Asia · Beach and resort guide
Dramatic limestone scenery, island days and an easy base for exploring.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
Couples, friends and active beach stays.
We would think twice for
Travellers wanting big-resort facilities and lively evenings on tap, because Krabi is about limestone towers, longtail boats and early nights, and its beauty is the entertainment.
What we would want you to know
Ao Nang is convenient rather than the best beach in Thailand.
Our research-led view
We know Koh Phi Phi from our own Thailand travels and Krabi is next on our list, so this page draws on that and on research, and it is organised around boats: which pier, which tide and which months the longtails run. Get those right and the choice of hotel becomes far simpler.
We have not been here ourselves yet and will never pretend otherwise. This advice comes from the operator, mapping, hotel and transfer research we do for real enquiries.
Map and areas
The main resort: a seafront road of restaurants, tour desks and massage shops, with longtails leaving from the sand for Railay and the islands. It is convenient and easy-going, with a few bars rather than real nightlife. The catch is the town beach, which is fine but busy with boats.
A peninsula cut off by limestone cliffs, reached only by longtail, with no roads and no cars. Railay West has the sunsets and the better hotels; Railay East faces mangroves and is not for swimming. Magical for three or four nights, but arrivals can mean wading ashore with your bags.
A peaceful stretch north of Ao Nang where larger resorts sit on the sand facing the islands. Sunsets are superb and the sea is calm in season, but there is little outside the hotels beyond a few restaurants, so it suits couples and families happy to stay put.
The quietest beach on this coast, where a handful of upmarket resorts look across to the Hong Islands. It is secluded and very beautiful, but you depend on the hotel's restaurants and shuttle for everything else.
A working riverside town with night markets, a morning market and boats to the mangroves. There is no beach and few visitors stay more than a night, but this is where everyday Thai life in the province happens, and it makes a cheap, cheerful first or last stop.
A long, low-key island to the south, reached by road and ferry, with a string of west-facing beaches and an old stilt-house town on the east coast. It is relaxed and good value, but it is a separate stay rather than a day out from Ao Nang.
Weather and seasons
Krabi's calendar is set by the boats. From December to March the sea is usually glassy, longtails run to the islands every day and February rain averages only 21mm. April is the hottest month, near 35°C, with clear water before the weather turns. From May the swell builds, and by September (315mm) many island trips are cancelled and the longtail to Railay can stop on rough days, which is a slog with luggage. The sea stays warm all year, around 29°C in November, and November is a good compromise: the rains are usually easing and the Christmas crowds have not arrived.
Worth timing a trip around
Dry rock and calm seas bring climbers from around the world, with courses running daily. Book beginner sessions a day or two ahead in December and January.
A night market in the centre of Krabi Town with street food, local crafts and live music, busier with Thai families than visitors. Worth the trip in from Ao Nang for dinner.
Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh normally closes to visitors for a couple of months to let its reef and beach recover. Check the dates before building a trip around a Phi Phi day.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°C | 22°C | 28°C | 87 mm |
| February | 34°C | 22°C | 29°C | 21 mm |
| March | 36°C | 23°C | 29°C | 74 mm |
| April | 35°C | 24°C | 30°C | 123 mm |
| May | 33°C | 24°C | 30°C | 201 mm |
| June | 32°C | 24°C | 30°C | 251 mm |
| July | 32°C | 24°C | 30°C | 237 mm |
| August | 32°C | 24°C | 30°C | 319 mm |
| September | 31°C | 24°C | 29°C | 315 mm |
| October | 32°C | 24°C | 29°C | 250 mm |
| November | 31°C | 24°C | 29°C | 228 mm |
| December | 32°C | 23°C | 29°C | 112 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Krabi, 20 km away at 25 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
Sand, shingle and swimming
Convenient and golden, with the main road just behind it and longtails pulled up at one end. Fine for a swim in the dry season, but the boat traffic sends most people elsewhere for their beach days.
A long, quiet beach just west of Ao Nang, shaded by casuarinas and part of a national park. The tide goes out a long way, exposing sandbars you can walk at low water, which children love.
Soft sand between towering cliffs, with calm water in season and superb sunsets. Longtails land at either end, so it is busy with day-trippers from late morning.
A short walk from Railay beneath overhanging rock, with fine sand and a cave shrine full of carved wooden fertility offerings. Arrive early; by midday it fills with boats from Ao Nang and Phuket.
A quiet sandy bay facing the Hong Islands, used mainly by guests of the few resorts behind it. The sea is calm in the dry season and the sand stays uncrowded even in January.
Things to do
Longtails from Ao Nang visit Koh Poda, Chicken Island, the Tup sandbar and Phra Nang in a day. The sandbar only appears at low tide, so a trip timed with the tide beats one timed for convenience.
A cluster of islands north-west of Ao Nang where a narrow gap in the rock opens into an enclosed lagoon. Kayak in at high tide if you can, and snorkel the shallows while the day boats queue.
Sheer cliffs, clear water and famous Maya Bay, reached by speedboat or ferry. Maya Bay closes for a spell each year to recover and swimming there is banned, so it is a look from the sand. A night on Phi Phi Don shows the islands after the day boats leave.
The limestone walls around Railay and Tonsai draw climbers from all over the world, and half-day taster sessions suit complete beginners. Mornings are coolest, and shaded routes matter from March.
A forest temple north of Krabi Town with a gold-topped shrine on the summit, reached by well over a thousand steep steps. Start at first light with plenty of water, and guard your bags from the resident monkeys.
A jade-coloured pool in lowland forest inland from Krabi, usually paired with the hot springs at Khlong Thom, where warm water spills over rock terraces into a stream. Go early, before the coaches arrive.
Paddle mangrove channels between limestone towers in a sheltered bay north of Ao Nang, with a guide who knows the tides. It works in the monsoon months too, when the open sea is off limits.
Food and drink
A southern rice salad tossed with toasted coconut, pomelo, lemongrass and bean sprouts, dressed with budu, a salty-sweet fermented fish sauce. A cool, fresh lunch.
Flaky griddled pancakes from the south's Muslim kitchens, sold from street carts with banana, egg or condensed milk. The evening snack of Ao Nang.
A dry-fried curry of minced pork or chicken with lemongrass, turmeric and a great deal of chilli. Southern heat at its fiercest, so order rice and cucumber alongside.
Turmeric-yellow rice cooked with spiced chicken, the Thai Muslim answer to biryani, served with a sharp dipping sauce and a small bowl of soup.
Money
Krabi gives more comfort for the money than Phuket, and its mid-range beach resorts are especially good value. The recurring extra is boats: longtail and speedboat trips to the islands, plus national park fees on most of them. A private longtail for the day costs more than a shared tour but reaches the beaches before the crowds, and that is where we would spend.
Flights and transfers
Krabi has its own airport, reached one stop from the UK or a short internal flight from Bangkok. Ao Nang, the main base, is an easy transfer; Railay, famous for its cliffs, is reached by longtail boat, which is either romantic or awkward depending on your luggage and your knees.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
7 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 6 hours in summer
Thai baht (฿)
Thai
Type A, B, C and O, 220V; a universal adaptor is safest
On the left
Not safe to drink; use bottled or filtered water
Not expected; a small tip for longtail crews and guides is appreciated
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. Since 15 September 2026, visa-free entry covers tourist stays of up to 30 days, normally for two entries a year. You must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within 3 days before you arrive.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months after you arrive, with a blank page.
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat and part of Songkhla, and within 20km of the Cambodian border. The places we suggest on this page were outside those areas when we checked, and we check the advice again before every booking.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
Ao Nang for convenience, with restaurants, tour boats and taxis on the doorstep, and it is easier with children. Railay for scenery: cliffs, no traffic and sunsets over the water, but everything arrives by longtail. We often suggest both, with most nights in Ao Nang or Klong Muang and two or three on Railay.
No. Railay is cut off by cliffs, so every arrival is by longtail from Ao Nang, Ao Nam Mao or Krabi Town. Boats land on the beach, which can mean wading with bags, and in rough weather the crossing may stop. Pack light and tell the hotel your arrival time.
Yes, especially for families who enjoy being on the water. Ao Nang and Klong Muang have family-friendly resorts, the sea is calm in the dry season and the island trips are short. It suits families less well if they want water parks or a busy resort strip, which point to Phuket.
They never stop completely, but from about May to October the swell makes open-water trips unreliable and some are cancelled at the pier on the day. Sheltered outings, such as kayaking in Ao Thalane, carry on. From November to April the boats run daily.
Seven nights covers Ao Nang, a Railay stay and the main island days with a spare day for weather. Ten suits a slower pace or a few nights on Koh Lanta. Krabi also pairs well with Phuket or Khao Lak for a two-week Andaman trip.
Photographs
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