Beaches in Krabi

Ao Nang is the base for almost everything else on this list: the main resort strip in Krabi, with the boat pier at one end, hotels at every price and a promenade of restaurants and bars behind the sand. The beach itself is decent rather than the best in the province, which is fine, because you are here for the longtails out to Railay and the islands. How to Reach: About 30 minutes by taxi or bus from Krabi International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Known For : Rock Climbing in Railey Tham Phra Nang Cave View Point and Lagoon

Railay is a peninsula cut off from the mainland by limestone walls, so there is no road: you arrive by longtail. Railay West has the better sand and the pricier hotels, Railay East is mangrove shore with the cheap rooms and the bars, and a five-minute walk links the two. The cliffs are among the best known rock climbing in the world. How to Reach: 15 to 20 minutes by longtail from Ao Nang or Krabi Town. Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Best Time: November to March

3 Railay (Rai Leh) Attractions

Phra Nang is the best beach on the Railay peninsula and one of the best in Thailand: a short curve of white sand under an overhanging cliff, with the Phra Nang cave shrine at one end. The shrine holds offerings left for a princess said to have drowned here. Longtails run in from Ao Nang and Railay, and it fills up in the middle of the day. How to Reach: 20 minutes by longtail from Ao Nang, or a short walk from Railay East. Best Time to Visit: November to April, early or late in the day.

Tonsai sits between Ao Nang and Railay, and it is the climbers' beach: rough sand, cheap bungalows, bars built into the rock and a much scruffier feel than Railay next door. That is the appeal. It is a short scramble along the shore from Railay West at low tide, or a boat at any tide. Basic facilities only. How to Reach: 10 to 15 minutes by boat from Ao Nang or Railay. Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Nopparat Thara runs 3 km west of Ao Nang, lined with casuarina and coconut, and it is where Krabi locals go rather than visitors. There are food stalls and shade but no loungers or umbrellas. At low tide you can walk out to the small islands offshore, which is the reason to time a visit. It is the headquarters beach of the Hat Nopparat Thara and Mu Ko Phi Phi national park. How to Reach: 30 minutes by car from Krabi International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April, at low tide.

Klong Muang is about 30 minutes northwest of Krabi Town, a quiet resort beach with calm shallow water and a scattering of hotels behind it, and almost none of Ao Nang's noise. The sand is coarser and the swimming easier. Tub Kaek is the next bay along, so the two are usually treated as one stretch. How to Reach: About 30 minutes by car from Krabi Town or the airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Tub Kaek is 28 km northwest of Krabi Town, past Klong Muang, and it is the quiet luxury end of the province: a handful of resorts, no strip, and a view out to the scattered islands of Than Bok Khorani. The Dragon Crest trail starts nearby and climbs to the best viewpoint in Krabi. Better for a week of doing very little than for a day trip. How to Reach: About 45 minutes by car from Krabi Town or the airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Ao Siew is a small bay on the Krabi coast backed by mangrove and coconut, with fishing boats pulled up on the sand and no development to speak of. The water is calm and shallow. There is nothing here in the way of facilities, which is the whole point: it is the beach on this list you are least likely to share. How to Reach: About 40 minutes by car from Krabi Town or the airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Koh Poda is a small island 8 km off Ao Nang with a white sand beach ringing most of it and a limestone tower rising offshore that appears in most Krabi photographs. The reef is close in and shallow enough to snorkel from the sand. There is a small restaurant and bar and nothing else. National park entry applies. How to Reach: 25 minutes by boat from Ao Nang. Best Time to Visit: November to April, arriving early before the tour boats.

Best Time: November-March

Koh Gai, or Chicken Island, is named for the rock stack at one end that from the right angle looks like a chicken's head and neck. It is a standard stop on Krabi's Four Islands tour, with clear water, reef for snorkelling and a snack bar. At low tide a sandbar surfaces and links it to Koh Tup and Koh Mor, which you can walk across. How to Reach: 30 minutes by boat from Ao Nang. Best Time to Visit: November to April, timed for low tide.

Koh Hong is a group of islands off the Krabi coast, inside Than Bok Khorani National Park, and the main one has a curved white beach and a shallow lagoon enclosed by cliffs that gives the island its name. Kayaks go into the lagoon, the reef is good for snorkelling, and a short trail climbs to a viewpoint over the group. Some bars and loungers. How to Reach: 30 to 45 minutes by speedboat from Ao Nang. Best Time to Visit: November to April.

Bamboo Island, or Koh Mai Phai, sits north of the Phi Phi Islands and is close to circular, with sand around most of it and reef in the shallows that makes it one of the better snorkelling stops in the area. Shallow water makes it good with children. No loungers, no umbrellas, and it is usually reached as part of a Phi Phi day trip. How to Reach: 45 minutes by speedboat from Ao Nang or Krabi Town. Best Time to Visit: November to April; it closes in the monsoon.

Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Leh is the bay from The Beach, a cliff-ringed cove that was closed for years to let the reef recover. It has reopened with limits: swimming is prohibited, boats moor at the back of the island, visitor numbers are capped and there is nothing on site at all. National park entry applies. Go on a guided trip and go early. How to Reach: 45 minutes by boat from Ao Nang or Krabi Town. Best Time to Visit: November to April; it closes seasonally, so check first.