The small Pai Plong beach is separated from the Ao Nang beach by a collapsed mountain slope that juts out into the sea and is densely overgrown with jungle. There is a path through this hill, which is called the Monkey Trail - because of the large number of long-tailed macaques living there..
The beach turned out with a single entrance and exit, in a lagoon closed on all sides, surrounded by impenetrable mountains. Such a beautiful, small and private beach, behind which is the only hotel - the expensive chain Centara Grand Beach Resort. The beach overlooks a picturesque rock in the sea, to the south of which, behind the cape on the left, there is a popular peninsula Railay.
The content of the article
- one Beach description
- 2 Entering the water, depth and waves
- 3 Sun beds and shade
- 4 Beach photo
- five Infrastructure
- 6 Houses and hotels on the beach
- 7 How to find the beach
- eight Beach Map
Beach description
Pai Plong is also called by name the adjacent Centara Resort - Centara Beach. Centara beach is about 200 meters long and, in my opinion, this is one of the best beaches in Krabi. There is only one minus - it is difficult to get here.
The beach is located in such a way that not everyone wants to walk along the Monkey Trail to reach it, well, not every day - for sure. Therefore, there is absolutely no crowds here, clean, smoothed sand, while it is surrounded on three sides by rocks and it turns out such a cozy, small bay.
Despite the fact that the beach looks private, if desired, any tourist can get here, sunbathe and swim as much as he wants. The sand on the beach varies slightly depending on the proximity to the sea. By the water it is yellow, large, interspersed with shells and larger stones.
And closer to the grass surface - small, light, pleasant to the touch and clean. The reasons are clear - this is the beach of an expensive hotel, it is monitored and well cleaned, so there is no garbage.
Entering the water, depth and waves
Entry into the water on the beach is smooth, without sudden drops and rapids. The bottom slope increases gradually and for a very long time. The depth to the neck comes about 20 meters from the coast, and at low tide you will have to go up to 40-50 meters, if not more. What is great in Pai Plong is a clean bottom, without stones and corals.
At different times of the year, the water can be slightly cloudy, but in calm weather the sea is amazingly beautiful. There are waves on the Center, but mostly - out of season, in summer. On this beach, as well as on the neighboring ones, the low tide is strongly expressed. When the water recedes, the width of the beach grows from 10 to 30 meters.
Sun beds and shade
There are no loungers for public use on the beach, they are only for hotel guests and are located on its territory. So, if you are not a guest of Tsentara, you will have to take a rug with you, or sit like a savage on the sand. There is a shadow only at the edges of the beach (from the rocks) and there it is, depending on the time of day.
I also saw a few trees that bent over the shore, but under them are the hotel's sun loungers. So during the day, when the shadows become short, there is no place to hide from the sun - the beach looks to the west, and the farther from noon, the less shadow becomes. Along the fence of the Center, two or three security guards constantly ply, who politely, but inexorably, escort the curious.
Beach photo
View to the left, towards the pontoon bridge. Strictly behind the mountain behind the pontoon - Ton Sai Beach
The beach is well maintained and clean
At low tide, people swim, this is the question of depth
Pai Plong, view to the right. Behind the cape - Ao Nang beach
If you move closer to the water, there will be no shadow.
The sand is loose for a walk, you constantly skid
The area behind Centara Beach
On the descent, near the stairs, there is a guard with a notebook, entrance - by appointment
The shadow can be staked out if you come early
You can't count on the hotel's sun loungers
Centara Beach is the last pedestrian-accessible beach on this edge of the resort. Behind the rocks on the left begins Riley and its four beaches: Riley East and West, Ton Sai and Phra Nang.
Infrastructure
There are no shops on the beach, the merchants we are accustomed to do not go here either. If you want to buy water or something to eat, you can do it in the cafe of the Centara hotel, but the prices there will be at least twice as high as the prices for the same thing in the cafes of Ao Nang. So, if you are going to the beach, it is better to take everything with you, especially water..
Sightseeing and entertainment include snorkelling by the cliffs next to the beach. There are also surfboard and kayak rentals, but everything is more expensive than in Ao Nang. For those who like to dive and swim at depth, as well as to receive boats, the Center has its own pontoon pier made of plastic sections.
Houses and hotels on the beach
As already mentioned, there is a large luxury hotel Centara Grand Beach Resort on the beach, there is nothing else from there. Pai Plong could be the hotel's private beach, but since all beaches in Thailand are public by law, visitors are allowed to visit it freely..
Hotels in Krabi>
Be sure (and I insist) to check for discounts or special offers on the excellent Roomguru service. He will quickly and easily show you discounts in all existing booking systems. In Asia, for example, there are a lot of offers on Agoda.com, which are much more interesting than for exactly the same hotels on Booking.com.
For the lazy, here is a direct link to the above hotel. Centara Grand Beach Resort
How to find the beach
From the southern edge of Ao Nang, where a small river flows into the sea next to the rock, the so-called Monkey Trail begins - a path from boardwalks that runs along the mountain. It is necessary to stand facing the sea, and then go to the leftmost part of Ao Nang. Go through the rows of massage parlors, then cross the stink river along the bridge (behind the massage parlors, there is a marker on the map) and walk along it to the stop.
To the wooden walkways. You can walk along the beach itself, but there, across the river bed, there is a very flimsy bridge, along which it is dumb to walk, especially at high tide. Near the entrance to Monkey Trail, there is a large parking lot for cars and bikes, you can't miss it. In just 15 minutes, admiring excellent views and accompanied by monkeys, you will reach Pai Plong Beach.
Downstairs, at the end of the trail, a guard can sit in the booth and write down the names of the guests of the beach in a notebook. Why this is done is not clear, because when the reverse movement is done, you do not need to sign out and the recording as a whole goes without verification with the documents. The path on the rocks is hammered out of strong planks, rises up, passes over the cliff and descends to the beach of Tsentara.
The second option is by sea, on longtails. Usually boats sail past this beach from Ao Nang to Railay. It is located just between these two beaches. Guests of the Tsentara Hotel are brought to the beach by boats to their pier. Transfer to the beach can be arranged with, for example, boatmen at Ao Nang.
When you follow the trail, be careful with the monkeys. Better not to feed them or show them food. Monkeys can be aggressive and there are a lot of them on the trail.!
Parking in front of Monkey Trail
Parking is across the river from Ao Nang Beach
The river is quite deep and wide even in the dry season, and there is a lot of nasty stuff in the water from all over Ao Nang.
Monkey Trail begins quite civilly
Then the boards become thinner and flatter
Well, bamboo railings and steps made of different materials already remain on the rise.
On the trail at the top of the pass, you can rest for about three minutes on foot
Due to the thickets on the slope, the view from the trail is not as steep as it could be.
Beach Map
Pai Plong Beach (Centara Hotel Beach)
Pai Plong Beach (Centara Hotel Beach):
