Stunning beaches, rock-climbing, island-hopping and hiking: Krabi Province has a little bit of everything! Located in the south of Thailand, close to Phuket, Krabi Province is a popular destination for backpackers. This guide will focus on Krabi Town and Ao Nang but also include some information on Railay. If you are heading to Railay, I have a full guide covering Railay here. If you’re not sure whether to stay in Krabi Town, Ao Nang or Railay, then read on as I will compare the different options based on my experiences staying in all three areas.
Krabi Town vs Ao Nang vs Railay
The first thing you need to understand about this area is that Krabi is both a province and a town. Krabi province includes tourist destinations such as Krabi Town, Ao Nang, Railay, Koh Lanta and Phi Phi Island. Out of these, Krabi Town, Ao Nang and Railay are all very close together (less than 30 minutes from each other). They also offer all of the same activities and tours. So you can do all the activities and visit all the top places, regardless of where you physically stay. But where is the better place to stay, Railay, Ao Nang or Krabi Town?
Railay- best vibes
Railay is much more of a chilled backpacker vibe, and it has really nice beaches and nature (lots of monkeys). There’s really only one hostel there called Blancos (which is a bit of a party hostel). As it’s only accessible by boat, it is much quieter and feels a bit more homey. It’s also tiny, and there are no cars or roads, so everything is walkable. There are a few cute restaurants, cafes and bars. Based purely on vibes, Railay would be my choice of place to stay.
Ao Nang- best location
Ao Nang is also a beach destination, but it is much busier (and honestly, the beach is not the best). There are loads of hostels dotted around (party hostels, social hostels and flaskpacker hostels). Ao Nang is perfectly placed between Railay (only 10 minutes via a longtail boat) and Krabi Town (only 30 minutes in a taxi). There are lots of restaurants, bars, cafes and a night market. While it is not as cute and quaint as Railay, it is still a nice walk along the beach. Based purely on location, Ao Nang would be my choice of place to stay.
Krabi- most convenient
Krabi Town is the capital of the province of Krabi and will be busier again. It is located slightly inland of Ao Nang (only around a 30-minute drive). There are a lot of hostels in Krabi Town. However, some are used as just a place to sleep before getting on a flight out of Krabi Airport. Krabi Town is less of a tourist destination and more of a big city where lots of people live, and tourists also visit (but tourism is more of an afterthought). There is a banging night market in Krabi Town, though (bigger and better than the Ao Nang Night Market. Based purely on the convenience of onward travel, Krabi Town would be my choice of place to stay.
Personally, I would stay in Railay if I had to choose one place to stay. However, if you have a few days staying at Railay, then Ao Nang is a good combination!
How many days to spend in Ao Nang or Krabi Town
For Ao Nang and Krabi Town, all activities are based around tours and day trips (there’s not much to do in either place other than night markets and nightlife). The two main tours are the Seven Island boat tour and the Tiger Temple and Emerald Pool tour. If you’re not staying in Railay and are using Ao Nang/ Krabi Town as a base for exploring Railay as well, you will need to allow two days for this. All up, I would allow four days total for Ao Nang, Krabi Town and Railay Beach. If you’ve already stayed in Railay or are planning on going there, you only need two full days to do Ao Nang and Krabi Town.
Where to stay in Krabi Town and Ao Nang
There are plenty of hostels to choose from in Krabi Town and Ao Nang to suit any backpacker, from a budget backpacker to a flashpacker. If you are staying in Krabi Town, make sure you choose a hostel within walking distance of everything (night market, bus station and port). For Ao Nang, choosing a hostel closer to the beach would be ideal so you can walk to bars, night markets and the pier. You can book all accommodation online here.
Pak Up Hostel– Krabi Town
Pak Up is the best hostel to stay in in Krabi Town for its amenities and its convenient locations to all transport hubs. They are within walking distance of the pier (for heading to Phi Phi Island or Phuket) and the bus terminal. They’re also right in the middle of town, so close to bars, restaurants, cafes and the Krabi Town Night Market. Pak Up Hostel offers free breakfast, a kitchen to do your own cooking, a gym, large communal areas and a tour desk. They have different dorm options, from pod-style for flashpackers to a basic bunk bed. Unfortunately, as Krabi Town isn’t as popular a place to stay with backpackers, the hostel itself isn’t very social. Most people use this hostel as a place to stay before jumping on a plane, bus or ferry to their next destination.
K-Bunk– Ao Nang
This is one of the best hostels I have stayed in for making friends as a solo traveller! The dorms all have curtains, and the beds are super comfy. They also run nightly activities, and the staff make an effort to introduce people and make sure everyone is having a good time. K-Bunk has a free (yes, free) pub crawl every night, which takes you to the main bars and clubs in Ao Nang. They also have a swimming pool, heaps of large communal areas and a bar and restaurant on site. K-bunk isn’t really a party hostel. There will be people going out every night, but there are also equally as many people staying in and chilling out.
How to get to Krabi Town or Ao Nang
Krabi Town is a major transport hub with an international airport, a large port and large bus terminals. You can get to Krabi Town directly from Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Khao Sok, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui. From Krabi Town, Ao Nang is only a 30-minute taxi away from Krabi Town, so also very easy to get to from most places. You can book transportation online on 12GOAsia here.
How to get to Krabi Town or Ao Nang from Phuket
There are a number of vans running between Phuket and Ao Nang/ Krabi Town. All buses depart from Phuket Terminal 1, which is in Phuket Town. You can book the van to a number of different dropoff locations in both Ao Nang and Krabi town, depending on where you are staying. The journey can take anywhere between 3-5 hours, depending on your pickup and dropoff locations and whether there is any traffic. The first van departs at 6:40 am, and the last van departs at 6 p.m. Expect to pay anywhere between 163-420 THB Thai Baht ($4.70-$12.20 USD).
How to get to Krabi Town or Ao Nang from Phi Phi Island
There are direct boat transfers between Phi Phi Island and Krabi Town or Ao Nang Beach, either via speedboat or a larger ferry. The majority of boats depart from the main pier on Phi Phi Island (Ton Sai Pier), which is within walking distance of 99% of accommodations. The other 1% will have to get a boat from Laem Tong Beach to Krabi Town or Ao Nang. Ferries depart daily at 3:30 pm, and it takes between 2-3 hours. The dropoff locations for the ferry are Klong Jilad Pier in Krabi Town and Nopparat Thara Pier in Ao Nang.
With the speedboat, it takes 30-60 minutes and costs 620 THB Thai Baht ($17 USD). Speedboats depart Phi Phi Island daily at 8:45 am, 9 am, 10:30 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1:30 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm. The dropoff locations for the speedboat are Ao Nam Mao Pier in Krabi Town and the Krabi River Marina in Krabi Town. Make sure you select the option closest to wherever you are staying.
How to get to Krabi Town or Ao Nang from Khao Sok National Park
This is an extremely popular travel route! Direct van transfers from Khao Sok National Park will take you directly to both Krabi Town and Ao Nang Beach. The vans take between 3-5 hours, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions. Vans depart at 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm. Expect to pay 315 THB Thai Baht ($9 USD).
How to get to Krabi Town or Ao Nang from Bangkok
There are direct flights from Bangkok to Krabi Airport, and the flight time is only 1.5 hours. You can get flights with Vietjet for as low as 775 THB Thai Baht ($22 USD). The airport is around a 20-minute drive to Krabi Town and a 40-minute drive to Ao Nang.
If you prefer not to fly, you can get an overnight bus or van from Bangkok to either Krabi Town or Ao Nang. Buses depart Bangkok at 5:30 pm, 6:40 pm and 7 pm. The journey takes between 12-14 hours, depending on traffic. The night buses are pretty comfortable, with blankets provided and seats reclining to a 90-degree angle. Expect to pay between 524-730 THB Thai Baht ($15-21 USD), depending on the company.
Pick-up locations vary depending on which bus company you use, with most buses departing from Mochit or Southern Terminal. Both are about 30 minutes from the main backpacker area of Bangkok. There is a bus company that goes directly from the Khao San Road area. This is really convenient for you if this is where you are staying. Make sure you book the departure which lists “Khao San Montanatip” on 12GOAsia.
How to get to Krabi Town or Ao Nang from Koh Tao
There are two options to get from Koh Tao to either Krabi Town or Ao Nang: a day ferry/ bus or a night ferry/bus. All ferries depart from the main port in Koh Tao: Mae Haad Port. The buses only arrive at Krabi Town Bus Terminal, so for Ao Nang, you will need to get a shared transfer or Taxi from Krabi Town. The day ferry departs at 9:30 am and arrives 6 hours later at 3:30 pm. Expect to pay 820 THB Thai Baht ($23 USD). The overnight bus departs at 9 pm and arrives at 9 am. For the night bus, expect to pay 800 THB Thai Baht ($22 USD). Be warned, the night ferry is very basic and an experience in itself. To read my full review of this ferry and what to expect, head to my transport guide here.
How to get to Krabi Town or Ao Nang from Koh Samui
There are a number of ferries/van transfers between Koh Samui and both Ao Nang and Krabi Town. Ferries depart from either Lia Noi, Na Thon or Maenam Pier. Of the three arrival piers, Maenam is around 20 minutes closer to Chaweng Beach than the others, but all are on the opposite side of the island. Ferries depart daily at 5 am, 6 am, 8 am, 9 am, 10:15 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm and 2 pm. The whole journey can take anywhere between 6-8.5 hours. Expect to pay between 387-590 THB Thai Baht ($11-17 USD). Transfers arrive in both Krabi Town and Ao Nang.
How to get to Krabi Town and Ao Nang from Koh Phangan
There are three ferries/van transfers between Koh Phangan and both Ao Nang and Krabi Town. All ferries depart from Thong Sala Port in the north of Koh Phangan. Ferries depart daily at 5 am, 8 am and 11:30 am. The whole journey can take anywhere between 6-9 hours. Expect to pay between 387-590 THB Thai Baht ($11-17 USD). Transfers arrive in both Krabi Town and Ao Nang.
How to get around Krabi Town and Ao Nang
Krabi Town and Ao Nang, despite being popular tourist destinations, can be a bit tricky to get around. The main ways you’ll be getting around will be on foot, by taxi and by Tuk Tuk. If you’re planning on going to Railay Beach for a day trip or to stay overnight, you will need to get a local longtail boat from Ao Nang Beach
Getting around Krabi Town and Ao Nang
While there is technically Grab in both Krabi Town and Ao Nang, it is basically impossible to get a driver. There are plenty of Taxis and tuk-tuks around, but they charge quite inflated prices compared to the rest of Thailand. They won’t let you haggle down the price much as they know you’ll never get a Grab and will have to use their service. For any activities and tours, all agencies will provide hostel pickup and dropoff, so you won’t need to worry about getting there. Depending on where you are heading afterwards if you book a bus or ferry through your hostel, you can usually get free hostel pickup included. The only times you may have to use an exorbitantly priced taxi or tuk-tuk is when you first arrive.
The easiest way around having to use a taxi is choosing a hostel that is centrally located to night markets, bars, cafes and restaurants. That way, once you arrive at your hostel, you won’t need to get a taxi anywhere else and can just walk everywhere. A lot of hostels also arrange free drop-off to the night markets and bar areas of a night because they know how hard it is to get around affordably without Grab. Walking around Ao Nang and Krabi Town both feel very safe, even at night as a solo female traveller.
Getting to Railay Beach by boat
To get from Krabi Town or Ao Nang to Railay, you have to catch a local longtail boat from Ao Nang Beach to Railay. The local boat doesn’t run on a schedule; it runs whenever there are enough people. The boat only takes around 10 minutes and costs 90 THB Thai Baht ($2.50 USD). Depending on how far in the tide is, expect to get your feet and maybe legs wet, embarking and disembarking the boat. I had to carry my backpack on my head to avoid my luggage getting wet.
What to do in Krabi Town and Ao Nang
There are a lot of activities and sights to see in and around Railay, Krabi Town and Ao Nang. You can do virtually any activity from either of the above places, so where you choose to stay won’t restrict you in terms of activities.
Rock-climbing in Railay
Railay is famous for its rock climbing, so if you love climbing or have always wanted to try, Railay is the place to go! There are a number of rock-climbing agencies in Railay; make sure you check the reviews online to pick a reputable company. Agencies run both half-day and full-day tours for climbers of all skill levels, from beginners to pros. Prices include all equipment, climbing guides, water and lunch (lunch included for full-day tours only). Expect to pay around 1200 THB Thai Baht ($34 USD) for a half-day tour and 2300 THB Thai Baht ($65 USD) for a full-day tour.
Pranang Cave (Penis Cave) and Pranang Cave Beach in Railay
This is a must-do in Railay! Both are free to enter and just a 15-minute walk from the centre of Railay. Following the signage around the island will first take you to Pranang Cave Beach. Be super mindful of your belongings on the walk here, and don’t bring any food. There are heaps of monkeys along the pathway, and they will steal sunglasses, food and cameras. Pranang Cave Beach is one of the busiest in Railay, but well worth a visit for the stunning views. If you’re staying overnight in Railay, visiting the beach first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon would be best, as there will be fewer tourists from Ao Nang here. After you’ve spent time enjoying Pranang Cave Beach, head to the famous Penis Cave to the left of the beach.
The Legend of the Penis Cave
Pranang Cave (most commonly known as Penis Cave) is a cave full of wooden penises in all shapes and sizes. There are a couple of different stories going around the origin and meaning behind the cave full of penises. My personal favourite story/theory is that the penises were offerings to a beautiful woman who lived near this cave many centuries ago. In this story, the beautiful woman has many suitors, but she does not wish to marry any of them. The suitors start making wooden replicas of their penises and gifting them to the woman to entice her to marry them. The more the woman refuses, the more suitors she gains and the more exaggerated in size the wooden penis offerings become. The woman lives a happy life with all her wooden penis offerings and never marries.
There are other versions of this story involving fertility goddesses and lonely fisherman wives. Regardless of which story you believe, the cave is a common tourist attraction but also a place where local people make offerings for fertility.
Hike to Railay Viewpoint and then hidden Lagoon
Be warned: this hike is not for the faint-hearted. It’s basically vertical the whole way (like rock climbing) and is not recommended if there has been any rain and the mud gets very slippery and can be dangerous. The hike begins from the pathway linking Railay Beach to Pranang Cave Beach. You’ll know when you start, as the first section is pulling yourself up a vertical rock using footholds and a rope. The first part is definitely the worst part of the entire hike, but keep in mind you will need to come back the same way. It will take around 2-3 hours (including time for a quick dip in the lagoon) to hike to both the viewpoint, the lagoon and return, so make sure you allow enough time to get back before dark.
Around 30 minutes in, you will hit a crossroads. To the left is the Railay Viewpoint, and to the right is the Hidden Lagoon. It doesn’t really matter which one you head to first, as you will have to backtrack to visit the other anyway. You don’t need technical hiking gear for this hike (lots of people do it in bikinis and sandals). You may want to take it a bit slower if you are not that confident or are not wearing shoes with a good grip.
7 Island Tour of Krabi
This is a super popular tour that you can book from either Ao Nang, Krabi Town or Railay. As the name would suggest, the tour will take you to 7 islands around the province of Krabi. You travel via a local longtail boat with drivers and guides. Group sizes are generally around 10-30 people, depending on the company and time of year you book.
The tour includes stops at Chicken Island, Daeng Island, Phra Nang Beach, Tang Ming Island, Poda Island, Tup Island and Sii Island. It also includes free hotel pickup and dropoff, snorkels, BBQ dinner on the beach, watching the sunset and a chance to swim with bio-luminescent plankton. Tours start at 1 pm (hotel pickup may be earlier than this) and finish at 8 pm. Expect to pay 1100 THB Thai Baht ($31 USD) for this tour. The only thing excluded from this tour is the National Park Entrance Fee, which is compulsory and 200 THB Thai Baht ($5.75 USD) per person.
Alternatively, if you have a few people from your hostel who want to do this, you can do it as a private tour. Local boat owners are hanging around Ao Nang Beach that you can negotiate to take you around for a day. If you have more than seven people, it works out to be better value for money than the tour. It will also be a better experience doing it yourself as you can determine the itinerary and timings and also avoid the bigger boat tours. That means you may have certain islands/ beaches to yourself as all boat tours follow a set route and timings.
Emerald Pool and Tiger Temple Tour
The other really popular day trip/ tour is the Emerald Pool and Tiger Temple Tour. This tour is a full-day group tour, leaving at around 8 am and returning at around 6 pm. The tour includes hotel pickup and dropoff, entrance fees, lunch and drivers/guides. You’ll visit the Emerald Pool (for swimming), Blue Pool (for sightseeing) and the Hot Springs before hiking to the top of the Tiger Temple. The views from the Tiger Temple are stunning and a highlight of Ao Nang for most travellers, but be warned it is around 1200 steps to the top. Expect to pay around 1300 THB Thai Baht ($37 USD) per person for this tour.
Where to eat in Krabi Town and Ao Nang
There are plenty of food options, regardless of whether you are staying in Krabi Town or Ao Nang. From cute cafes to night markets to local Thai restaurants, there is no shortage of food! If you are jumping on tours, they generally do provide food such as lunch and/or dinner, so that’s one less meal you have to source. However, the majority of backpackers will either eat at their hostels or the night markets when they are not out on day trips for convenience and price.
Krabi Town Night Market
The best night market in the province of Krabi! Krabi Night Market is in the centre of Krabi Town and is open daily from 6 pm to 10 pm. They serve all kinds of food, fresh juices and desserts. Krabi Town Night Market is by far the biggest and busiest night market in the area, popular with both locals and tourists.
Ao Nang Night Market
Ao Nang Night Market is located right on Ao Nang Beach, walking distance from the bus and ferry stops. The Ao Nang Night Market is more aesthetically pleasing than the Krabi Town Night Market and feels much more geared towards tourists than locals. They have a good selection of local foods, international foods, fresh smoothies and desserts. The Ao Nang Night Market is open from 5 pm until midnight every day and is a great place to grab dinner before heading out to the bars in Ao Nang due to the easy walking distance.
Nightlife
Krabi Town and Ao Nang aren’t really known for nightlife, but there is no shortage of places to go out if that’s what you’re looking for. The nightlife is drastically different between Krabi Town and Ao Nang (with one being much better IMO).
Nightlife in Krabi Town
To be completely honest, Krabi Town has the worst nightlife of all three places. It used to be a hub for backpackers, with many party hostels, but now Ao Nang and Railay have overtaken Krabi Town in terms of backpacker nightlife. There are still many bars, pubs and clubs around the town, but they are more geared towards locals and vacationers instead of backpackers. There is a collection of bars with live music and pool tables to the south of the night market, such as Ole Bar, Booze Bar and Arty Momma Rasta Bar. All these bars are walking distance from each other, making it easy to hop between them as you wish.
Nightlife in Ao Nang
Ao Nang has the best nightlife of the three places, as there are a lot of backpacker-friendly bars around! K-Bunk Hostel runs a free nightly pub crawl, where they transport you to a few bars along the main strip and give you free drinks. Highly recommend going on this free pub crawl if you are staying there. Otherwise, Ao Nang is fairly easy to bar-hop by yourself, as all of the bars are located on the main street along the beach. Lots of the bars have games in them like Jenga, Connect 4, Pool and Beer Pong. The most popular bars with backpackers are Bamboo Bar, Upbeat Bar and Boogie Bar.
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