A Complete Travel Guide to Krabi, Thailand

One of the most captivating and super fascinating destinations in Thailand, Krabi is always the first choice of travelers on their Thailand trip. Krabi has teemed with the incredible white sandy beaches, panoramic surroundings, dense green forests, and the alluring islands. If you are planning a Holiday in Krabi then you must plan your trip between the months of November and April as the weather in the region is pretty inconsistent in the region. One can gather numerous exciting moments on this magical land like enjoying the boat ride which is easily available on rent, spending some refreshing and quality moments with your loved ones at the beaches and many more.

 

Nightlife

The majority of visitors to Krabi are people looking for the quieter type of holiday so noisy discos and clubs are not so common here. There are plenty of tranquil bars near the beaches and in Krabi town.

• Bars: Along the beachfront, at Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara Beach there are plenty of relaxing bars such as The Lost Pirate. They have a background of music which is very much down to personal taste as to whether it’s good or not. Generally, they play quite a lot of 70's rock music. Also on Ao Nang Beach, there is the Last Fisherman, serving cocktails in a very relaxing atmosphere. Just round the corner from Ao Nang at the Noppharat Thara Beach, there is the Luna Bar with pool tables and a resident DJ.
• Live Music: In Krabi Town, there is the Crazy Pub offering live music.
• Restaurants And Eating Out: Seafood is obviously top of the list when it comes to eating out in Krabi Along the beachfront right next to the sand and the sea there are good restaurants with all manner of seafood on the menu. Some places are simple to open eateries with plastic tables and chairs, others are quite sophisticated full-scale restaurants. At the Relax Bay Resort, there is the Red Snapper restaurant serving French cuisine, and Ruen Kai is a very good Thai restaurant in Maharat Road, Krabi town.
• Night Markets: Like all Thai towns, there is a regular night market. The night markets of Thailand are genuine markets where local people shop in preference to any supermarket or department store. In Krabi, there are two markets: One is a small collection of stalls at the Chao Fan pier but there is a full market with local produce, crafts, and food at Thanon Sukhon, opposite the City Hotel.
  

 

Beaches

It could be argued that the beaches at Krabi are not as good as Phuket and Phi Phi, with coarser sand, rather than the fine white powdery beaches of other locations. However, the islands just off the coast and the Railay Beach to the west of Krabi town make for some of the best seaside locations in South East Asia.

• Ao Nang Beach: Not too far from Krabi town and just around the bay from the Noppharat Thara Beach where many of the long tail boats depart for the small islands. It was one of the first developments in Krabi so it has been established with beachside restaurants and bars the beach is long, clean and not overloaded with sunbathers.
• Noppharat Thara: This has the slightly coarse sand and as such is not as good a beach as others. But it is the place to catch a trip over to one of the island beaches, with long tails boats leaving all the time. Negotiate a price before leaving, whether it's a round trip or a single journey. The boats will come back to your island retreat at the end of the day.
• Railay Beach: There is west and east Railay beach and both are equally good. It’s easy to walk across this peninsula from the east side to the west side. The beaches are reached by boat giving them some exclusivity. Here you will find the ideal white sand, clear blue water, and the famous limestone outcrops soaring from the sea. This stretch of coastline is probably one of the finest to be found. Longtail boats leave from Ao Nang beach and from Krabi town for Railay. There are fewer boats making the 50 Baht journey in the monsoon season when sudden winds can make for an uncomfortable ride.

These are the three main beaches around Krabi, but further, along the coast towards Phang Nga, there is the Klong Muang Beach. This part of the coast is home to some of the more expensive hotel resorts, and it is very quiet. There are very few bars, with just a few places to eat. It is, however, a stunning stretch of sand with a fringe of greenery.

 

Tourist Attractions

Krabi is a relaxing resort, certainly compared with Phuket or Pattaya. It is also a new, developing destination, with some of the most outstanding natural scenery in the region. The islands are great for day trips using the many long-tail boats waiting for your custom at places like Ao Nang Beach. The dramatic limestone outcrops make for some stunning photographs, and the beaches of Railay and Tubkaak are exceptional on an excursion from Ao Nang Beach, Expect to pay around 1,000 baht for a trip around 2 or 3 islands such as Chicken Island.

• Chicken Island: This boat trip takes about one hour and takes visitors around the larger islands off the coast from Krabi. Some of these islands are regular day excursions for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts or for people just wanting to soak up the sun on a beautiful beach. Chicken Island has an outcrop of rock which does indeed look a bit like a chicken. Around the island, there are hanging stalactites in deep coves which your boat captain will be pleased to show you.
• The Tiger Cave Temple - Wat Tham Suea: The temple is a famous meditation center. There are 1237 steps to the mountain top shrine, but it's worth the climb just for the views.
• Snorkeling and Diving: One of the most popular activities around Krabi is diving off the islands near Krabi. Good clear water makes it one of the favorite spots along the coast.
• Festivals: To celebrate the opening of the tourist season in November there is a festival in Krabi. It is called the Krabi Berk Fah Festival and has cultural performances and sports competitions.
• Kayaking: Canoes/kayaks can be rented from the beaches at Ao Nang, and Railay for individual exploration of the islands.
• Hot Springs: Although some 70 km from Krabi Town, the hot springs come from the volcanic chambers underground. Natural rock formations make for ideal "bathtubs".
• Crystal Pool: Near to the Hot Springs are the Khao Pra Bang Khram Nature Reserve and a lake of crystal clear water in the center of the forest.

Admission to the springs is 90 Baht and the Nature Reserve 200 Baht per person.

 

How to Reach

Krabi is found as one of the fastest emerging tourist places in Thailand as per the statistics of the Tourist Authority of Thailand. Some of the major improvements in roads and hotels have been the result of the devastation caused by the 2002 Tsunami. There is a fairly new airport from where here is a good choice of transport to the beaches and to Krabi town.

• By Air: Thai International has the best frequency to Krabi from the main airport at Suvarnabhumi and from the older Don Mueang. This is not the best move from Thai, using two different airports for the same destination, so make sure you know which airport you are departing from! To add some further confusion the operating days differ from each airport. Air Asia has a twice-daily service from Suvarnabhumi airport Bangkok, whilst Nok Air flies a single flight from the old Don Muang airport. Bangkok Airways operate from Suvarnabhumi once a day.
• By Road: Krabi is 800 Kms from Bangkok so it's a long drive. Route 4 is the main road down to the mainland west coast, and if driving a rental car it is worth considering a stop overnight.
• By Bus: There's a 12-hour journey ahead for the intrepid bus traveler from Bangkok, but the buses are well-appointed and come in 24 and 50 seat versions. There is one bus leaving at 8am and then the remaining departures are from 4.30 pm for an overnight journey. The air-conditioned VIP buses cost between 600 and 900 Baht one way. Bus connections also include Surat Thani, for the ferry to Koh Samui, Hat Yai, Trang, and Phuket.
• By Sea: Not exactly a regular service but it is possible to reach Krabi from Phuket in the high season on ferry service and there are also connections to Koh Phi Phi and the nearby Koh Lanta. The Phuket ferries run from Nopparat Thara Pier, near Ao Nang with departures at 3.30pm. A ferry leaves Phuket at the same time, bound for Krabi. Ticket prices are 550 Baht with a journey time of 3 hours.

For Phi Phi, the times are 10am and 3pm daily from the Krabi Passenger Pier, about 4 km from the town center. There are departures from Ao Nang to Koh Lanta at 10.30am and 2pm, with a one-way fare of 350 Baht.

 

Best Time to Visit

The weather in the Krabi region is somewhat similar to Phuket, Phang Nga, Koh Samui, and other provinces in the southern part of Thailand. They all have two seasons in a year - the dry season and the rainy season.

Krabi lies just 8 degrees away from the equator, as a result, it is considered as a tropical region. Its temperature normally ranges from 27 to 32'C with humidity of around 75 to 100% but its temperature sometimes drops below 27'C due to continuous rain. The dry and hot season starts from January to April yet there are few circumstances when rain is experienced during the dry season. The hottest months in the province are during the months of March and April when the whole region suffers from the dry heatwave and the temperature reaches up to 37'C.

The rainy season may usually start in the months of May to December. Heavy continuous rains are mostly experienced in the evenings. The temperature may go to as low as 21'C during daytime and 5 to 10'C during nighttime particularly when there is constant rain all over the place. The majority of the rains are experienced during the months of September, the end of October until early December.

Nearly every business establishment in the province such as hotels, bars and restaurants, and tour agencies considers the months of late May to October as the low season since there are very few tourists who come and visit Krabi. Nevertheless, few of the said tourists find this as a suitable time to visit the province as the weather is fairly hot, prices of commodities drop, plus accommodations and tourist attractions are almost deserted.

The peak season starts in the month of November to April but still, you should expect that there will be rough conditions during these times. The best months to come to the region may be the months of January and February when the weather is not so hot and the region experiences minimal rain.

Climate conditions in Krabi province may sometimes be unpredictable depending on the tropical monsoon that dominates the area. There are times when the wind changes early or late, thus affecting the yearly seasons. There's an instance when the rain started as late as June, stopped for a couple of months then continued again in January. It is always best to verify first the weather forecast before planning your getaway Krabi.