Krabi Diving Holidays
Ao Nang Beach Travel Information
The stunning tropical paradise of Krabi is situated to the east of Phuket Island on the Thai mainland west coast and at the southern point of Phang Nga Bay. This beautiful bay is famous for its spectacular limestone outcrops set in turquoise-blue waters.
Krabi's picturesque town centre stretches out along the west bank of the Krabi estuary. The harbour is full of old, traditional fishing boats and to the east mangroves line the shore. From here you can easily access the gorgeous mainland beaches of Koh Lanta and Laem Phra Nang and also take a short boat ride to Phi Phi Islands.
For amazing scenery without all the bustling crowds and tourists of Phuket, Krabi is the place to be. And if you are looking for adventure sports you won't be disappointed!
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How to Get There
Krabi province is located in Southern Thailand to the east and alongside Phuket Island. There are at least 2 flights a day from Bangkok with both Thai Airways (www.ThaiAir.com) and Bangkok Airways (www.BangkokAir.com). Bangkok Airways also flies from Koh Samui direct. There are also direct international flights from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) with Air Asia (www.AirAsia.com) and Singapore with Tiger Airways (www.TigerAirways.com).
Krabi's small airport is around 18 km east of the town. Thai Airways provide a shuttle bus for just US$ 2 (pay in Thai Baht), or you can take a taxi for only US$ 9.
You can also get a direct air-con and VIP bus from the southern bus terminal in Bangkok. They depart between 18:30 hrs and 20:30 hrs daily, alternatively there is a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani from where you can get a bus to Krabi however this may be more time consuming.
Where to Stay
Have a look at our affiliated hotel reservation agents Agoda.com for a broad range of over 60 different hotels and accommodations in Krabi. You can see all the choices on their website and all you need is your credit card to make a reservation. They also have an on-line chat in case you have any questions:
With such a great choice from top-end luxury beach resorts to budget guesthouses you are bound to find what you're looking for to suit your taste and budget. Agoda also offer a 'Low Price Guarantee' so you can be assured of getting the best value deal possible.
Krabi's Climate
Krabi has a tropical climate which means it is warm all year round and there are plenty of sunny days. The tourist High Season begins in November and runs through until the end of April. Peak season is in December and January when it is busy and accommodation can be scarce and more expensive. This is particular true of Christmas and New Year and Krabi's dive sites can be crowded then too.
From November into April the northeast monsoon prevails which brings clear, sunny days and light breezes. At this time there are an average of 26 sunny days a month in Krabi.
From May to October the southwest monsoon brings showers and winds but there are still around 20 sunny days a month on the west coast of southern Thailand. Most showers are light and brief but there can be heavier rains at times. The sea can be quite rough at this time of year and swimmers are advised to be cautious. Sometimes Ao Nang dive trips have to be cancelled due to high winds and rough seas.
Krabi has 2 very hot weather periods during the year, the first occurs between April and May when the average temperature is about 33°C. The occasional rain shower and tropical thunderstorm can cool things down briefly. The second occurs between September and October but the more frequent rainfall then brings relief from the heat.
The best time to come on holiday to this part of Thailand is from February to April whether you are diving or not. We recommend this time of year as there are less tourists, you can get better value-for-money accommodation and the weather is perfect with calm seas. This is the best time to see something big while diving such as a manta ray or a whale shark and the dive sites around Ao Nang and Krabi will be less crowded.
Beaches
The main beaches in Krabi are:
Ao Nang Beach
Ao Nang Beach, situated to the north of Krabi bay is becoming a popular resort. It is quieter here and can be more private than Laem Phra Nang although the beaches are not quite as beautiful. Be aware that it is sometimes signed as Ao Phra Nang.
There is another gorgeous white sand beach around the other side of the small headland to the south, which is more peaceful.
One advantage Ao Nang has over Laem Phra Nang is that it has more developed tourist facilities. It is also easier to reach the other Krabi area tourist destinations from here. There are songthaews running to and from Krabi town every 45 minutes or so. You can also get a longtail boat from both Krabi town and Laem Phra Nang. This enables you to take in the full magnificence of the beauty of the bay with its limestone crags and dazzlingly-blue water.
Laem Phra Nang
The headland of Laem Phra Nang is a huge attraction with its soft, golden sand, clear shallow waters and impressive limestone islets rising steeply out of the sea. There are 3 beaches here within walking distance of each other - Ao Phra Nang which is on the south western edge with East and West Railay Beach situated on either side. This area boasts plenty of bungalows set in coconut groves or in landscaped gardens.
Ao Phra Nang is a tiny beach with gorgeous white sand and a back drop of emerald palm trees set against dramatic cliffs. Named after a Princess (Phra Nang means 'revered lady'), the beach is accessed from East Railay and offers some chilled out sea-front bars and restaurants. It attracts sun-worshippers and, as the interesting reef is just 200m offshore, plenty of snorkellers too.
West Railay, which is also sometimes known as Sunset Beach, has equally stunning scenery with clear blue waters but is far longer. If you'd like a little more privacy walk past the longtail boats and around the headland a few hundred metres to a beautiful beach with hardly anyone on it.
East Railay beach has numerous economically-priced bungalows but the beach is unsuitable for swimming as there are plenty of mangroves and strong tidal movement. However if you stay here the beaches of West Railay and Ao Phra Nang are just 10 minutes walk away.
You can only reach Laem Phra Nang by boat from either Krabi Town or Ao Nang Beach Boats depart from several points along the Krabi riverfront and depart when the boat is full.
The landscape at Laem Phra Nang provides lots of opportunities for rock climbing, abseiling and caving. On the cape there are over 300 bolted sport-climbing routes too that vary in difficulty for the ultimate adrenalin rush. The climbing out-fitters here will rent you equipment, as well as guides and instructors.
If you enjoy kayaking there are some fantastic locations thanks to the limestone out-crops and mangroves. There are several operators hiring out kayaks by the hour, half-day or full-day at both East and West Railay.
Hat Nopparat Thara
Further north from Ao Nang you'll find the often deserted beach of Hat Nopparat Thara. This 2 kilometre long beach is part of the Mu Koh Phi Phi Marine Park that includes Phi Phi Islands and there are vast numbers of hermit crabs and starfish here. It's not possible to swim at low tide but you can wade out to snorkel the tiny islands dotted off the shore.
If you want to get away from the more crowded Krabi beaches this is an excellent spot and it offers fabulous views of the karst islands. At low tide you can even walk out and explore the ones closest to shore.
Sightseeing and Adventure
If you'd like to do more than just chilling on the beach, there are lots of other options in and around Krabi. Most of the tour agents sell trips to the local islands and coral reefs of the bay. Alternatively you can go hiking in the national park near Klong Thom where you might spot the rare Gurney's pitta.
If you'd like to see Krabi river's mangrove swamps you can either join an organised tour or hire a boat yourself with one of the locals who operate from the 2 piers. The tour highlight is the pair of spectacular limestone islands rising over 100 metres above the water's surface and now the symbol of Krabi.
You can kayak around the swamps if you like which gives you plenty of time to explore at your own pace and why not try sea kayaking while you're at it? This has to be one of the best ways to really take-in the stunning coastline of Krabi. Make sure you visit Koh Hong, a tidal lagoon which you can only access by small boat or kayak at certain times of the day. The surrounding cliffs are covered in lush vegetation that are home to a large number of monkeys and flying foxes that have lived here undisturbed for centuries.
And of course no visit to Krabi would be complete without a boat trip to see the very famous James Bond Island or Khao Ping Gan featured in the film The Man With The Golden Gun. At the same time stop off at Koh Panyee, a traditional floating fishing village which makes a very interesting visit.
Dining Out & Nightlife
The night-time atmosphere is very lively in Krabi Town and more venues are opening all the time. There are plenty of bars, cafes, night clubs and the popular Thai karaoke bars to stop for a drink or have a dance. There are also a fair amount of bars and nightlife in at Ao Nang Beach although this is not on as grand a scale as Koh Samui or Phuket.
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from too at both Krabi and Ao Nang serving all types of food. If you like traditional Thai food then you can't beat the riverside night market in town for a great cheap meal. The market is set up around the pier head and begins around 6 pm every night.
History
Krabi province, located in southern Thailand on the Andaman Sea, has possibly the oldest history of continued settlement in the country. In the many caves and cliffs in the area, ancient artifacts have been found such as beads, stone tools, pottery, coloured pictures and skeletal remains. The dating of these finds has shown that Krabi has been populated by homosapiens since 25,000-35,000 B.C.
At the time around 1200 A.D., it was called the Ban Thai Samor, and was 1 of 12 towns that used the monkey for their standard, before people became more widely literate. Then, Krabi was a tributary to the Kingdom of Liger which was a city on the Era Peninsula which is known today as Nakorn Sri Thammarat.
About 200 years ago, at the beginning of the Rattanakosin period when Bangkok was chosen as the Thai capital, the Raja of Nakorn Sri Thammarat established an elephant kraal in Krabi Town. Krabi province was by then a part of the Thai kingdom.
The Rajah sent his vizier, the Phra Palad to oversee the building of the kraal which was to make sure there was a good supply of elephants for the larger town. Lots of people followed the Phra Palad and emigrated to Krabi Town creating a big community that was split into 3 different boroughs: Pakasai, Kiong Pon, and Pak Lao.
It was in 1872 that King Chulalongkorn elevated these 3 boroughs to 1 town status, called Krabi, a word that's meaning preserves the original monkey symbolism of the older standard. The first governor of the town was Luang Thep Sena and it remained a dependency of Nakorn Sri Thammarat for a while. Then in 1875, Krabi was raised to a 4th level town in the ancient Thai government system and the administrators reported directly to Bangkok's central government. This was when Krabi's history as its own province, separate from any other, began.
During today's reign, the populations of Krabi and other close-by provinces have joined together to organise the construction of a royal residence at Laem Hang Nak, to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen. This is situated on the Andaman Sea coast 30 km west of Krabi Town.
Local Transport
Local transport on Krabi's roads consists of the cheaply-priced local bus service (songthaews). Usually these buses are converted pick-up trucks with seats and an overhead protective cover. There is no fixed timetable but they run frequently on a daily bases to the local towns, beaches and a few tourist attractions. You can be picked up almost anywhere in the Krabi area and on the beach roads. There are also motorbike taxis available.
For your own form of transport you can choose from rented mountain bikes, motorbikes and cars. Most motorbikes are 100 CC scooters that can be driven on an international driving license. These are a great way of getting about and give you the independence to visit attractions and explore when you want. They are also cheap to run as a tank of fuel costs about US$ 2 and lasts for around 150 kilometres.
The sea transport system is an important one here and is made up of mostly longtail boats running to the beaches and islands. They can carry up to 10 people and are available all day from early in the morning to around 5.30 pm. Once onboard you'll be asked where you want to go. Alternatively you can hire a longtail for yourself and visit somewhere like Poda Island for some snorkelling or a walk along a deserted beach. The cost varies depending on where you want to go and for how long, but hiring a longtail boat for the whole day usually costs around US$ 45.
There are local ferries for longer sea journeys and they run to and from all the major destinations, i.e. Krabi Town, Ao Phra Nang Beach, Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, Koh Lanta etc.
Interested?
If you can't wait to experience Krabi for yourself with its crystal clear waters, gorgeous beaches and stunning islands, then click below to check your options now for:
Don't leave it until the last minute to book! Make sure you avoid limited choice by reserving well in advance which is exactly what repeat customers do to ensure the best diving opportunities!
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