place is a must-visit in Krabi, and I can assure you that you will be in awe when you visit and see the Tha Pom Nature Trail.

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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