Whenever we reminisce about our travels in Thailand, the first visual that comes to mind is of beautiful Krabi. đ Stunning blue beaches with limestone cliffs soaring out of the waters, the backdrop of a breath-taking sunset, whilst sitting under the palm treesâŠ....such bliss! đ From tropical nature and adventure, to the best of Thai hospitality and food â Krabi is indeed a traveler's paradise.
WATCH OUR VIDEO!
Q+A
When is the best time to visit Krabi?
Krabi is a tropical island so it invites tourists all year through. However, November to March is the most ideal time to visit because of the slightly cooler temperatures and less-likely rains.
Where do I stay in Krabi?
You can choose to stay either in Krabi Town, or Ao-Nang. Based on accessibility and convenience, Ao Nang is a good choice to get to the nearby islands. We stayed in Krabi Town at the very comfortable and cute Chanchalaya Hip Hostel, about 12 kilometers from Ao Nang. But honestly, Krabi has a huge range of options for accommodations, ranging from backpacker hostels, to five-star luxury resorts.
Somewhere in Krabi Town
How do I get around the island?
We rented a scooter to get around and explore the island by ourselves. A word of caution though â do this ONLY if you are confident of riding on a two-wheeler, and please wear your helmets đ Safety First! If not a scooter, you could always hop onto a 'tuk-tuk' (rickshaw) or a 'song-taew' (their local bus), and that could be an adventure on its own!
For the island and beach hopping activities, you can take the ferry from the pier (there is one main pier in both Ao Nang and Krabi Town). There are plenty of boats that leave from and get back to the island through-out the day. There are several tour companies you can easily find around in Krabi with whom you can book your island hopping tours.
How many days do I spend in Krabi?
For a decent experience, you would need at least 2 days. We had the luxury of time and stayed on the island for 4 days, and enjoyed every bit of our time.
And now that the basics are done, here we go......our Top-5 things to do in Krabi! đđœ
1. Watch the Sunset at Ao Nang Beach
You could visit Krabi only for its sunsets. Even photographs donât do justice to its actual splendor. We spent an entire day at Ao Nang beach just relaxing on the golden sands and admiring the limestone cliffs surrounding us. đ The skies in the background changed color by the minute, almost like an artist painting strokes on a canvas. This definitely goes down the book of our favorite travel memories â€ïž
2. Go Rock Climbing at Railey Beach
If you are looking for some adrenaline-pumping adventure, then you must try climbing a limestone cliff in Krabi! There are long-tail boats that leave from Krabi Town and Ao-Nang, to Railey and Ton Sai beaches, both of which are extremely stunning, and have dozens of rock-climbing schools.
After reading reviews on Trip Advisor, we decided to go with Krabi Rock Climbing at Railey. The instructor was well-experienced, super fun, and most importantly very patient with newbies like us. Arjun scaled a good 25 meters of height, and I did 12! Not so bad, eh? đ It was a good work-out I must say, and we had a fun time dragging our muscles back to the boat. But the view from our climb was worth everything!
COST: The long-tail boat journey costs 100 THB (approx. 3 US$) for a one-way ticket. We took the half-day climbing lessons which is ideal for beginners, and that cost us about 1000 THB per person (approx. 30 US$).
3. Island Hopping on a Ferry to the Nearby Islands -
Koh Lanta, Phi Phi, Phuket, Ko Lipe
Hopping across dozens of gorgeous Andaman Islands around the coast of Krabi is the ultimate tropical experience. đ„° The islands are marked by such pristine white sand beaches and turquoise waters, they're heavenly! Many of these sites are also very rich with corals so they're great for snorkeling or diving!
But because there are so many islands in the area, it can be quite overwhelming to plan your island-hopping route. There are many multiple-island day-trips organised by local ferry tours which are great and convenient. However, if you have the luxury of time, then we highly, highly recommend to skip those and choose just 1 or two islands and explore them as much as you can. Here is what our island-hopping tour looked like:
2 Days/1 Night in Phuket
2 Days/1 Night in Phi Phi Island (we did some shark-sighting here, incredible!)
4D in Krabi (this article says it all)
1D in Koh Lanta (definitely deserves more time)
On a long-tail boat from Krabi Town to Railey Beach
Ferry views on the way to Phi Phi Island
Arjun's little head peeking out of the Phi Phi waters. We were here shark-sighting, and yes we did see many of them! đ”
Mid-hike to the Phi-Phi Don Viewpoint
4. Get a Thai Massage
Traditional Thai massages are hands down one of the best things about Thailand. After an exhausting day of exploring and adventure, a good massage is what you need to relax those tense muscles and just... unwind. đKrabi has a range of options, from super affordable massages by the sea-shore, to luxury spa services at world-class resorts. A word of caution though - Stay out of the shady areas and questionable massage parlors to avoid any awkward encounters with a service you do not want. đ
COST: You could get a foot massage for as cheap as 100 THB for 30 minutes (approx. 3 US$) and a full-body massage for 250-300 THB an hour (approx 9 US$) at a simple, hygienic parlor by the street. The same at a hotel or luxury spa would probably cost you double or more.
TIP: We recommend giving a generous tip to your masseuse. They would really appreciate the gesture, and much deserve it đ
5. Eat!
Krabi has some fun, buzzing night market scenes at Ao Nang and Krabi Town areas. Every night is a festival of sorts where the locals set up stalls and sell things, from souvenirs and clothes to mouth-watering street food. đ€© The colors, lights and smells make it a sensory feast! We really recommend trying at least some of the authentic delicacies such as Pad Thai, Thai curry with rice, fried rice, or satays and end it on a sweet note with some fresh tropical fruit or the famous Thai sticky rice with mango! đ