Where are the best places to stay in Krabi?
Visited by over 2 million tourists each year, the Krabi province of Thailand is an outstanding area of natural beauty, with gigantic limestone karsts, immaculate white palm fringed beaches, and a labyrinth of archipelagos and stunning islands emerging vertically from the southern Andaman Sea.
Whether you're looking for a totally relaxing beach holiday, you want to spend your vacation exploring the crystal clear waters, or trying to conquer those limestone peaks, Krabi is the ultimate dream beach destination. Here you can swim in the warm waters, discover the beauty of the underwater sea life and coral reefs, explore caves, waterfalls and mangrove swamps, try jungle trekking on foot, on a mountain bike or even on an elephant, or go island hopping on one of the area's famous long-tail boats.
While Krabi itself is not renowned for its scenery, the beaches to the west attract most people to this area; beaches such as Ao Nang and Pranang beaches, Nopparat Thara Beach and Railay Beach, with their many hotels and resorts and excellent scuba diving and climbing opportunities.
Many tourists choose to stay on one of the 154 Krabi islands, with the Phi Phi Islands of Leonardo di Caprio's film 'The Beach' being amongst the most popular, together with the stunning islands of Koh Lanta. The vast majority of the smaller islands are only suitable for day trips as they don't have any accommodation available on them.
With its quirky atmosphere, the town of Krabi is often used as a base for exploring all that the Krabi province has to offer. It's a popular place with the younger crowd, having a preponderance of small guest houses, travel agencies, western restaurants and gift shops. It's also an extremely popular destination for people seeking to participate in all kinds of adventurous activities from scuba diving and snorkelling, right through to rock climbing and jungle treks, or boat trips to the many islands dotted amongst the southern Andaman Sea.
Fringed with palm trees and backed by a good selection of holiday accommodation, including guesthouses, bungalows and resorts, Ao Nang has the reputation of being Krabi's most developed beach. Here you'll find many laid back bars, restaurants and Western fast food joints jostling side by side with souvenir and tourist shops, plus those all important medical centres and pharmacies.
Set between two soaring impenetrable limestone cliffs, Railay Beach, can only be reached by boat, but once you get there you'll be enchanted by the magnificent white sand beach and jade green waters, which is arguably the most stunning beach location in Thailand.
Part of Thailand's largest marine park, the Phi Phi Islands comprise two islands, Ko Phi Phi Leh, where you'll find Maya Beach, the location used for 'The Beach', and Ko Phi Phi Don, the northern island. These islands, with their sheer limestone cliffs and coral reefs, can only be reached by boat, and were very badly damaged during the Tsunami of 2004.
Famed for its backpacker community and groups of sea gypsies, Koh Lanta has developed into an extremely popular destination for package holidaymakers because of its exquisite beaches and its proximity to a great selection of superb dive spots, including Hin Daneng, Hin Muang and Ko Ha.
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