In my eyes there is nothing better than travelling and exploring new places, and this time I chose to go to Krabi. The small province in the south of Thailand facing the Andaman Sea is a pretty famous tourist attraction, especially during winter time which usually ends in April as the raining season starts.
As we went during Chinese New Year which is the most important festival in many Asian countries, nearly all the hotels have were fully booked and the city was quite crowded, specially during the evening.
Sights
The best area to stay in is Ao Nang as most restaurants and nightlife can be found there. Right next to the beach is the main street full of bars, restaurants, supermarkets, wholesalers, massage places and souvenir shops.
On our first night in Krabi we decided to rent a speedboat for one day, which was quite expensive but it’s definitely worth it if you cherish privacy and independence. Make sure you leave the skipper a proper tip and he’ll bring you to the spots you like. We headed to James Bond Island, Phra Nang Bay with its impressive caves that are great for canoeing, and Hong Island were we spent some time for sunbathing.
As I said, the speedboat is a rather expensive option, so if you’re looking for something more convenient just ask at the reception in your hotel or in Ao Nang city. Plenty of travel agents offer tours in groups with a long tail boat, which will bring you to very beautiful beaches and bays like Maya Bay, Railay Beach, Bamboo Island, Poda Island, Tup Island and the famous Phi Phi Island.
A must-do is getting a massage in one of the shops along the street. There are many, and the prices are more or less the same – afterwards you’ll feel reborn.
A day later I spontaneously decided to watch a Ladyboy Cabaret, which was pretty fun. Further things to do include a visit to the Tiger Cave Temple, and a stop at the weekend Night Market in the city center, as you can enjoy a great choice of local food, coconut ice-cream, fruits or locally made clothes or accessories. If you’re in the town of Krabi, have a short look around Wat Kaew Ko Wararam.
Krabi is also famous for scuba diving and snorkeling. Most ofthe hotels and travel agencies offer daily tours.
Restaurants
Being tired from a day of exploring, we decided to go for dinner and I can recommend you the following restaurants: Carnivore Steak House, which as the name says offers great choice of meat and great steaks. Make sure you book a table in advance.
Ton Ma Yom Thai restaurant is another great choice, as coming to Thailand you can’t miss out on the chance to try local cuisine. The Bombay Palace serves excellent Indian food, and the Hilltop is famous for its seafood.
Hotels
I think it’s always important to choose the right hotel, but unfortunately we were a little bit unlucky this time, as everything was booked and overpriced due to the Chinese New Year so I ended up staying at the Anyavee Tubkaek Beach Resort. The design of the resort is nice but it’s not very well maintained.
A great choice for Krabi would surely be the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas, where I was super keen to stay, but it was fully booked. Others could be the Amari Vogue Krabi, the Tubkaak Krabi Boutique Resort or the Railay Bay Resort & Spa.
In total I enjoyed our short trip to Krabi a lot, as it’s not as busy as other islands in Thailand. It’s still quite touristic though, and the view –especially during sunset – is simply amazing, looking over at the rocks in the sea.
Nice places.
Well written review Laura!
Paradise!! Such a beautiful place to visit.
Seems like a really nice place with amazing surroundings, a place for the asian list.