Emerald Pool

Sa Morakot, the Emerald Pool, sits in the Khao Pra-Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Krabi - lowland rainforest that is among the last substantial patches of its kind in the region and holds Gurney's pitta, a bird thought extinct until rediscovered here in 1986 and now critically endangered. The pool itself is a spring-fed basin of warm mineral water in a striking green, reached by a boardwalk and path of about eight hundred metres, and swimming in it is the standard visit. Further along the trail is the Blue Pool, Sa Nam Phut, a deeper and more intensely coloured spring where swimming is prohibited - the pool is fragile, and the ban is enforced. A hot stream runs nearby. The colour in both depends on light and sediment: after rain the water clouds and the emerald effect largely disappears, which is the main disappointment visitors report.

What you actually see

• The Emerald Pool - the warm spring basin, swimmable, reached by boardwalk.
• The Blue Pool - deeper and more intensely coloured, with swimming banned.
• The lowland rainforest - among the last of its type, home to Gurney's pitta.
• The hot stream - the thermal water running nearby.

When to go

November to April, in dry conditions - after rain the water clouds and the colour is lost. Early morning avoids the tour groups that arrive from Krabi and Ao Nang.

Honest expectations

The colour depends on clear water and good light; after rain it is murky green-grey. Swimming in the Blue Pool is prohibited and enforced. Crowded from mid-morning. An 800-metre walk each way. Foreign entry fees are higher than Thai.

Nearby

Khlong Thom hot springs are close; Krabi Town and Ao Nang are north-west.