Krabi

Krabi is located in the south of Thailand and has an (international) airport. So, to save time during your trip through Thailand, you can choose to take a flight to Krabi from the north.

Krabi is not only the ideal base for visiting one of Thailand's most beautiful beaches, but is also conveniently located for visiting numerous islands. Besides visiting the widely known Railay Beach, there is more to see and do in Krabi. More about that in this article!

Things to see and do in (and from) Krabi

  • Railay Beach
  • Ao Nang Beach
  • Khao Ngon Nak Viewpoint
  • Tiger Cave
  • Wat Kaew Korawaram
  • (Weekend) Night Market
  • Visiting islands

    1. Railay Beach

    One of Thailand's most beautiful beaches, if not THE most beautiful: Railay Beach. The limestone cliffs tower high above the water and make for an imposing view. The water turns a beautiful blue; the white-colored beach finishes it off.

    The peninsula has taken advantage of its growing popularity, as you can now stay overnight at one of the island's numerous resorts. There are restaurants and cafes galore, so you can spend a few days relaxing and possibly having a good party there if you wish.

    How to get to Railay Beach

    Longtail boats leave from both Krabi and Ao Nang, taking 40 minutes (150 Baht one way) from Krabi and 10 minutes (100 Baht one way) from Ao Nang. So depending on where you stay you can choose where you get on. A boat holds 8 people, so you have to wait until the boat is full before you can leave. The first one leaves at 08:00, the last one from the island back around 18:00 - 18:30.

    Personally, I found it fine to see the beach in one day, only I wanted to be there with sunrise. For this, I went to the pier in Ao Nang a day in advance (25 minutes by scooter) to book a boat that would leave at 06:00.

     

    The cost is the same as what the boat normally costs, only the question is how many people you are with to calculate the cost per person. I was there with Wouter, so our sunrise ride cost 400 Baht (€12.00) per person.

     

    If you would like to see the sunrise at this unique spot then this is definitely recommended! You will then have the famous Trang Nha beach practically to yourself, were it not for the fact that it will take you a little more preparation time. If you are staying in Ao Nang it will at least save you a 25 minute scooter ride.

    Particularly during the dry season, the beach is an unusual sight, because at low tide part of it is dry. This means you have to walk quite a bit before you get into the water. The boat to Railay Beach could not leave immediately at 06:00, but had to wait about 30 minutes until there was enough water. Nevertheless, we were still on time!

    2. Ao Nang Beach

    There is no beach in Krabi itself, for that you have to travel about 25 minutes towards Ao Nang. In Ao Nang there are more than enough hotels, restaurants and beach clubs along the coast. It is the ideal place to stay if you want to relax at the beach for a few days. The beach has some limestone cliffs on either side, but falls short of Railay Beach.

    3. Dragon Cress - Khao Ngon Nak Viewpoint

    Enjoy a panoramic view of the forest, limestone cliffs and islands in the sea? The Khao Ngon Lak nature reserve offers the perfect viewpoint for that: the Dragon Cress, also known as the Khao Ngon Lak Viewpoint. How to get there, what the hike looks like and what is definitely handy to take with you listed for you in this blog!

    4. Tiger Cave temple

    A unique temple at a height of 270 meters, where the name gives away that tigers lived in the cave that lay below. In total, you will have to climb up 1,260 steep stairs before you can enjoy the view from the temple at a height of about 270 meters.

    The stairs are sometimes quite steep and narrow, so beware. Along the way, you'll see after each set of stairs how many the counter is at, a good indicator and motivator to help you on your way up. It's about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Krabi. Entrance is free, but both downstairs and upstairs you can make a no-obligation donation for the maintenance of the temple.

    Given the heat, it is recommended to visit the temple either early in the morning or in the afternoon. To avoid walking down in the dark, it is also advisable to be at the top 30 minutes before the sun sets. This will give you enough time to enjoy the view at the top while you recover from the hike.

    I read a lot of reviews on Google that there would be monkeys on the steps, but when I walked up around 5:30 pm (an hour before sunset) I didn't see any. Just in case they are there, be careful with your bag (monkeys know exactly how the zipper works) and with food and drinks.

    5. Wat Kaew Korawaram

    The Wat Kaew Korawaram temple is a lot easier to visit. However, no 1,260 steep steps means that you have seen it quickly at this temple. Nice to have been there for a short photo, but no more than that. After a while in Thailand and many temples I have seen enough.

    6. (Weekend) Night Market

    The name gives it away, as the Krabi Weekend Night Market takes place in the evening from Friday to Sunday. A night market with lots of food stalls, but also plenty of stalls to buy souvenirs. Compared to Chiang Mai and Pai, for example, this market was a lot friendlier in terms of prices, but I found that they mainly sell side dishes/snacks/small snacks.

    During weekdays you can go to the regular night market, which is a lot smaller but also has plenty of eateries and some souvenir stalls.

    7. Visiting islands!

    Near Krabi are several islands, such as the widely known Phi Phi (party) island; but also smaller islands such as Koh Yai Noi, Koh Lanta and Koh Yao Yai. Furthermore, other well-known spots such as Khao Sok, Khao Lak and Phuket are only one to a few hours away.

    Thailand has so many islands that I had to make choices during my 30-day trip. I opted for 9 days of island hopping on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. So I don't have any recommendations for the specific islands that are near Krabi.

    How many nights in Krabi?

    Minimum 3, so you have 2 full days to see Railay Beach and hike to the viewpoint. Extra days you can always plan if you want to relax some more, or take a day/multiple day trip to one of the islands.

     

    From Krabi you can go to: