Krabi Villa

If you are fortunate enough to visit the stunning province of Krabi in south west Thailand, you will certainly be struck by the immense beauty of the lush and varied landscape. This amazing area is also home to an incredible number of exotic creatures, both large and small and witnessing them at home in the jungle, forest, coral reefs and beaches of Krabi is infinitely more satisfying than observing them in a zoo. Krabi’s wealth of national parks, animal sanctuaries and reserves make it a genuine nature lovers paradise.

Krabi has a mountainous terrain with the highest range being Khao Phanom Bencha. The mountains are liberally interspersed with highlands and fertile plains on the mainland whilst the islands, which number in excess of 150, feature iconic cliffs, mountains and verdant forests. The forests in Krabi tend be formed predominantly of dense mangrove and the prolific Cassia tree. Unbelievably, the vast mangrove forests were harvested for charcoal until only recently, but this practice has fortunately now been outlawed and there is a successful programme of regeneration underway. Mangroves actually play an extremely important role in balancing the natural environment, making it absolutely vital that they receive ongoing protection.

Krabi’s rich vegetation includes many rare plants such as the vivid yellow Ron Tau Naree Krabi orchid, which also happens to serve as the proud symbol of Krabi. Blessed with a particularly sandy clay soil, the land in Krabi is perfectly suited to growing rubber trees, palms, mangos, coconuts, and coffee. Rubber and palm oil are both important agricultural products and a mainstay of the local economy, in addition of course to the developing tourist industry. Plantations of rubber and palm dominate the countryside and freshly rolled sheets of rubber hung out to dry in the warm air by local farmers is a highly familiar Krabi sight. Palm oil is used for the manufacture of cooking oil and margarine and is an integral ingredient in many of today’s most popular processed foods. There are several lovely rivers in Krabi such as the Krabi river which flows through the charming provincial capital of Krabi town, and out into the Andaman Sea at Tambon Pak Nam. Other rivers of note include Khlong Pakasai, Khlong Krabi Yai and Khlong Krabi Noi. There are some exceptionally transparent water canals at Pa Phru Tha Khlong Song Nature Reserve – here the waters are so clear that you can actually see right down to the river bed and the roots of the Lumphi Palm far below.

If you want to breathe in the astounding diversity of the natural Krabi habitat, then a great place to begin is at Than Bokkhorani National Park. This sprawling park, located in northern Krabi covers an area of some 388 square kilometres and includes dramatic limestone cliffs, thick mangrove forests, swirling rivers, tumbling waterfalls and mesmerising, emerald green pools. Or explore Hat Noppharat Thara, probably the biggest and undoubtedly the most well known of Krabi National Parks. It is mostly marine environment and therefore a favourite with scuba divers and snorkelers who enjoy the exquisite coral reefs and tropical fish, but there are also magical mangrove forests, craggy cliffs popular with climbers and peat swamps to investigate. This fascinating national park includes the famous Krabi islands of Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le and an intriguing fossil shell cemetery within its boundaries too.