Khao Khanap Nam Cave with Kids: Exploring Krabi’s Ancient Cave by Longtail Boat
If you’re looking for something a bit different to do in Krabi with kids, Khao Khanap Nam Cave is a great little adventure!
It combines a traditional Thai longtail boat ride, beautiful mangrove scenery, limestone cliffs and exploring an ancient cave with a fascinating history.
For families, it's also a relatively short excursion, so you can easily fit it into a morning or afternoon without committing to a full-day tour.
We did it in the afternoon, so the boat ride back to town was at sunset, and it was so beautiful!
Getting to Khao Khanap Nam Cave
The fun starts before you even reach the cave!
Khao Khanap Nam is reached by longtail boat from Krabi Town. We caught ours from Pak Nam Park Pier, but you will see them all along the riverfront. We just found a boat with a captain who was looking for passengers and negotiated the rate. We paid 400 baht for the 4 of us (less than AU$20) which we were happy with.
Our price included a mangrove river tour as well as the cave.
As you leave Krabi Town behind, you'll travel along the river lined with mangroves. Before long, Krabi’s twin limestone mountains, Khao Khanap Nam, will appear.
The boat will pull into a wharf in front of one of the mountains, where you get out and follow a stone path to the cave entrance - which is a staircase!
Inside Khao Khanap Nam Cave
The cave itself is awesome!
You'll find stalactites and stalagmites, enormous limestone formations and sections where shafts of sunlight enter through openings in the rock.
One of the most interesting things about Khao Khanap Nam isn't actually the rock formations, though – it's the history of the cave.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of humans here going back for thousands of years, including animal bones, shells, charcoal, pottery fragments and human remains.
There are information boards inside the cave that help explain how people lived here thousands of years ago, which makes it really interesting.
You can also learn about more modern history in the cave - Japanese troops set up camp here in World War 2.
Hard to miss is the huge sculpture of skeletons of a giant fighting a giant serpent!
The enormous skeleton installation was created by Taiwanese artist Tu Wei-cheng as part of the Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018. It is based on a local legend about the giant and a giant serpent who fought each other to the death.
According to the legend, their bodies became the two great limestone mountains that stand on either side of the Krabi River - Khao Khanap Nam - that you saw from the boat!
The artwork was designed to look like an archaeological excavation, and our kids loved it!
Is Khao Khanap Nam Cave suitable for kids?
Yes – with a few things to keep in mind.
I'd recommend Khao Khanap Nam for families with children who are comfortable with boats, short walks, stairs and slightly uneven surfaces.
What kids will love:
Riding in a traditional longtail boat
Seeing Krabi's enormous limestone cliffs
Exploring a real cave
Learning about prehistoric people and seeing the skeleton displays
Travelling through the mangrove-lined waterways
Seeing the local monkeys
Things to consider:
There are stairs to reach the cave
Some surfaces can be wet or slippery
The cave can be dark and uneven in places
Children should be supervised closely around the river and boat
If your kids enjoy boat rides, it's worth extending your trip into the Krabi mangroves. If you ask your captain, they will add that into their price.
Our verdict: Khao Khanap Nam with kids
Khao Khanap Nam Cave is an easy, fairly short family adventure that combines a few very different experiences: a longtail boat ride, mangroves, the cave and learning about thousands of years of history.
For kids, there's plenty to keep them interested, particularly if they're at the age where skeletons, caves and stories about people who lived thousands of years ago are exciting rather than scary.
And it's a great way to see a completely different side of Krabi.
If you're looking for unique things to do in Krabi with kids, I'd definitely add Khao Khanap Nam Cave to the list!
