When we hopped the ferry to Koh Phi Phi, we decided to book an onward ticket to Krabi town rather than a return to Phuket – mainly because the guy at the ferry terminal suggested it.  I had read some amazing blog posts on Krabi province on the mainland: beautiful cliffs and stunning waters as far as the eye could see, etc.  It also made it nice and easy knowing we could just pick a ferry on whichever day and move on.  Oh, the freedom!

The ferry from Krabi drops you at Klong Jirad pier, about ten minutes outside of Krabi town itself.  We had arranged pick up again through our hotel (this option is super easy, so I would always recommend asking your hotel if they offer pier/airport pickup), so our driver was there waiting when the ferry docked.  That being said, taxis are everywhere here so you could grab one with ease to your next destination.  Ride-sharing is also a good option, as these ferries are packed with other travellers who may be going in the same or similar direction to you.

We had booked to stay at Railay Princess Resort & Spa, which for ฿625 ($US17) a night each for an amazing double room including breakfast couldn’t have made me any happier!  Completely unwittingly, and naively, I had no idea that the transfer from the ferry port in Krabi town to get to Railay had to involve a long tail boat!  No roads access Railay, so boat is the only option – good to know!

The cluster of resorts and restaurants in the area makes things very easy, as everything is within a ten minute walk from each other.  There are two swimming beaches that are accessed on foot, Railay on the west side, and Phra Nang a little more south from there.  The swimming at both was awesome – warm and calm water, where you can see your feet in the white sand far below (yes, even in rainy season!).

You can also do heaps of rock climbing around and over these almighty cliffs – so if you’re that way inclined, ask around at any of the rock climbing shops where they can take you.

As you can see, both beaches are terrible. Haha.

As well as beaches, Railay is great for monkey watching – we had an entire troop of monkeys jumping all over our hotel, in order to break into the neighbours room for some peanuts!

After spending 4 days in Railay, it was time to move on, so we took another long tail boat to Ao Nang.  The journey took about 20-minutes from the western side of Railay to Ao Nang beach, and the weather was less than ideal!  The swell was at least 7 feet, and I was gripping onto the boat and all my gear for dear life!  We made it safely (obviously!), however both us and our bags were completely saturated.  Highly recommend buying water-proof bag covers, as these saved a majority of our stuff getting ruined.

Ao Nang is a busier part of the Krabi coast, with loads more shops, hotels, bars and tour operators – the sign for me now, is that if it has a McDonalds, it’s going to be busy.  Ao Nang has a McDonalds, and a Burger King.

We were staying in a quieter area closer to Nopparat Thara beach rather than Ao Nang itself, which was really nice.  Again, the weather played a part, literally raining on my beach day parade a few times.  But at least it’s never cold here!

One of the best things I found about Ao Nang, was the local road-side restaurants serving up delicious, freshly made meals for only a few baht.  I have never eaten so well as I have been eating here in Thailand so far!

Krabi province mainland is great for relaxing and enjoying the beach, and of course you can easily take a boat tour to almost any of the surrounding islands.  Most people I saw tended to stay in Ao Nang, and take day trips to Railay and onwards – however, I much preferred staying in Railay itself.  This laying on the beach thing is really up my alley!

For now,

Nat x

 

Have you been to Krabi province?  Did you love Railay or Ao Nang more?!

 

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