Klong Root Kayaking: the Clear-Water Canal Near Ao Nang
Klong Root kayaking from Ao Nang: the 2.5-hour clear-water paddle, the swim stops, morning, afternoon or sunset, who can book alone, and the four GetYourGuide tours compared. Checked November 2026.
Klong Root is a freshwater canal through forest, kayaked for its clear water and the chance to swim in it, and it makes a shorter, simpler morning than the mangroves. The tour to book is Travel CoCo’s Krabi: Klong Root (Crystal Lake) Kayaking tour, from US$26 a person (checked November 2026): 2.5 hours with hotel pickup, swim stops and drinks and fruit. That price is for the options that pick up in Ao Nang; the Krabi Town, Klong Muang and Ao Nam Mao pickups need at least two people.
Choose the option by where you are staying, then the start time. If you are on your own and staying outside Ao Nang, your pickup option shows as unavailable: one adult can book only the Ao Nang options.
What the paddle is like
The water at Klong Root is fresh, not sea water, and clear enough to see fish and plants on the bottom. The tours paddle a stretch of the canal through forest and stop where you can swim. It is calm, flat water, so it suits families and first-timers: Travel CoCo’s trip is sold as family-friendly, with children’s life jackets, though not for children under 2. A pineapple field stop is on the way when the crop is in.
It is a different trip from Ao Thalane: fresh water instead of tidal mangrove, and a 2.5-hour outing instead of 4 to 5 hours. If you want the mangrove channels and the canyons, mangrove kayaking in Krabi is the page for you.
Getting there
The Klong Root tours pick up in Ao Nang and drive 20 to 30 minutes to the canal; Travel CoCo also collects from Nong Thale, Sai Thai and Pak Nam. Klong Root is not marked on the map above.
Morning, afternoon or sunset
| Session | Ao Nang, Ao Nam Mao, Klong Muang | Krabi Town |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM | 8:15 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Afternoon | 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM | 12:50 PM to 4:00 PM |
| Sunset | 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM | 3:15 PM to 6:20 PM |
Travel CoCo’s pickup and drop-off times, November 2026.
The morning session is the cooler and quieter one. On 26 November 2026 every Ao Nang option cost US$25.70 a person; the Krabi Town, Klong Muang and Ao Nam Mao options showed “at least 2 participants” and could not be booked by one adult.
The four tours compared
| Tour | From | Pickup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klong Root (Crystal Lake) Kayaking tour (Travel CoCo) | US$26 | Ao Nang free; other areas need two people | 2.5 hours; drinks and fruit; meals are add-ons |
| Kayaking and Swimming Klong Root Tour (Must try Tour) | US$21 | Tuk-tuk from Ao Nang; elsewhere extra | Community forest entrance fee of 50 baht in the price |
| Klong Root Crystal Lagoon Kayaking Tour (Visa Run - Border Run Krabi) | US$26 on promotion, usually US$33, checked November 2026 | Ao Nang | 4 to 5 hours; paddling help on request; ATV and massage options |
| Khlong Nam Sai Lagoon with Kayaking (Thrilling Thai Tours) | US$33 | Ao Nang; elsewhere extra | 2.5 to 3.5 hours; a 2 km paddle to a spring; no swimming inside the lagoon itself |
Prices from the GetYourGuide listings (checked November 2026); only Travel CoCo’s options were read on dates.
Two details are worth knowing before you choose. The Must try Tour and Visa Run - Border Run Krabi trips put an entrance fee in the price (a community forest fee of 50 baht on one, a national park fee on the other), so a cheaper headline is not always the cheaper day. And on Thrilling Thai Tours' trip a helper to paddle your kayak costs 100 baht a kayak in cash, where Visa Run - Border Run Krabi helps for free if asked.
Book whichever fits your group:
Krabi: Klong Root (Crystal Lake) Kayaking tour
2.5 hours, three sessions a day, free pickup in Ao Nang, children's life jackets. One adult can book only the Ao Nang options.
Check dates →Krabi Kayaking and Swimming Klong Root Tour
Must try Tour collects you from Ao Nang by tuk-tuk; the community forest fee of 50 baht is included. Meals are not.
See the tour →Krabi Klong Root Crystal Lagoon Kayaking Tour | Swim & Relax
4 to 5 hours with time to swim, free paddling help if you ask, and options with an ATV ride or a Thai oil massage.
See the tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from the GetYourGuide listings (checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Before you book
- What to bring. Swimwear, a towel, a waterproof bag, and biodegradable sunscreen and insect repellent on Travel CoCo’s list.
- Food. None of the four includes a meal on the basic option; fried rice and pad thai are add-ons on two of them.
- Railay and Tubkaek. Travel CoCo does not collect from Railay or Tubkaek Beach.
- Cancelling. All four cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Also around Krabi
Other Krabi Trips with Open Dates
Day trips from Ao Nang and Krabi Town with live availability. Pickup, what is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
Klong Root in a Morning
Travel CoCo's 2.5-hour clear-water paddle at Klong Root, with stops to swim and hotel pickup in Ao Nang. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check Klong Root dates