The blog already has beach reviews Phuket, Samui, Phangan, Pattaya, Koh Chang, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Hua hin. Now it's Krabi's turn.
Ao Nang was once a fishing village, and now a popular resort in the Krabi province, located not far from the administrative center - Krabi town. But they often say «Krabi», meaning Ao Nang, as it is almost the only resort in the province where foreigners stay. And the most famous beach, respectively, is Ao Nang Beach. If you look at the map of the resort from above, you can see that the coast in the Ao Nang area is heavily indented by rivers. However, the central part of the resort is a long line of interconnecting beaches: Ao Nang, Nopparat Thara, Pan Beach and Klong Muang Beach stretches a little further from it. In general, the farther west or east we move from Ao Nang, the less civilization around, in fact there is nothing interesting and there are few who stop there..
The content of the article
- one Best beaches in Krabi
- 2 The main beaches of Krabi and Ao Nang
- 3 The rest of the beaches of Krabi
- 4 Ao Nang beaches map
Best beaches in Krabi
So that you understand: the Krabi province consists of two parts, one is on the mainland, the second is the islands in the water area around the province, up to the islands of Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. Of course, the most charming places are hidden away from the mass tourist just on the islands. But if we consider the mainland, then the best beaches in Krabi will be: Centara Beach, Ao Nang Beach, Nopparat Thara Beach and Klong Mueang. All of them are located in the area of the Ao Nang resort, where there is an infrastructure: many hotels and beach resorts, cafes, bars and restaurants for every taste. At the same time, this is still not a very noisy resort and the places here are picturesque. From here you can go to the islands, to neighboring beaches, to caves or lagoons, or you can buy an excursion to the mainland attractions of Krabi.
In addition to these four beaches, which are open 24/7 to any pedestrian on the mainland, there are more Riley Peninsula (detailed post about beaches), which is located just 10 minutes from Ao Nang by boat. They are no worse than the island ones and the price for a boat is not high, therefore they are suitable almost for a daily visit..
Centara Beach attractive in that it is almost completely isolated from the mass movement of the resort, and to get to it you need to either climb a cliff or pay for a taxi boat, which in itself is already a filter for 80 percent of tourists. In fact, Centara Beach is a private beach of a very expensive hotel, and the surroundings here correspond to the level of guests of a luxury establishment. It is always clean, beautiful, not crowded, and access to the beach is through security and by appointment..
Ao Nang and Nopparat Tara - the center of civilization and tourism. The best infrastructure, the best choice of accommodation, shops, restaurants and services. They are, of course, very crowded, but due to their cosmic dimensions, it is rarely crowded here, if we talk specifically about the beach. Although both Nopparat and Ao Nang have recently been losing more and more to small and cozy beaches on the outskirts of the resort area. Still, people go to the sea in order to take a break from people, and tourism turns former fishing villages into a well-developed resort town..
And the last on the list, but not for its charms - Klong muang. I would call it a compromise between bustling Ao Nang and private Centara Beach. Klong Muang lies on the outskirts, twenty minutes from the central beaches. It is as long as Ao Nang, but instead of a football field of dense sand, you will find here many private sandy nooks between the roots of trees that have not yet been felled by the sea..
If you are still going to visit the beaches of Ao Nang, then my article will be useful to you - A selection of the best hotels in Ao Nang.
The main beaches of Krabi and Ao Nang
Centara Grand Beach Resort
The beach is called Pai Plong and is separated from the main beach of Ao Nang by a cliff overgrown with forest. A path has been laid along it. This path is called Monkey trail because there are so many monkeys. The beach is small and private as an expensive chain hotel is located here Centara. We can say that this is a hotel with its own beach, although in fact, by law, they are all public in Thailand. There are not many people on the beach. Not everyone wants to walk across the mountain, and very few people come on a boat on purpose, if only hotel guests. Except over the mountain, you can, if you wish, swim to the beach in a rented canoe. Those who nevertheless come to the beach from Ao Nang along a path through the forest are recorded in a notebook by a guard in a booth..
Since it is like the private beach of an expensive hotel, it is well looked after and cleaned, so it is clean. There are no public umbrellas with sun loungers or food sales. The hotel's beach cafe offers drinks and food, but prices are very high compared to the cafe on the other side of the hill. Trees grow along the beach, but there is little shade in the daytime when the sun is high. Of the interesting things on the beach, there is only a pontoon pier, on which guests of the hotel are brought. Entry into the water here depends on the ebb tide stage, which are quite pronounced. At low tide, the water leaves well, the coast is shallow. There are waves out of season. The beach is wide, more at low tide, less at high tide. The sand is yellow, interspersed with seashells. Since this beach is quite accessible from Ao Nang, it can be considered as a one-time alternative to Ao Nang beach. For a change, it is interesting to walk along the monkey path, the views from the cliff are beautiful. But to constantly swim on this beach, you have to live in the Center. To read more about the beach.
Ao Nang Beach
Long main beach of Ao Nang resort, with promenade and road along the sea. Approximately in the middle, another road leads to the beach, perpendicular to the sea. The main infrastructure of the village is concentrated along it and along the embankment. If you look at the sea, standing in the middle of the beach, then going to the left, you come to a monkey rock, at the foot of which a small river flows into the sea. In that area, green broadleaf trees grow, there is a shade in which numerous masseuses sit with mattresses. There are also beach cafes with cocktails, where tourists gather at sunset. The central part of the beach is bounded by concrete, to the sea from the embankment you have to go down the stairs. There are numerous cafes and shops, hotels along the embankment and the road. On the right, towards Nopparat Tara, the beach ends with a cape with an observation deck. In front of the cape, the territory of the hotel is adjacent to the beach Krabi Resort. Another big hotel right on the beach - Aonang Villa Resort.
Ao Nang Beach is wide, and at low tide it becomes even wider. The sea is calm during the season. At low tide it goes very far. There are waves out of season, and the water is muddy. The sand on the beach is yellow and gray, interspersed with seashells. In some places, there are large mounds of broken and sea-cut shells. Palm trees and broadleaf trees grow along almost the entire length of the Ao Nang embankment, giving shade. But in the daytime there is no shadow on the beach itself.
Along the beach there are boats in the sea, their owners offer tourists excursions to the islands. In general, the beach is quite noisy and crowded, there is a lot of massage, barkers, hawkers and other merchants. There are relatively few Russians in Ao Nang. Let's just say, less than the rest of the foreigners. To read more about the beach with photos.
Ao Nang beach in Krabi
Nopparat Thara beach
Nopparat Tara is separated from the Ao Nang beach by a small hill protruding into the sea on the other side, and on the other side it is bounded by a river flowing into the sea. From the side where it borders on Ao Nang, the beach is an infrastructural continuation of it. There are also cafes and shops, hotels along the road parallel to the sea. This part is pretty lively. But gradually civilization is coming to naught. A casuarine grove begins along the sea. It's secluded and quiet here. At the end of the beach, the road leads to a small port and bus station, from where you can go by boat to the islands or to Krabi town by bus, and by tuk-tuk to Ao Nang. However, the distance is short and Ao Nang can be reached on foot. Almost the only major beach resort here is Holiday Inn.
The sea on the beach is not at all deep, and at low tide the water goes very far away, so that you can walk to the rocky islands a few hundred meters from the coast. The bottom is slightly muddy, with shells and crabs. During the season the water is clear and there are no waves. Out of season, in summer, low tides are very pronounced. At high tide, the beach becomes not very wide. The sand here is yellow-gray, light. Also interspersed with seashells. It is comfortable to sit on the beach as there is a lot of natural shade. Trees grow between the road along the beach and the strip of sand. To read more about the beach with photos.
Nopparat Thara beach
Pan Beach
This beach is bordered in the east by Nopparat Tara, but separated from it by a river. On this beach, there are mainly hotels with accommodation in bungalows. The names speak for themselves: Pan Beach Bungalow, Sand Beach Bungalow, J2B Beach Bungalows.
From Nopparat Thara to Pan Beach, you can either wade at low tide or go around by transport on the road. True, you will have to make a rather impressive detour. The beach is quite long (as the name) and deserted. There are only a few beach cafes and a few hotels all over the place. The beach is wide, with light yellow-gray sand, small shells and silt. There is a lot of natural shade and the sea is shallow. There are many trees along the beach, including casuarines and palms. It's very deserted and quiet here. In the morning and in the evening, no one at all. Great place for contemplation. The beach also ends on the western side with the confluence of the river into the sea (or a bay). To read more about the beach with photos.
Pan Beach, Krabi province
Klong Muang Beach
From the previous one, Pan Beach, this beach is separated by a peninsula jutting into the sea. Klong Muang Beach consists of two parts - more southern and more northern, and in the middle there is a small island right next to the coast. In the northwest, the beach ends with a pier. Further north is Tab Kaek Beach.
Klong Muang is located 14 km from Ao Nang. This is a small settlement, not very developed in terms of tourist infrastructure. Nevertheless, it is here that there are large hotel complexes, including Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort. In the northern part of Klong Muang Beach, closer to the pier, there are large resorts such as Hotel Sofitel and Bliss Resort. The southern part is completely deserted. The beach itself is very pleasant - there are very few people here, there is a beautiful shade of light sand, pleasant to the touch, along a wide strip of which a grove of tall casuarin trees grows, which give natural shade.
All the surrounding beaches have a strong low tide, during which the sea goes very far and it becomes almost impossible to swim. But on Klong Muang the sea, although shallow, looks suitable for swimming at low tide. In general, the entrance to the sea is very shallow, it will take a long time to reach the depth, several tens of meters. But such a beach is perfect for children. True, there is not a lot of infrastructure around - several large hotels, several cafes and 711 to which you still need to walk. There are versions that there are houses for rent, but if you rent such a house, then only with transport, because you will have to buy in Ao Nang. If you live in a hotel, then all services will be significantly more expensive compared to Ao Nang. But the place is quiet, without noisy discos and night bars. Ideal for families with children and senior citizens. To read more about the beach with photos.
Klong Muang Beach
The rest of the beaches of Krabi
As I already wrote, there are beaches east and west of the main Aonang beaches listed above. To the east, in the direction of Krabi town, are the beaches Ao Nam Mao and Shell Fossil (aka Susaan Hoy). These are uncrowded beaches with a small amount of infrastructure and very pronounced low tides, there is not much to do there..
In the west, after Klong Muang, Ko Kwan, Phu Lei and Tub Kaek stretch. Moreover, Phu Lei is not a beach for relaxation, but just a beach with sand and mud - an industrial zone is located nearby and there is a village of workers and fishermen.
Ao Sieo beach
Ao Sieo is located between the beaches of Pan Beach and Klong Muang, and in principle it can hardly be called a full-fledged beach, rather it is a sandy coast that can be used for swimming in some places and you can stop to sunbathe almost everywhere. Thais are just mentally alien to the delights of sunbathing, and tourists usually do not come here. The sand is rough, multi-colored, there are a lot of stones, and in the direction of the military base there are real knee-high stones. There is a parking lot for fishermen and a large fenced wasteland, because of which you can only go to the beach in two places and it will be quite steep slopes to the sea.
If you wish, and if you find yourself here early in the morning, you can go to the territory of the base and here on the shore there is a small cafe for your own. It is held by some kind of warrior and civilians do not come here in principle, but if there is no one to the people, then they may be interested in you, socialize and offer a menu. Or they may ask to leave, I had both options, perhaps it depends on whether there is one of the senior officers in the cafeteria. In fact, for the owner of the cafe, money does not smell and it does not matter to him who brought it.
I do not recommend going further than the fence that will block your path along the beach. The royal residence is located on the peninsula behind the military base, so «private territory» and «stop, I will shoot». The beach may seem interesting to those who do not like the crowd, swimming and hackneyed places. There is no place for naturists, because Thais are rare here, but they come for a snack or family gatherings. They also like it here, because although Ao Sieo is an outwardly unsightly place, it is extremely cozy due to the fact that there is a lot of shade and there are no tourists..
Ao Sieo Beach, Krabi
Koh Kwan Beach
The beach bears the toponym of the same name with the neighboring island of Ko Kwan, although this name is not common among tourists and expats, and is often considered just a continuation of Klong Muang. However, in my opinion, there is very little in common between them. Ko Kwan is facing strictly to the west and I would choose it to meet the sunsets, and if the tide allows, I would climb on Ko Kwan itself. If you walk along the rocky path on the island, then on the other side of it you will find rocks on which you can look at the setting sun in absolute solitude..
Koh Kwan is not the most attractive beach in terms of swimming. There are few secluded places, the coast is built up with cafes, there are many pipes with sewage and there are a couple of natural stink rivers. The bottom is sandy and rocky, in some places it is quite clean, but it happens that you come across areas on which you can't walk barefoot. Shallow, highly prone to low tides, but unlike Klong Muang, the bottom is uneven and at low tide spots of sea water are formed mixed with islands of sand. Opposite Koh Kwan, an underwater rock ridge is exposed, on which you can observe crabs.
There is practically no beach infrastructure. More or less decent shops and markets are a ten-minute drive away, near Klong Muang Beach. And the infrastructure of Koh Kwan itself is made up of cafeterias near the sea and hotels behind the main road. You can come here in full either with food and drinks in the glove compartment of the scooter, or with money in your pocket to take lunch and dinner breaks in coastal restaurants. Romantic dinners here are gorgeous, in terms of landscapes, but I will not say about the quality of the cuisine - I have not tested.
Koh Kwan Beach, Krabi
Tub Kaek Beach
The westernmost outskirts of the resort mainland of Krabi province. To get here, you have to follow the road leading to a small natural park with wonderful trekking to the top of the mountain. Tub Kaek Beach is a narrow (by Crabian standards) strip of loose sand lined with dense greenery. At low tide, unattractive lunar landscapes are formed here, but the tide changes everything dramatically when the sea comes close to the greenery, flooding the roots and trunks of trees. In general, Tab Kaek is somewhat similar to Ko Kwan, only smaller in size and slightly cleaner. The beach is located below the level of the main road, because a gradual rise in the relief begins in this part of the mainland..
Several hotels and resorts have been built along Tab Kaek, which close their passages to the sea with their arrays, leaving strangers only a couple of exits along the edges of the beach. There is no infrastructure there, in principle, unless you walk in the direction of Ao Nang and come to the only Thai store that costs about the industrial zone. Yes, there is an industrial zone where Thais store crushed stone of various types and sizes, a huge warehouse without a roof and with an industrial pier on the shore. In general, the main feature of the beach is its distance from everyone and a very good ecology..
Tub Kaek Beach, Krabi
Ao Nang beaches map
In addition to the beaches of Ao Nang, other beaches of Krabi are marked on the map, in particular the Railay Peninsula. I highly recommend going there, it is very beautiful and the beaches are very even (Railay Beach is in the TOP). For a clearer understanding of the geography in this part of the Krabi province, I made 2 diagrams.
Scheme of the beaches of Krabi
Riley Beaches Scheme
Krabi beaches
Krabi beaches:
