Take a boat through the mangroves of Krabi River and find Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus, the Mangrove Pit Viper on a day snake herping trip on the Krabi River.
Search for one of Southern Thailand’s most unusual snakes on a private longtail boat tour through the mangroves of the Krabi River in Krabi Town.
The target species is the Mangrove Pit Viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus), a highly venomous snake that lives around mangrove forests, tidal waterways, coastal vegetation, and brackish water.
These snakes are extremely well camouflaged and can be difficult to find without an experienced local guide who knows exactly where to look.
This is a wildlife observation tour only. The snakes are never captured, handled, moved, poked, or deliberately disturbed for photographs.
Tour Highlights
- Private 1–3 hour longtail boat tour
- Search for wild Mangrove Pit Vipers
- Explore the mangrove forest of the Krabi River
- Experienced local Thai wildlife and birdwatching guide
- Excellent wildlife photography opportunities
- Chance to see kingfishers, herons, egrets, raptors, monitor lizards, and other snakes
- Covered traditional longtail boat
- Small private groups
- Children welcome
- No snake handling or harassment
Mangrove Snake Tour Details
Location: Krabi River, Krabi Town
Tour Length: 1–3 hours
Normal Start Time: 6:30 AM
Tour Type: Private boat tour
Maximum Group: Approximately 5–6 guests + guide
Boat: Traditional Thai longtail boat with roof
Target Species: Mangrove Pit Viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)
Later starting times may sometimes be possible. Contact us if you need a different departure time.
What Happens on the Tour?
We leave Krabi Town by longtail boat and travel slowly through the mangrove channels of the Krabi River.
Your guide searches the places where Mangrove Pit Vipers are most often found:
- Mangrove roots
- Low branches
- Vegetation close to the water
- Exposed roots at lower tides
- Mudbanks and tidal edges
These snakes blend extremely well with the dark mangrove roots. Gray, brown, blackish, purple-gray, and yellow-brown individuals can occur, making them surprisingly difficult to spot.
When we find a snake, we approach only as closely as the guide considers safe.
The snake stays exactly where it is.
There is no handling or repositioning wildlife for photographs.
Mangrove Pit Vipers in Krabi
The Mangrove Pit Viper is a short, heavy-bodied pit viper found in coastal and mangrove habitats in Southern Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Adults are usually around 60–90 cm long, with females generally larger than males.
Their coloration varies considerably. Around Krabi’s mangroves, they are often dark gray, brown, blackish, or purple-toned with lighter markings that help them disappear against mangrove roots and branches.
They may remain motionless on branches or roots for long periods, but we have also seen them moving across exposed mud during low tide.
They are highly venomous wild snakes, which is why guests must follow the guide’s instructions and never attempt to touch or approach them independently.
Tour Itinerary
Meet at the Krabi River
Meet your guide at the confirmed boat location in Krabi Town.
The exact dock may change depending on the boat schedule, so we send the precise meeting location by WhatsApp before your tour.
Enter the Mangroves
Travel by covered longtail boat into the mangrove waterways surrounding Krabi Town.
The boat moves slowly while the guide scans roots, branches, shoreline vegetation, and exposed mud for snakes.
Search for Mangrove Pit Vipers
We concentrate on areas where the snakes are known to occur.
How much ground we cover depends on the length of your tour, tide conditions, weather, and wildlife activity.
Watch for Other Wildlife
While searching for snakes, we may also see:
- Brown-winged Kingfishers
- Collared Kingfishers
- Herons
- Egrets
- Brahminy Kites
- White-bellied Sea Eagles
- Mangrove Pittas
- Bee-eaters
- Asian Water Monitors
- Pythons
- Mangrove Cat Snakes
- Other reptiles and wildlife
If you are particularly interested in birds, tell the guide and we can spend more time looking for them.
Return to Krabi Town
After approximately 1–3 hours, depending on your selected tour, we return to the Krabi Town boat area.
2-Hour or 3-Hour Tour?
Most guests choose either 2 or 3 hours.
2-Hour Private Tour
2,900 THB total per group
A good option if your main objective is finding Mangrove Pit Vipers and exploring the mangroves.
3-Hour Private Tour
3,900 THB total per group
Recommended for serious snake enthusiasts, photographers, birdwatchers, or anyone who wants additional searching time.
The price is for the entire private boat, not per person.
Sometimes only certain tour lengths are available depending on the guide and boat schedule.
Wildlife Sightings
Mangrove Pit Vipers are wild animals, so sightings cannot be guaranteed.
We search areas where they regularly occur and use an experienced local guide who knows the Krabi River extremely well, but conditions vary.
Tide, weather, temperature, recent rain, and animal movement can all affect sightings.
That unpredictability is part of genuine wildlife watching.
Your Snake Guide
Your guide is a local Thai birdwatcher and wildlife guide who has spent much of his life around the Krabi River and has led thousands of trips.
His experience is particularly valuable when searching for Mangrove Pit Vipers because their camouflage makes them extremely easy to overlook.
He also knows the birds and other wildlife of the mangrove ecosystem, so the trip can easily become a combination snake and birdwatching tour.
The Boat
The tour uses a traditional Thai longtail boat with a roof for protection from sun and light rain.
Life jackets are available for adults and children.
The Krabi River and mangrove channels are generally much calmer than open-ocean boat trips.
What to Bring
Bring:
- Camera or smartphone
- Binoculars if you enjoy birdwatching
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent
- Long-sleeve shirt
- Light rain protection
- Drinking water
A zoom or telephoto lens is useful for photographing snakes without approaching too closely.
Getting to the Tour
The boat departs from Krabi Town.
Approximate travel times:
Krabi Town: About 5 minutes from many central hotels
Ao Nang Beach: About 30 minutes
Tub Kaak / Nong Thale: About 40 minutes
Grab from Ao Nang to Krabi Town is often approximately 350–400 THB each way, depending on demand and pickup location.
We send the exact meeting point before the tour.
Best Time to Go
We recommend booking the snake tour during one of your first mornings in Krabi.
If heavy rain or unsafe conditions force us to cancel, this gives you another opportunity to reschedule during your stay.
If we cancel the trip and you cannot reschedule, your deposit is refunded.
Important Safety Rule
Mangrove Pit Vipers are highly venomous.
Guests must never touch, handle, approach, or disturb a snake.
We also do not manipulate snakes to create photographs.
The entire purpose of this tour is to find these animals living naturally in their mangrove habitat and observe them safely.
Private Mangrove Pit Viper Tour at a Glance
Location: Krabi River, Krabi Town
Duration: 1–3 hours
Normal Start: 6:30 AM
2 Hours: 2,900 THB per private group
3 Hours: 3,900 THB per private group
Group Size: Up to approximately 5–6 guests
Boat: Covered traditional longtail boat
Main Target: Mangrove Pit Viper
Other Wildlife: Birds, monitor lizards, snakes, and mangrove wildlife
Children: Welcome
Snake Handling: None
Book a Snake Tour through the Krabi Mangroves Now for up to 4 people (Special Price)
Other Snakes and Animals Found in the Krabi Mangroves
- 60+ species of birds!
- Water monitors cruising through the mangroves for fish, snakes, and other prey.
- Pythons
- Mangrove Cat Snakes (Boiga dendrophila)
- Water Snakes
Go on a NIGHT WALK for SNAKES! >
We also have a motorbike/scooter only Herping Tour that covers Day and Night! >
More Krabi Snake Info:
Book a BIRD TOUR through the Krabi River Mangroves >
[All mangrove pit viper images ©KrabiNature.com, except top image courtesy of and used with permission – © Johan Wickenberg]
