Tubkaak Beach Krabi for Elite Travellers
Are you dreaming of a Thailand adventure packed with jaw-dropping beaches, island escapes, and stunning pool villas? Well, I’m going to show you a stunning Thailand beach famous for its elite level beach hotels that is not on the traditionally luxury travel islands of Phuket or Koh Samui. Now, I’ve been lucky to stay on some of Thailand’s most famous beaches, but this beach has quickly become one of my favorites.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by one of the most impressive views I’ve seen anywhere in Thailand. The entrance to this hotel is intentionally designed so that your first glimpse is a perfectly framed shot of a limestone island scattered across the Andaman Sea. The staircase and entranceway is one of the most stunning features I’ve ever seen in a hotel. And it definitely gives you that wow factor. Usually, I find the check-in process completely boring and just want to hurry up, but with this view, I didn’t mind how long it took. The entrance has a waterfall feature that encircles the staircase to the next floor, and it has areas within the waterfall to chill and enjoy a drink. This was an excellent start to a hotel that I had extremely high hopes for.
Banyan Tree Krabi and the Pool Villa
This hotel has been voted Thailand’s best beach resort, Thailand’s best pool villa, and has been recognized by the Michelin Guide’s hotel category. So, it had a lot to live up to, especially since the starting price for rooms here is around $400 per night.
Okay, but now let’s check out the bedroom cuz it’s one of the absolute best aspects of staying in this hotel. I’ve got to say this is absolutely one of the best rooms I’ve ever stayed in a hotel, but I’m usually not that into hotels. I like to get out, explore, do things. So, it’s the proximity to cool places to explore that most interest me. But in this case, the room is absolutely stunning. We’ve got the pool in the room, which we took advantage of at night.
And then for 500 Thai Baht, you pay extra to have your breakfast delivered to you with the floating breakfast, which is really cool. We also make really good use of the bathtub and the hot tub as well.
One of the things I like most about this room, and you can see why it’s for kind of rich and famous people, is that it’s completely private. I’m at the edge of my room now, and I can’t see in any other room. No one can see into my room. I’ve definitely walked around naked in that room where in other hotels, other people would have been able to see me. But in this case, it’s completely secluded and completely private.
So, this is absolutely one of the best hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in personally. I’m staying at the Banyan Tree Krabi and it’s located on the beautiful Tubkaak Beach, which is one of the least explored beaches in the whole of Krabi.
What I Loved and Did Not Love About Banyan Tree Krabi
The Banyan Tree Krabi is actually quite a large resort with lots to explore. The resort itself has a beautifully designed feel to it, completely tucked away in nature with lush gardens and winding walkways. One thing that really stood out to me was the variety of seating areas that were nestled in nature either by the side of a river, up above the ocean, as well as chill hammocks and beachside bean bags. If you came here to relax, you’d have a new spot to sit and read your book each day.
The bar area was very nice and had some great happy hour offers. One of my pet peeves about staying in fancy hotels is that a beer can cost five times the price as it would elsewhere. But luckily here at happy hour, the prices were more or less normal people prices.
The Banyan Tree has a number of restaurants located on top of the hill, which has an escalator or tram that runs up to it, so it gets bonus points for accessibility, which isn’t common in Thailand. We ate at the Saffron Restaurant, which is their signature Thai restaurant. The food here was great with views overlooking the ocean. For even better views, you could check out the bird’s nest seating, which actually hangs over the ocean, but a reservation and ordering a more extensive set menu is required for the best seats in the house. The pool area looked nice, but I don’t know why you want to spend time here when you have a pool in your room.
But are there any negative aspects of staying in this hotel? Well, I think the key thing to remember here is this hotel comes with a price tag. You know, rooms start at around $350 to $400 per night. So, this is not a cheap room at all. You know, it’s quite expensive. So, it comes with different expectations that I maybe wouldn’t take into consideration in other hotels.
The first thing I noticed, I actually saw this on a review when I was getting ready to stay here. Someone mentioned the quality of some of the materials or some stuff falling apart a little bit. You know, this is definitely nitpicky, but there is a little bit of grime around the pool. And for that kind of price tag, you’d expect it to be pretty much perfect.
Another thing to consider is this is definitely a very Instagram-focused hotel. You can tell that when you walk in, it’s got the most amazing view and things are geared towards that kind of feel to it. But I think what that means it lacks a little bit is there are some excellent Thai brand hotels that really bring Thai culture into the design of their hotel. I’m thinking Anantara and Santaya as well, where you really feel like you’re staying in Thailand. Here, a lot less. So it doesn’t really feel like Thailand. It’s very nice. It’s very Instagram-worthy, but it lacks a bit of that native Thai feel to it.
Why Tubkaak Beach Is One of Krabi’s Most Beautiful Beaches
Now, the reason I say that this beach is for elite travelers is not just because of the Banyan Tree Krabi. Tubkaak Beach is also home to some other epic resorts. If you’re looking for a more affordable luxury option, you can stay at Tubkak Boutique, which has a much more rustic feel to it. This is a much quieter hotel, but it is equally as beautiful. I’ve personally stayed here previously and loved it. And I actually think it has the best Thai restaurant on Tubkaak Beach.
Another place that I have not stayed at personally is Ritz Carlton Phulay Bay. This is one of only six Ritz Carlton hotels designated as a Ritz Carlton Reserve, which basically means it’s the best of the best of the best. Maybe I’ll save that one for another trip.
This is Tubkaak Beach in Krabi, and it’s not only one of the most beautiful beaches in the area, but one of the most secluded. Situated about a 50-minute drive from Krabi Town and 20 minutes from the main tourist area of Ao Nang. Despite having some pretty major hotels nearby, it still feels unexplored. The sand here is perfect, and that’s because it’s avoided having hordes of tourists walking along it each day.
The highlight has to be the view straight from the beach. Tubkaak faces west across Phang Nga Bay, so you get this wide, uninterrupted horizon with jungle-covered islands scattered in the distance. These are some of the most stunning island views in the country, which include Koh Yao and the Hong Islands. Because there are nice resorts nearby, though, that does mean that it’s cleaned daily. I’ve been on some beaches in Thailand before that during the rainy season can become quite dirty because a lot of the rubbish that has been left in the ocean drifts back onto the beach. But that wasn’t an issue here as everything was cleaned and removed straight away.
This beach is backed by lush forests and epic mountains. And in fact, just behind Banyan Tree Krabi is the start of one of the best hiking trails in southern Thailand, the Dragon’s Crest Hike, also known as Nong Thale. This trail takes you through thick jungle, up along ridge lines, and eventually to a jaw-dropping viewpoint that overlooks the entire coastline. I had planned on doing this hike whilst I was here, but I was warned not to do it by myself during the rainy season because it takes four to five hours and it is quite steep, so I’ll have to save it for my next trip.
But what makes this beach truly special is its sunsets. Because Tubkaak faces west, you get front row seats to the sun dipping behind the Hong Islands on the horizon, giving you some of the most insane sunsets in Thailand.
Exploring the Hong Islands from Tubkaak Beach
But to make this beach trip truly epic, you need to add a little adventure. And the best way to do that on Tubkaak is to catch a longtail boat and head towards those nearby islands to explore. You’ll start your trip with a stop at the Emerald Lagoon, a hidden gem tucked right in the middle of Hong Island. It gets its name from the shimmering green color of the waters here.
After soaking up the lagoon, your boat will usually cruise around to some of the smaller islands in the group. These are some spots where you can snorkel over tropical fish or just float in the calm, sheltered water. At this point, you’ll head over to the main island of the group, Hong Island, famous for its postcard-perfect beaches and towering limestone cliffs. As part of a protected national park, the beaches here are immaculately maintained with powder-white sand and crystal-clear waters.
What makes Hong Island’s main beach really stand out is its natural shelter. Massive cliffs flank both sides, creating a cove that shields the beach from the open ocean, which results in calm, crystal-clear waters that are perfect to swim in. If you want to explore further, you can hike up to the Hong Island viewpoint, which will give you a 360-degree panoramic view of the islands below and back to the Krabi mainland.
Collectively, these spots are known as the Hong Islands, and they’re only a 20-minute boat ride from Tubkaak Beach. You can flag down a regular longtail boat right from the shore. But for a more memorable experience, I’d recommend upgrading to a luxury longtail with Raleigh Eco Tour. Their boats are beautifully designed and the trip includes a stop at a private beach for a picnic lunch. Easily one of the most stylish ways to explore this island paradise.
Dragon’s View Bar and Restaurant
But what about the nightlife? Well, I’ll admit that I never expected Tubkaak to have the most bumping nightlife in Krabi. That distinction undoubtedly goes to Ao Nang, but still, I hoped there would be enough to explore nearby. And what we found surprised me.
Sure, these fancy hotels have nice bars and restaurants, and the food here, in fairness, was excellent. But a friend of mine recommended a place nearby that was an unexpected hidden gem. Just a short taxi ride away from the beach, perched upon a hill overlooking Tubkaak and the Hong Islands, is one of the coolest bar restaurants that I’ve seen in Krabi, known as Dragon’s View Bar and Restaurant.
What makes this place unique is not just the amazing views of the beach and islands below at sunset. It’s the fact that the whole place is a giant treehouse built entirely of wood reaching up into the jungle canopies. We ate here and the food was delicious, but it would also be the perfect place to unwind with a beer to watch the sunset.
