3 Day Krabi Itinerary for Ao Nang Railay Beach
Krabi is one of the coolest places in Thailand. If you know where to go. I’ve spent plenty of time here over the past few years, and I found that most travel guides actually miss out on some of the best things to do But first you need to figure out where to stay.
Where to Stay in Ao Nang for a Krabi Itinerary
well luckily there is one location in Krabi that has easy access to some of the best beaches. In the country has the best range of accommodations and is the place to enjoy the town’s night life the area I’m referring to is called Ao Nang Beach, and if possible I try to stay either on the beach front or on the street to lead an outfit I’ve talked in other videos about the advantages of staying near Railay beach however it’s not connected to the roads on the mainland, meaning you can only access it by boat which for the purposes of this itinerary, will make it more difficult to reach some of the sites that we’ll visit so I strongly recommend staying on Al.
Day One Four Islands and Krabi Night Market
now Krabi is home to over 200 Islands which begs the question which ones are the best to explore the most popular islands to explore by far are the Phi Phi Islands and hundreds of people leave the crabby Mainland each day to visit them while the Phi Phi Islands are definitely worth visiting by visiting from the Krabi Mainland you have to endure longer travel times in a noisy speedboat which leaves you less time to explore each location but what if I told you there was actually a group of islands that were much closer to the mainland that were equally as stunning and much less explored.
the first Islands you can explore on day one are home to some of the most fascinating beaches. In the whole of Thailand. The island of Koh Kai and Koh Tup are connected by by a white sandb Thai Baht at low tide, you can freely walk across these two stunning Islands next you’ll take a short boat ride to the best snorkeling spot in Krabi known as Koh Kai or Chicken Island these Coral reefs are home to a beautiful array of tropical fish including parrot fish angel fish and clown fish. I’ve previously included this spot as one of my top 10 snorin spots in the whole of Thailand. Despite being one of the iconic images of Southern Thailand. The next island is actually not very well known it has a towering Limestone Cliff face jutting straight out the ocean and it’s home to untouch White Sands it’s called Copa and you’ll feel completely alone exploring this island, and its Blue Waters.
the most convenient way to explore these islands is by joining an island hopping tour, which will take you and a small group of people to each of these islands. Tours usually start from out now beach around 8:30 a.m., and can be done for as low as 1,300 Thai Baht you should arrive back on the mainland, just in time to catch the sunset at Al Beach but in the evening it’s time to hit the town. Probably the best and cheapest place to experience Thai food in Krabi is at Krabi Night Market. Here you’ll be able to sample some of the most delicious Thai Dishes including noodles Fried Chicken curries and Roes all while enjoying a few beers. Whilst Krabi is not known for having quite as wild of night life as places like Phuket or Koh Chang. There is still plenty going on in the town all of the best spots can be found in anang there are plenty of bars along the beachfront to explore as well as soy RCA if you want to carry on further into the night.
Day Two Railay Beach Journey and Wildlife
I’ve spent almost 10 years living in Asia and in that time I’ve explored some of the best beaches the continent has to offer for a long time I thought i’ seen it all and I couldn’t be surprised by beaches anymore that was until I came to Krabi. Krabi is home to arguably the single best beach to explore in Southeast Asia its beauty comes from its Tower and Mountain backdrop with stunning Cliff faces at either end of the beach. The beach is Krabi‘s most iconic spot and it’s known as Railay Beach, and the best places to eat and drink the hidden beaches and caves to explore and how to spot some of the Beach’s most elusive Wildlife.
the thing that most people don’t realize about visiting Railay is that the journey to get there is actually one of the most exciting parts of the trip to get there you’ll first need to head to Ao Nang Beach, and from here it shouldn’t be too difficult to spot a longtail boat ticket vendor, where you can buy a ticket for about 100 Thai Baht one way boats only leave once they filled up, but this usually takes no more than 20 minutes once you’re on the boat you’ll whiz past mountains and Cliff faces as well as other boats for one of the most scenic Journeys you’ll ever take so I’d recommend having your camera ready. The journey takes approx only 20 minutes to arrive at the beach. Once you arrive there you can spend a few hours exploring the beach itself, but there is much more to explore here than most people realize.
Railay Caves Hidden Beaches and Adventure Activities
if you’re hungry or need a few beers the best place to grab something is on Railay walking Street, a wind and jungle path they’ll take you past bars restaurants and coffee shops but the reason I like Railay so much is that this is an adventure lovers Paradise. There’s some fantastic hiking routes around here and inside the jungle there’s some amazing Wildlife to spot if you’ve already spent a bit of time in Thailand you’ve probably already seen this type of monkey here called a macaque but Railay is home to a much rarer type of monkey they are much friendlier than the maak so far less likely to attack they travel in troops so you can try to spot them from a distance by seeing them play with each other on the tree branches and they’re called Dusky leaf monkeys and they can be identified by their black foot and white rings around their eyes and mouth but if that’s not adventurous enough for you Railay is home to some of the best rock climbing spots in Southeast Asia half day rock climbing activities cost around 1,500 Thai Baht and it’s possible to learn here even if you’ve never done rock climbing before.
if that’s not your thing you can also explore inside the mountains Diamond cave will take you deep inside the mountain so you can admire the Maze of rock formations that have been formed over millions of years but there is one cave that holds an important Place In tha folklore and mythology this cave is believed to be home to the spirit of Phra Nang and fishermen and local people have come to this cave to make offerings to the spirit in hopes of receiving blessings for safe boat Journeys it’s a penis Phra Nang Cave is home to hundreds of wooden penis figurines which are seen as a symbol as fertility in Thailand.
if you keep exploring past caves. You’ll find a number of other hidden beaches to explore that most tourists are unaware even exist there is one beach famous for its stunning mangrove trees that grew out the salt War but there’s also much less explored Phranang Beach and Railay East to chill out in make sure to get the boat back to an before 6 p.m. which is when most boats stop running so make sure you’re on one unless you want to spend the night on the beach.
Krabi Nightlife with Cabaret and Muay Thai
in the evening it’s time for something completely different Krabi‘s home to one of the most unique shows in Thailand. The blue dragon cabaret show is an hourlong Musical and dance show with a Twist twist all the performers in the show are transgender lady boys known in Thailand as kathoey this is one of the biggest shows in southern Thailand and this one is known for its mix of Thai and Western cultures to be clear this is a mostly PG rated show performances take place up to three times a night and cost 600 Thai Baht but if you looking for a more lively affair. Krabi is home at one of the bigger Muay Thai stadiums in southern Thailand. Tickets cost around 1,000 Thai Baht and fights take place every Tuesday Thursday and Saturday.
there is much more of Krabi thAo Nang Beaches and Islands to explore though and day three we’re going to head Inland to find some of the coolest sites in southern Thailand.
Day Three Tiger Cave Temple Emerald Pool and Mangroves
the first thing you realize as you explore the mainland. Is that the Landscapes are like nowhere you’ve ever seen before the mountain Landscapes that you saw at the beach continues further backwards and the drive to the first sight will take you on a journey through the mountains.
the first destination of the day is one of the most sacred temples in southern Thailand as you arrive you’ll be greeted by a steep climb of 1,260 steps, which is a challenging climb but you can stop along the way to admire some of the shrines and monuments at the top of the staircase visit is are greeted by a large golden Buddha statue and a small Pagoda the summit offers breathtaking 360° panoramic views of Krabi‘s lush rainforest Limestone Cliffs and distant islands. The temple is known as tiger cave Temple as in the past Tigers were known a roam the area and it’s likely you’ll get to see monks going about their daily routines at the top of the mountain.
not far from Tiger cave Temple is a national park that will take you to a unique location unlike anything else in Thailand in the middle of the Jungle there’s a thermal hot spring the Emerald Pool Pool is known for its stunning turquoise green water the water is Crystal Clear making it a perfect spot to swim in right nearby the Emerald Pool, though is another natural wonder called the blue pool however swimming is not allowed in the blue pool due to its fragile ecosystem to access these pools it cost around 400 Thai Baht but one of the most unique experiences on the Krabi Mainland will take you to the mangrove forests and the best way to explore these areas is by renting a kayak you can do this on your own or through a guided tour, which will take you through the mangroves jungles and rivers.
