In the south of Thailand, there is a coastal town called Krabi which is surrounded by mountains and beautiful limestone peaks. While it’s also got fine beaches like other places in the region, Krabi’s mountains make it a good place for hikers and rock-climbers. The best place to hike is Khao Ngon Nak or Dragon’s Crest, a mountain with fantastic views of the surrounding forests, limestone peaks, mountains, and the sea.
Khao Ngon Nak is not actually in Krabi, but about thirty minutes away by car. It’s located in the Hat Noppharat Thara/Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, which actually covers a wide area including nearby islets off the coast, so just make sure you go to the park entrance near Tubkaek Beach (if you tell your driver you want to hike Khao Ngon Nak, they should understand where to take you). Entry is free though you can leave a donation as I did. You also need to register at the entrance.
Once you enter the park, you just follow the main trail which takes you through small streams, dense forest, and wooden staircases. The 2-km trail is unpaved and mostly dirt, but is easy to walk along.
After about an hour’s hiking upwards, you’ll leave the forest and reach the mountaintop, which offers views of the nearby hills and forest below. Seeing rounded green limestone peaks across a wide expanse of forest with mountains in the distance is one of the most superb sights I’ve seen. It also reminded me a little of limestone peaks in Guangxi in China. Besides the limestone peaks and forest, you can also see the coast and the Andaman Sea.
The peak is over 1630 feet or almost 500 m. There are several viewpoints, including a giant rock upon which you can sit at the edge and dangle your feet (which somebody is doing in the photo above). Just make sure to be careful because it’s a long drop to the bottom! Along the trail, there are streams and a waterfall on side paths, though the latter only exists during very rainy conditions.
Krabi was the first and only place in southern Thailand I’ve visited. I’m not a beach person so Krabi, with its mountains, was the perfect choice. However, when I went to Krabi, the weather forecast said there would be rain every day, so I decided to leave it to the last day to hike Khao Ngon Nak. I’m definitely glad I did.
This horned lizard was good enough to remain still and pose when I came upon it.
