Krabi Hot Springs, Compared

For a first visit, the Hot Stream Waterfall. It's the one people picture, a warm cascade in the forest with a cold river to jump into, and it's the natural pair with the Emerald Pool about 20 minutes away. Go at opening and you'll have the main fall nearly to yourself for a while.

For a proper soak, the Saline Hot Spring. The water is hotter and saltier, the pools are private, and it opens at 05:00, so you can be in the water at sunrise and back in Ao Nang by mid-morning. It has little shade, though, so by late morning it's a hot place to sit in hot water. If you have children, the saline spring's family pools and step-free access are easier than the Hot Stream's slippery rocks, but the Hot Stream's river and shallow pools are more fun for them.

Doing both in a day is easy, since they're 11 km apart. I'd start at the saline spring at opening, move to the Emerald Pool for 08:30, then finish at the Hot Stream.

No public transport runs out to Khlong Thom, so there are three ways to go. A tour is the easiest, and half-day hot spring and Emerald Pool tours with hotel pickup cost about ฿700–1,000. Full-day versions add Tiger Cave Temple on the way back. The catch is that every tour arrives at the same hours as every other tour.

A taxi or private driver for the day costs about ฿1,500–2,500 from Ao Nang or Krabi Town, depending on how long you keep it, and agree the price before you set off. Getting a ride back from the springs is hard, so keep the same driver waiting rather than taking a one-way Grab out.

Driving yourself gives you the early start. From Ao Nang it's 1 to 1.5 hours on good roads, and 50 minutes from Krabi Town. A car is easy to rent at Krabi airport. On a scooter it's a long ride each way, and you need an international driving permit that covers motorbikes.

Almost every tour that sells the hot springs means the Hot Stream Waterfall, usually with the Emerald Pool and often Tiger Cave Temple. The full-day versions run 8 to 9 hours with lunch and hotel pickup. A few tours stop at the saline spring instead, so check the stop list if that's the one you want. Some add mangrove kayaking at Ao Thalane.

Time of day matters more than the month. The day tours reach the Hot Stream from about 09:00 and crowd the main fall from then on, so I'd be there at opening. Weekends and Thai holidays are busier. At the saline spring, go at the 05:00 opening, before the heat builds on its unshaded pools.

The springs are open all year. December to March is Krabi's dry season, with 24 to 82 mm of rain a month at the nearest weather station, but it's also hot, with highs of about 33 to 34°C from January to April, and that's when an early soak matters most. From May to October the rain builds to 237–350 mm a month, the island boats cancel on rough days, and the forest is at its greenest. A cool or wet day is the best one for hot water, so if you're in Krabi in the rainy season, keep the springs for the day the boats don't run.

Swimwear, a towel, water shoes or sandals with grip, plenty of drinking water and small baht notes for the gate, the shuttle and parking. Add mosquito repellent for the shaded walk to the Hot Stream and a hat for the saline spring, which has little shade. There are no lockers, so leave passports and valuables at the hotel. The Hot Stream drains into the river, so biodegradable sunscreen is the better choice there.

Keep each soak to 15 to 20 minutes. The heat and the humidity together can bring on dizziness, dehydration and overheating faster than you'd expect, so get out, drink, and cool off in the river or the shade before going back in. Watch for the hottest mini pools and the odd hot trickle on the trails at the Hot Stream, which can scald.

Wear modest swimwear. At the saline spring many visitors bathe in clothes, so shorts and a T-shirt over swimwear are never out of place. Don't take food or drinks into the pools, and at the saline spring don't bring soap or shampoo near the water. Keep to the paths, and leave the ponds marked as closed to bathing alone.

I'd skip the Hot Stream in the middle of the day if I could choose, because that's when the tour groups crowd the main fall. I'd skip the saline spring at midday too, when the sun is on its pools and there's little shade. And I wouldn't drive out to the Bang Phueng hot spring in Nuea Khlong as a day trip in its own right. It's handy on the way to the airport, but the Khlong Thom springs are the reason to come.