Khlong Thom Hot Springs

Inland from Krabi's cliffs, the Khao Phra Bang Khram reserve holds two things worth the drive. The first is the hot stream, where thermal water runs down a low limestone staircase and collects in basins worn smooth enough to sit in; the temperature is bath level rather than scalding, and each pool holds three or four people. The second, a few kilometres on, is Sa Morakot, the Emerald Pool, a spring-fed basin in lowland forest whose colour comes from mineral-rich water over a pale bed. A short boardwalk links it to the Blue Pool, a deeper vent that is often roped off. Both sites charge separately and both fill with tour vans by late morning.

What you actually see

• The hot stream basins - warm water in smooth limestone bowls under forest cover.
• Emerald Pool - the spring-fed swimming basin at the end of a boardwalk.
• Blue Pool - a deeper vent seen from the rail, closed more often than open.
• The lowland forest walk - flat trails through forest that birdwatchers travel for.

When to go

Arrive at opening, before the day tours from Ao Nang and Krabi town land around eleven. The dry months from November to April make the roads and the walk in easiest. Hot water in hot weather is a strange combination, so the springs are more pleasant on a cool morning or straight after rain than in the middle of the afternoon.

Honest expectations

Two separate entry fees for a modest amount of water, and foreigners pay several times the Thai rate. The hot stream is small and turns territorial once groups arrive. Emerald Pool can be crowded to the point of a swimming-pool queue, the Blue Pool is shut more often than not, and changing facilities are minimal. Take your rubbish back out with you.

Nearby

Krabi town, the Tiger Cave temple stairs and the road south towards Trang.