After spending a rainy night at one of Ao Nang's impressive beachfront resorts, I woke up pleasantly surprised to find that the weather had improved. I decided to rent a motorcycle, which costs 150 baht (US$4.40) per day, and headed off to explore the relatively small provincial capital of Krabi Town. Following a quick search on the Internet there, I discovered numerous interesting destinations located close to Ao Nang, including a canal called Klong Srakaew.

Next morning I headed off on the motorcycle armed with a map bound for the beach of Ao Thalane, from which you can easily access Klong Srakaew. If you're quick, it's possible to get there in about half an hour, although there are plenty of scenic views along the way that might make you want to slow down or even pause for a while to break up your journey.

The entrance to the canal is set within a rubber plantation, which provides visitors with an interesting insight into how the locals make a living. At the end of the road is the office of Long Klong Srakaew ('Srakaew Canal Cruises') - a company offering kayaking tours along the canal.

A group of locals teamed up to develop this route, which opened in April 2007. The canal is about 1.6-kilometers long and there are several spots along the way where you can tie up your boat and enjoy a refreshing swim. Since the route is fairly simple to follow, the 300 baht (US$9) kayak rental fee does not include a guide. Each kayak can comfortably accommodate two people. Two life jackets are provided, which you ought to wear as a basic safety precaution.

As I set off in a pink-colored kayak, I noticed that the water was very still and crystal clear. I spotted some green and red-colored, water-borne plants and then a group of little fish, followed by another group soon after. Mother nature was putting on a spectacular show!

Next a tiny pencil-sized snake swam past us, totally ignoring our presence, even though we were just a few meters away.

Soon after I thought I'd spotted an alligator, but it soon turned out that it was just a few tiny fragment of wood that had come off the branch of a tree. It looked so similar that I'd temporarily forgotten that an alligator would normally prefer to live in a deeper, muddier stretch of the river.

Along some stretches of the canal, the trees appeared to frame a long line of rocky limestone cliffs on the horizon. I also saw several other kinds of water-borne plants with tiny flowers, as well as several colorful birds and butterflies along the way. The only thing that disappointed me about this pleasant kayaking route was the sign informing me that it had come to an end. I had hoped it might take me a bit further still.

At this point, staff were waiting to pick me up and whisk us back to the hut in their pick-up truck. I chose to stand on the back of the vehicle to enjoy a last look at the beautiful natural surroundings.

Air: Thai Airways operates daily flights between Bangkok and Krabi. For further information call the national carrier’s reservation center on Tel: +66 (0)2 628 2000.

AirAsia operates the same route – its reservation center can be reached by calling Tel: +66 (0)2 515 9999.

Car: There are two main ways you can drive to Krabi.

Route 1: Take Highway 4 and drive through the provinces of Petchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ranong and Phang-Nga before reaching Krabi province. This route covers 946 km.

Route 2: Again, take Highway 4 until you reach Chumphon province. There you switch to Highway 41, pass through Lang Suan district in Surat Thani province until you reach Wiang Sa district. Get on to Highway 4035 until you reach Highway 4 again, which you take until you reach Krabi. This route covers 814 km.

You can also easily rent a car once you arrive in Krabi for between 1,200-1,400 baht per day.

Train: There are no direct trains to Krabi. However, you could take a train to the nearby provinces of Trang or Nakhon Si Thammarat. Trains to both these destinations depart from Bangkok ’s main Hualamphong station. You can take a bus from these destinations on to Krabi.

Bus: Buses head to Krabi from Bangkok ’s Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) in Thonburi - the journey takes about 12 hours.

View map
View map of Long Klong Srakaew