Travelling to Krabi during the rainy season: what to expect?

Thailand, as many other southeast Asian countries, is subject to the rain for several month every year. Depending on the regions, rain can last from a few hours a day (Bangkok) to several days in a row (Krabi, for example 😉).

The purpose of this trip was also to take some rest. So we only planned 2 days of activities out of 3 full days in the town of Ao Nang. I think 3 days is enough to enjoy Krabi, but it’s totally fine to stay longer! You can alternate resting in your hotel or at the beach with many activities (island tours, visit of temples, hiking etc.).

Please avoid Elephant treks, there’re many other things to do in Thailand! If you absolutely want to meet elephants, go for a sanctuary where animals are being taken care of. I was surprised and sad to see that so many people are still riding elephants when we know the mistreatments they are going through before carrying humans...

We booked our activities on the previous day through one of the numerous tourist information counters, located along the main road. The prices they show are not fixed. So feel free to negotiate a little bit! For instance, if you are booking for a group and/or you can pay immediately, you should be able to lower the price. Don’t forget to check if the prices are “all inclusive” (especially with the “National Park fee”).

Our first activity consisted in visiting 4 of the most beautiful islands of the region. We went from Krabi but it seemed like you can also go from Phuket. Were also included, snorkelling or/and swimming activities in the deep sea (near the islands). The boat trip with this weather was a bit crazy... Don’t be afraid of getting wet (rain + waves :)). Besides, the guide and the boat crew were super friendly and helpful!

On our second day of activities, we were initially supposed to enjoy another island tour but the weather was even crazier than the previous day. As a result, all activities around Hong island were cancelled.

We had to change our plan: the tour organiser offered us to visit natural hot springs and pools in the mountain, as well as the Tiger Cave temple.

After reaching the natural hot springs, the tour guide announced the site was closed for the day due to flooding. We directly went to our next destination: Emerald pool. Emerald pool is a natural pool located in the middle of Krabi’s jungle, where the water is naturally green. According to our guide, this day was absolutely not crowded compared to summer time…

The site also has the Blue Lagoon pool, another natural pool with a deep blue water colour. However, this last pool is only opened during summer time.

After visiting the pool and having lunch, we headed to some man made hot springs. This activity was arranged by our guide at the last minute, to replace the first one we couldn’t go to. Even though the pools there aren’t natural, it's the soil under them that naturally warms the water.

We ended the day with the visit of the Tiger Cave Temple. Still according to our guide, there used to be a real tiger in the cave 40 to 50 years ago! Now it’s full of monkey looking for your food. 😉 I really liked the place, not too crowded but we still had to visit under the rain. We (unfortunately 🙄) didn’t have enough time to climb the 1,237 steps to the summit.