Emerald Pool and Hot Water Spring : Krabi’s Tranquil side…
Hello all,
What will be your answer if someone asks, what is the worst thing you can have? My answer will be loneliness. Loneliness in the crowd of thousands, loneliness in a roaring party, loneliness of coming home where nobody is waiting! I watched the movie Mast Me Rehne Ka this week, and the movie portrayed loneliness so beautifully. Be it Jackie, sir, or Neenaji? We really don’t know, or rather, we can’t understand the loneliness that comes with ageing. In the movie, Mrs Prakash Kaur has a son and his family, but she is still alone in the world. The character Kamath has been alone for 12 years. We can’t even imagine the pain he is going through. But His eyes tell us all. His routine is so poignantly intertwined with the routine of the city, a city that we call a dream city. The dreams of tailor Nanhe and his girlfriend Rani. But still, in those dreams, we find loneliness within one of the most crowded cities. If you have not watched the movie yet, do watch it. It is like a comfort tea after a day’s hard work; it is the comfort of khichdi after lengthy holidays, and it is like champi with Maa’s hands sitting on the floor of your parent’s home! It speaks of emptiness but still hugs you like a warm blanket on these cold winter nights, just like the friendship of Madrasi and his survey partner finding happiness in the movie.
After watching such a beautiful movie, I started writing my blog about the Emerald Pool. Don’t mind, but I was tired of visiting beach after beach while we were in Thailand. I wanted the comfort of mountains or forests. I get one of them at Emerald Pool.
The Emerald Pool, which is also known as Sa Morakot, is a natural freshwater pond where water comes from natural springs. There are two other pools in the region named Blue Lagoon and Crystal Pool. Please take a short hike to these gems because they are one of the best activities in Krabi, Thailand. The ponds are in the middle of the mystical and unique rainforest named Thung Teao Forest National Park.
Emerald pool:
Once you reach the Emerald pool, the turquoise green water with enchanting surroundings will captivate you. The emerald pool is 20 meters wide and 1-2 meters deep so that you can swim safely here.
The water is not cool or hot, and its colours change as temperature changes. The water is pretty straightforward but not drinkable. The rocks at the edges of the pool are very slippery, so please be cautious while going inside. There are ropes so you can get inside with the help of them. The magical emerald colour of the water is due to the high calcium carbonate content within.
Blue Lagoon:
Blue Lagoon is 600 meters ahead of the Emerald pool. The colour of the water is light blue, just like Safire, and soothing to the eyes and tranquil to the soul! I have never witnessed such a natural wonder in my life. It feels like you are in a different world altogether, with lush green forest all around you and a pond with bright blue water in the middle! It is like a perfect fairytale setting! Little bubbles were rising in the centre of the pool, suggesting hot water within. As this pool is at the primary source of the spring, the water is too hot (40 to 50 degrees Celsius), and the soil adjacent to the lagoon is quicksand, so swimming is not allowed inside. The water emerges via a hot spring from heated groundwater by the earth’s thermal geo-energy. When water from rain seeps through cracks in the soil, the water is then heated by subsurface magna and then emerges as a hot water spring. The forest trail is dense on the way to Blue Lagoon, with tall trees and mangroves, and it is rich in bio-diversity. If you are a nature lover, you may find different species of tropical trees and plants here, so keep your camera ready!
Crystal pool:
It is also known as The Glass Pool or Sra Kaew. It is also a relatively large pool with crystal-clear water. The pond is around 35 meters wide and 1-3 meters deep. The water here comes from the Emerald pool via streams. Similar to Blue Lagoon, you can not swim here.
Shrine Of The Hermit
On the way to Blue Pool, you will pass a small shrine of a hermit who once lived here, with multiple adjacent statues.
How to reach Emerald Pool:
It is located approximately 55 kilometres east of Krabi town, or 70 kilometres from Ao Nang, and takes around 50 to 70 minutes. You can go by car or scooter. There are many guided tours available on Klook and Get Your Guide, and they are refundable just before 24 hours of the tour. The guided tour usually involves a pick-up from your hotel, visit to the Emerald Pool, Hot Water Spring and Tiger Cave temple. We didn’t want to visit Tiger Cave temple, and we had our vehicle, so we went by ourselves only. The trail is well-marked and well-maintained, so you can also make a DIY trail. Once you reach the place, there is a big parking lot with many shops and a few food joints.
Trail distance:
There are two trails. The first one has a gravel road, which is approximately 800 meters. This will take you through the forest with tall trees all around you.
Another one is longer and more scenic and is approximately 1 km with a wooden boardwalk. This one will take you via Crystal Pool.
There are few streams on both trails. We went via the first one and came back via the second one.
Best time to visit:
Timings of Emerald Pool: from 8:30 am and closes at 4:30 pm. Emerald Pool is possible all year, but the Blue Pool is closed from May to October because it is a breeding period for many bird species. Blue Lagoon is located more profoundly than the Emerald Pool in the forest.
It is better to go on weekdays or in the early morning. These places are famous among locals and school kids, so you will get crowded if you are late. We reached Emerald Pool early, so only a few people were there along with us.
Entrance fees: 400 baht per adult and 200 baht per child
What To Wear?
If you are going to swim and trust us, you definitely should do swimming here, wear your costumes under the clothes, or you can change there too. Don’t forget towels though.
Other facilities:
- Washrooms
- Changing rooms
- Food joints with few shops near the parking area
Points to consider:
1. Go early. Reach there by its opening time or go in the late afternoon before closing time to avoid crowds.
2. It has been mentioned that water is muddy in the monsoon season, so it is better to go in the dry season.
3. There are washrooms and changing rooms so you can change after swimming. We already had our costumes underneath our clothes, and we were going to Hot Springs afterwards, so we didn’t change. And the weather in Thailand is such that it won’t take forever for your clothes to get air-dried.
4. The trail to the blue lagoon might be muddy and slippery, so wear proper shoes.
After visiting Emerald Pool, we went to Krabi Hot Water Springs.
Krabi Hot Spring (Namtok Ron):
Opening hours: 8:30 to 6:00 pm
Entrance fee :
For foreigners is 200 Thai Baht (adults), 100 Thai Baht (children).
There is a short walk of approximately 10 minutes from the parking lot to the hot springs.
There are few artificial pools which contain water from the same stream. But if you want to go to natural springs, go to the right.
Natural spring:
If you want to relax your sore muscles, then a dip in this water is a must. It was on our last day of the Thailand trip, so all our tiredness washed away after spending a few minutes here at this natural spa. It is like a natural Jacuzzi. The temperature of water is 35-40 degrees Celcius. This water comes from deep volcanic chambers in the form of hot springs. It contains mineral salts and calcium carbonate. The stones of the waterfall forming natural tubs are smooth yet not slippery. It is mentioned there that you should not sit for more than 20 minutes in the natural spring.
The artificial Thermal Pools
Frankly, I loved the natural pool, but few of us enjoyed thoroughly in those thermal pools, including Shaurya. There are three different pools with different water temperatures.
Other facilities at :
– Food joint at the parking area
– Thai spa.
– Showers
– Changing rooms
– Washrooms
– Few hiking trails.
How to reach
65 kilometres from Ao Nang and 55 kilometres from Krabi
only 15 minutes from Emerald Pool
Points to consider:
- Go early if possible. We went after visiting Emerald Pool, so the natural spring was already crowded, and it was challenging to find a spot there.
That’s it.
Thank you..
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