Krabi, Thailand - TOP 10 things you can do in Krabi
With long beaches, an elegant atmosphere and beautiful landscapes, Krabi is one of the most visited locations in Thailand. Krabi offers tourists the perfect setting for an amazing holiday, and in this article I will present you the main activities that you can have in this corner of Thai paradise.
And if you want to find out how we spent two weeks in Thailand, visiting the most popular tourist spots, I invite you to read this article: 14 Days in Thai Paradise - The Perfect Itinerary for Your First Visit to Thailand.
Content
- What to do in Krabi
- 1. Spend your time in Ao Nang resort
- 2. Discover Railay Beach
- 3. Explore the Monkey Trail and Tonsay Beach
- 4. Go on a day trip to an island near Krabi
- 5. Use the taxi boat
- 6. Visit the Tiger Cave Temple and climb to the Buddha statue
- 7. Climb the Dragon Crest
- 8. Take a bath in the Emerald Pool
- 9. Try water sports
- 10. Admire elephants at an elephant sanctuary
- Where to stay in Krabi
- What to eat in Krabi
About Krabi
Krabi is a province in the southwest of Thailand, with access to the Andaman Sea, and is one of the favorite destinations of tourists that arrive in Thailand.
The landscapes here are gorgeous, thanks to the high rocks that rise from the water and create the perfect picture of an exotic location.
The main resort in Krabi is Ao Nang, followed by Railay, which is only accessible by boat.
How to get to Krabi
There are different ways to get to Krabi, depending on where you are leaving from.
Krabi has its own airport, so it is quite easy to get here by air. However, if you come from another island in Thailand, then you will most likely use a means of nautical transport, such as the ferry or speed boat.
You can check on 12go.asia all existing transport options.
But I will leave here some information about the most frequented routes chosen by tourists to get to (or leave from) Krabi:
- Domestic flight – Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways or Vietjet Air
- Bus
- Minibus or taxi - the trip takes about 3 hours
- Ferry - approximately 1.5 hours, and the price is 450 baht/person
- Speedboat – about 1 hour
- Ferry – about 2 hours
How to get around in Krabi
The easiest way to get around Krabi, but not necessarily the safest, is to rent a scooter. It gives you flexibility and freedom to get to the places you want quickly. However, I recommend you to be cautious and careful when driving such a vehicle, because the traffic is quite chaotic in Thailand.
If you want to stay only in the Ao Nang area, then you will do great only with Bolt/Grab (ridesharing applications) or Songthaew, the passenger vehicles.
Taxi boats are also available, which can take you to Railay Beach or to the beaches of nearby islands, such as Hong Island or Ko Poda Island.
If you book a day trip, you should know that the pick up from the hotel is included in the price of the trip.
And if you want to travel alone and maybe want to get to Tiger Cave and Emerald Pool, an option can be to rent a car with a private driver, such as this one: Krabi: Private Car or Minibus Rental with Driver.
What to do in Krabi
And now comes the most interesting part - What can you do in Krabi to have the most wonderful vacation?
I hope the ideas collected below will help you create the perfect and suitable itinerary for you.
1. Spend your time in Ao Nang resort
Ao Nang is the main resort in Krabi and the accommodation place chosen by most travelers in Krabi.
The resort is very elegant, clean and has a beautiful waterfront with access to the beach. The main street in Ao Nang is full of restaurants, bars, shops of all kinds and travel agencies. In fact, Ao Nang can be the starting point for trips to different beautiful locations in Krabi or near Krabi. I will tell you about these trips below.
The resort also offers a varied range of accommodation options, from luxury resorts and hotels to more affordable accommodations.
In the Ao Nang area, you can also find a gorgeous, long beach, with a cliff stretching along it, and with a spectacular landscape, thanks to the rocks and stone structures. Here is the beach from where you can take a taxi boat to Railay Beach or Hong Island.
Another beach in Ao Nang is Nopparat Thara Beach, just as beautiful, but less crowded.
2. Discover Railay Beach
The favorite beach for many tourists visiting Krabi is Railay Beach, an absolutely charming place, and quite isolated, by the way.
The beach is not accessible by land, you can only get here by longtail boat from Ao Nang. But that shouldn't stop you from coming here, because transportation is very easy to do. You just have to go to the taxi boat station in Ao Nang and buy a ticket to Railay Beach, which costs 20 baht round trip, you get on the boat, and in 10 minutes you are there. If you don't stay overnight in Railay, just be aware that the last boat leaves back to Ao Nang at 6 p.m.
The boat will drop you off at Railay West beach, but I advise you not to stop there. Go through the small resort until you reach Railay East, and from there, on a beautifully landscaped, tropical path, frequented by monkeys and under some interesting rock formations, you will reach the most beautiful beach in Krabi – Phra Nang Cave Beach.
The beach is called so because of the Phra Nang Cave or Princess Cave, which hosts a sacred space, quite strange I might say. I'll let you discover from the pictures what kind of offerings and amulets are brought here - we, personally, were amazed and fascinated, somewhat, by what we found in the cave.
Further from the cave, the beach is absolutely wonderful, and the complete picture, of the fine sand, the turquoise sea and the calcareous rocks, is worth framing! It is a place you should not miss.
If you don't manage to get here on your own, by taxi boat, you should know that the day trip to the 4 islands also stops at this beach. So, if you participate in this day trip (4 Islands Day Tour from Krabi), you will also come here, only you will find the place much more crowded - most groups of tourists arrive here at the same time. I recommend you to come here after lunch, and enjoy the location at your own pace!
3. Explore the Monkey Trail and Tonsay Beach
The most interesting place in Krabi is the Monkey Trail - this is a small path through the forest, which connects Ao Nang beach to another beautiful beach, Tonsay Beach.
But what is surprising about this path is that it is full of monkey! The route is not long, nor complicated, you cover it in about 5-10 minutes, but it becomes difficult when you meet dozens of monkeys on the road - you feel like in a game where you have to avoid the obstacles, the obstacles being the monkeys, in this case.
It's an unique activity and experience. Monkeys, in general, are not dangerous, and they seem to be familiar with people, but even so, I recommend you to be careful! They are wild animals and you cannot predict how they will react if they feel threatened.
It is forbidden to feed them, and to be careful, because they are quite thieves. If they try to steal from you, or climb on top of you, it is important not to resist, they are more interested in your objects, not in attacking you. And a tip I learned in Thailand - don't smile at them with your mouth open. If they see your teeth, they have the impression that you are attacking them, and therefore they will fight back.
At the end of the path you will find Tonsai Beach, a beautiful beach, isolated and quieter than the main beach in Ao Nang.
4. Go on a day trip to an island near Krabi
Krabi does not disappoint when it comes to day trips. Here is the list of the most popular day trips that you should not miss if you come to Krabi. There are so many wild and isolated places in the Andaman Sea that it is worth leaving the comfort of a tourist resort and exploring the truly paradise islands of Thailand.
Hong Island
The trip to Hong Island was one of the most beautiful trips we did in Thailand.
We had the chance to go on a really splendid island, with a gorgeous, wild beach, with a fascinating landscape. On the island you can stay at the beach, or, if you are more sporty, you can climb up to the viewpoint to enjoy the view of the entire island.
One such day trip is this: Koh Hong Day Tour by Speed Boat and Longtail Boat from Krabi.
Personally, we recommend speed boats in such trips, spend less time on the road, in the boat, and more time on the beaches.
In addition to Hong Island, during this trip you will have other stops: Hong Lagoon, Koh Pakbia island and Koh Lao Lading island, also beautiful places.
The 4/7 Islands
Another excursion often chosen by tourists in Krabi is the one to the 4 islands, or 7 islands, if you want more stops.
You will go to a group of islands in the Andaman Sea located next to each other, such as Ko Kai (the Chicken Island), Ko Poda or Ko Mor. In addition to the stops on the islands, for the beach, there will also be stops for snorkeling, if you are passionate about this water sport.
You can book such daytrips directly from the tourist agencies in the resort, or online:
Phi Phi Islands
I could say that the most Instagrammable place in Thailand is Maya Bay, the famous beach where Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the movie "The Beach". Maya Bay is located on the Phi Phi islands and is the place that every tourist puts on their Thailand bucket list.
Whether you leave from Krabi, from Phuket or perhaps directly from the island of Phi Phi Don, the trip to the Phi Phi Islands is one of the most popular trips in Thailand.
From Krabi you have countless trips to the Phi Phi islands that you can choose from, either directly from the sellers in the resort, or online, such as this tour: Phi Phi, Maya Area, Khai & Bamboo Island Day Trip from Phuket & Krabi.
When you choose a day trip to Phi Phi, pay attention to which stops it includes and how much time you spend at each stop. I recommend you to go here by speed boat, because you spend less time on the road and have more time on the islands. Also, the tour should definitely include the island of Bamboo, because it is absolutely wonderful. Just know that on Maya Bay it is forbidden to enter the water, so here, no tour will stop for more than an hour, enough time for taking some pictures.
For a more pleasant experience in the Phi Phi islands, I recommend staying at least one night on Phi Phi Don island, and from there take an early bird trip to Maya Bay, Pi Leh Lagoon and Bamboo Island. Starting from the first hour of the morning, you will catch the beaches less crowded, before the arrival of all the other groups. In addition, you have more time to spend on the islands and the price of a day trip is lower, compared to the trips of those coming from Phuket and Krabi.
5. Use the taxi boat
Taxi boatis a cheap and efficient way to reach some beaches and islands on your own, without having to call a travel agency for a day trip.
For example, you can go to Hong Island and stay the whole day, and not just 2 hours, the time they leave you here during a group tour.
Taxi boats can be found on the beach in Ao Nang, and from here you can reach Railay Beach (200 baht return/person), Ko Poda Island (300 baht return/person) or Hong Island (500 baht return -returned/person).
6. Visit the Tiger Cave Temple and climb to the Buddha statue
Tiger Cave Temple, or Wat Tham Sua, is an important Buddhist temple and one of the tourist attractions in Krabi. The place is famous for the Buddha Statue at the top of the hill, and for the complicated route of 1237 steps that you have to walk to the top.
At the base of the hill there is a small cave with a statue of a tiger, with the cave having the form of a temple. But what's more interesting is the trail you have to climb to the top, where a spectacular view of the surroundings awaits you.
The route is not easy at all, and those many steps are quite steep. And if you want to climb during the day, on a temperature of 30+ degrees, the whole experience will be all the more difficult. But the bottom line is worth every effort.
However, I do not recommend climbing if you have health or mobility problems.
The entrance to the Tiger Cave Temple is free, but it is necessary to have a decent outfit (women should have their shoulders and knees covered).
You can reach Tiger Cave Temple by Bolt/Grab, taxi or Songthaew.
Or you can get here as part of an organized tour, which will also take you to Emerald Pool or Hot Springs: Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool & Hot Springs Tour from Krabi.
7. Climb the Dragon Crest
Another physically demanding activity, for the more athletic among you, is climbing the Dragon Crest Mountain. It is a route of approximately 2 hours one way, of high difficulty, but which takes you to a viewpoint with a superb view. If you are a fan of mountain trails, then you must not miss this place.
The route starts at Checkpoint Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, and the entrance to the national park costs 200 THB.
8. Take a bath in the Emerald Pool
Another day trip idea in Krabi is to Emerald Pool and Hot Springs .
Emerald Pool is a natural pool, where you can bathe in emerald-colored water, which is where its name comes from, by the way.
The location is 50 km from Krabi, so if you don't have a scooter, it is more accessible and convenient to get here through a day trip: Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool & Hot Springs Tour from Krabi.
If you choose the day trip, besides Emerald Pool and Tiger Cave Temple, you will also reach the hot springs, where you can bathe in a waterfall with hot water of 40 degrees.
9. Try water sports
Snorkeling, wind surfing, scuba diving, parasailing or kayaking are some of the activities you can practice in Krabi. Whether you are passionate about these water sports, or maybe just curious to try such an activity for the first time, Phuket is the right place where you can experience all these water sports.
10. Admire elephants at an elephant sanctuary
A beautiful experience and a nice activity is to visit the elephants in an elephant sanctuary.
In Thailand, and in Krabi, for that matter, there are several elephant sanctuaries that shelter and care for old or sick elephants, unable to survive on their own in the wild.
Visitors have the opportunity to pet the beautiful animals, feed them, take pictures of them, and in some sanctuaries they are allowed to bathe with them.
However, avoid the elephant parks where the animals are still ridden!
You need to book beforehand your visit to the elephants, from the resort, from the accommodation, or online:
Where to stay in Krabi
The place of accommodation preferred by most tourists in Krabi is the resort Ao Nang.
From luxurious resorts to affordable accommodation in hostels, in Ao Nang you can find accommodation options for all budgets and needs.
We chose to stay in this lovely hotel, which we recommend: Baan Ban Dalay. The room was 40 euros/night, during the New Year's period (January 2024), and the conditions were very good: quiet, clean, restaurant on the ground floor, and the room very chic. Close to the beach, but still far away from the hustle and bustle of the resort.
Other well-rated accommodations in Ao Nang (rated above 9 on Booking.com) are the following:
- Little Home Ao Nang – 20 euros/night
- AddJitResort aonang – SHA Extra Plus – 45 euros/night
- Infinity Aonang Krabi – SHA Certified – 65 euros/night
- Aonang Hill Krabi-SHA Extra Plus – 100 euros/night
- The Scene Cliff View Villas by Swiss-Belhotel – 200 euros/night
If you want a different experience, then Railay Beach can be an option for you. Being a destination not accessible by road, it can give you the feeling of an isolated island, and thus the atmosphere in the small resort is more special.
Some well-rated accommodations in Railay Beach (rated above 8 on Booking.com) would be:
- Railay Phutawan Resort – 95 euros/night
- Railay Great View Resort – 150 euros/night
What to eat in Krabi
If you have arrived in Krabi, or in Thailand in general, forget about fast food, pizza, burgers and fries. Thai cuisine is extremly tasty.
Don't forget to try Pad Thai and Sticky Rice with mango, the most authentic dishes here.
As food places, we recommend the following:
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