Khao Khanab Nam are the striking twin limestone cliffs that rise dramatically on either side of the Krabi River in Thailand. The rightmost peak has the namesake cave and a smaller bat cave that visitors can explore.
How to Get to Khao Khanab Nam
The only way to get to Khao Khanab Nam is by boat. You’ll find many boats along the Krabi waterfront – around the Mud Crabs sculpture or Kong Ka Pier – eager to take you there. All of the boatmen will push for a tour that includes the cave plus the mangroves. This tour takes about an hour, and the opening price is 500 Baht for a round trip for two people, but you can easily barter them down to 300 Baht. We settled on this price but likely overpaid since we were only doing the cave. I tried to haggle for 200 Baht several times, but all the boatmen were willing to let me walk away at that price. If you can speak Thai, you might have better luck than I do.
You can also reach Khao Khanab Nam from the Mangrove Walkway. If you take the walkway past the watch tower to the end, there’s a small gazebo and a pier. The sign was all in Thai, but I think it said that a ride across to the cave was 80 Baht. Boatmen were hanging out at the gazebo, waiting for tourists.
Admission Price & Opening Hours of Khao Khanab Nam
Some TripAdvisor posts say that admission costs 30 Baht per person, but it was free when we went. Once we disembarked, no one asked us for any money. The kiosk that looked like a ticket booth was shuttered and there didn’t seem to be any staff around.
I don’t think there are official opening hours for Khao Khanab Nam – it depends on whether you can get a boat to take you there. Nonetheless, I would recommend visiting during daylight hours. There are no artificial lights in or around the cave, so going there once it’s dark is pointless.
What to See at Khao Khanab Nam
Small Bat Cave
After getting off the pier, it’s a short walk to the cave. It’s a bit hidden, but there’s a break in the trees on the right before the main cave. The small plaque next to the hole identifies it as a small bat cave. You can easily climb up and get into it, but the smell of guano at the threshold was so overwhelming that we didn’t do it.
Khao Khanab Nam Cave
The large sign and some information boards out front mark the proper Khao Khanab Nam cave. The cool carved staircase is the official way up, but if you’re feeling adventurous, a ladder leads to a more cramped way into the cave. Hiking shoes are unnecessary – sandals are sufficient. It’s a small cave with a route smoothed by many tourists.
Inside Khao Khanab Nam, there is a basic circuit around the cave. Some points of interest are the giant skeleton and the sculptures of soldiers and the early cavemen. A short rock wall at the natural light well has a rope ladder hanging off the edge. If you’re physically able, you might be able to climb up and see what’s at the top.
Along the route, information plaques around the cave discuss everything from dinosaurs to Japanese forces in Krabi during World War 2. Admittedly, some of the information is more general interest and doesn’t have much to do with the cave itself. Overall, we spent just over fifteen minutes in the cave. We were going a bit slow and reading all the info boards, though.
Beach Tunnel
If you continue further on the concrete path for a minute, you’ll get to what looks like another cave. This short rock tunnel leads to a beach. No tourist would think to bring beach gear here, so this could be a very private beach option. However, the sand looked much muddier than at a real beach like Klong Muang or Koh Kwang. Also, the boatman who dropped you off might get pissed and leave you stranded if he’s waiting at the pier for hours while you sunbathe.
Facilities
I was a little surprised to discover a washroom at this attraction. The building is a blocky concrete structure just past the main cave’s spiral staircase. It was cleaner than one would expect but still rustic. There was a sitting toilet and a sink but no toilet paper, soap or paper towels. It’s not an ideal washroom, but it’ll do in emergencies.
Saturday Worthy?
You can skip Khao Khanab Nam if you don’t have the time. I wouldn’t say you’re missing anything you’ll regret, but there’s not much else to do in Krabi Town. The boats are very cheap, and it’s a worthwhile way to spend part of an afternoon when paired with the mangrove boat tour if you’ve never been on one.
