MONTH VISITED: Mid-February
WEATHER: 80 F at Sunrise 90 F by 10 AM 🌞
BUSY ? No
LENGTH: 8 KM Round-trip (viewpoint is at the very top but you will have many along the way)
TIME: Takes 3-6 hours depending on your speed and how long you want to take pictures at the top
DIFFICULTY: 8 out of 10
WHAT TO BRING: LOTS OF WATER, closed toe shoes, snack for the top!
Krabi, Thailand is starting to quickly grow. Phuket is known as the hot spot in Southern Thailand but once that started to get over-crowded people started heading East to the small town of Krabi, but of course, give tourism a few years and bam here we are and now Krabi is starting to get over-crowded as well. The first day I arrived to Krabi, the crowds turned me off a bit but the longer I stayed in the area I started to get to know the locals and the places off the “beaten path” and I truly believe these experiences can make a vacation great. The Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail was one of my favorite things I did in Krabi and because it’s a bit out of town it currently doesn’t get the crazy crowds like other tourist spots like The Tiger Cave Temple and the island boat tours. Tab Kak Hang Nak Hill Nature Trail is on Khao Ngon Nak (เขาหงอนนาค) mountain, and in Thai it means dragon crest mountain and it’s 1700 feet above sea level.
I recommend getting up early for this hike for three reasons
1. You’ll get to enjoy a gorgeous sunrise before you take off
2. You’ll beat the crowds and
3. You’ll beat the intense heat and humidity.
I snapped that gorgeous sunrise photo and started my adventure at 7 AM from Aonang (a few minutes East of Krabi Town) took a taxi 40 minutes to get to to the nature trail that opens at 8 AM, but you can apparently pay the ranger if you want to see the sunrise (hearsay didn’t do this myself). I paid $30 roundtrip to get there. Remember, Thailand is overall a pretty cheap country but this ride in the North of the country would have been 1/2 the price, Krabi is just more touristy so they raise their prices. Always barter though because the trip cost started at 1500 BAHT and I talked him down to 1000 and know a guy that got him down to 700! If you type Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail into your google maps it will take you right to the start of the nature trail. If I were you I’d just rent a scooter fro 250 Baht a day and drive yourself up there but I only had a few days in Thailand left and I was being lazy.
It is pretty organized, they just have you sign in with the ranger and you have to pay 100 BAHT to get in. This used to be free but they are getting busier and busier and it’s more expensive to maintain the trail so don’t complain just give them the 3 bucks, trust me it’s worth way more than that!
Don’t get confused, but you will hear this trail referred to as the Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail but also the Khao Ngon-Nak Nature Trail. I saw it both ways on the trail signs and heard many people call it both. I spoke with the ranger and he confirmed it is the Tab Kak Hang Nak Hill Nature Trail and it is on Khao Ngon Nak mountain but they are used interchangeably.
I wanted a bit of a challenge so I was up and down in 3 hours and 15 minutes but I’m writing this blog the average time of 4.5 hours round trip because the trip up is pretty much on an incline the whole way. Starting early will help with the humidity but you will definitely still sweat your ass off. I was here during dry season and the dust made things slippery so make sure you look where you step!
The beginning of the hike looks just like this with beautiful rainforest views when you look up!
Then about 30 minutes into the hike you’ll arrive at these steep steps. You’ll be thankful for them because you’d be crawling up and sliding down the hill if you didn’t have them!
About 30 minutes after you reach the top of those stairs you will arrive at your first viewpoint. You’ll be sweaty and wonder when the hell will I get to the top but this helps give you the energy to keep going! This viewpoint is a little over an hour from the starting point.
Then you’re back to climbing up the mountain and there will be a few places where you will have to scramble up the rocks. Just about 45 minutes until you are at the top and the 360 degree views begin!
But don’t worry there are a few more viewpoints to keep you going!
After a little over 2 hours of sweating your ass off, you’ll see this bench and that’s when you know you have arrived at the top! Congrats you did it!
THE VIEWPOINT AT TAB KAK HANG NAK HILL NATURE TRAIL
Now take your time and enjoy the views!
When you get to the top I recommend exploring as much as you can. There are soooo many different viewpoints at the top of the mountain. If you’re traveling solo like I was, there are plenty of rocks to prop your phone against to take advantage of all the awesome photo opportunities.
When I was at the top there were only 6 people up there. I walked about 10 minutes further up the trail and to the other side of the mountain and had these views to myself!
A couple of things to note, there are a few side trails you can do to make the trek longer. There is a waterfall and a Nam Ta Nak Pond. The waterfall is an extra 6 KM roundtrip and I heard from the ranger he didn’t think it was worth it in dry season because it is pretty much just a trickle so I didn’t do it. Right at the top, there is also an optional extra 150meters walk to the Nam Ta Nak Pond so I thought why not I’ll do it and I came to this so I would absolutely recommend not doing it I seriously think it’s a joke or something but 🤷♀️.
Also, I personally thought coming down was much harder than going up. There was a lot of dust and I fell a couple of times and sprained my ankle on the tree roots! There are a lot of them and a lot of small rocks so be very careful. On the way down I counted 40 people making their way up so although it’s still not crazy busy it was definitely worth getting up early.
Overall this hike was AWESOME. They even had wifi at the little food stand at the end and I treated myself to a coconut popsicle and it was so refreshing! If you have the time head to the Tiger Cave Temple after. The tour buses leave there around 12/1 and you can beat the crowds! Either way, if you are in Krabi you absolutely have to make time for the Tab Kak Hang Nak Hill Nature Trail, I promise it is so worth it! To learn more about my Thailand adventures, click HERE.
