After a week of partying on Koh Phangan, it was time to get some relaxing in with the new year. So we headed over to Thailand’s Andaman Coast and the town of Krabi. The town proper sits along a river a little inland while there are outlying beaches at Ao Nang and Railay. The latter is reached by longtail boat from Ao Nang.
Cheap accommodations in Ao Nang are hard to come by in peak season (December/January). The cheapest we were able to find was a private fan room with shared bathroom for 700 Baht. The cheapest dorm beds that were available we came across were 450 Baht per person. The town is full of tourists and many hotels and resorts around town which is probably why the prices are so high. We had a flight out of the Krabi airport so for our last night we stayed in the town proper which was only 450 Baht for a room. This allowed us to be closer to the airport, have cheaper transport there early in the morning and have a night of cheaper accommodations.
Outside of tours which are sold everywhere on the street in Ao Nang, the main attraction is the beach. Longtail boats come and go from its shores all day taking travelers to nearby Railay or on day trips to other nearby beaches or islands. At the southern end of the beach there is a set of wooden stairs that climb up and over the cliff to a small cove on the other side that is home to a resort. You don’t have to be staying there to visit the cove but do need to check in and out at the bottom of the stairs with a security guard.
Cheap food can be found at the food stalls selling pad thai, fresh fruit or pancakes. The town has plenty of other places to eat however these places can be a bit pricey compared to the food stalls.
Ao Nang is a great place to start if you’re going to island hop down to Malaysia. Transport can be hired by several of the stalls on the street to either Koh Phi Phi or Koh Lanta and then continue on from there. Transport to Railay by longtail boat can also be purchased from the office on the corner across the street from the beach.
In Krabi town proper there isn’t much to do other than a stroll along the riverfront. There is a night market that pops up as well as a sort of farmers market during the day that also has some food stalls that sell cheap local dishes. We didn’t spend much time here as we only had one night and an early flight the next morning.
Embrace the Odyssey 