Krabi Travel Guide: Railay Beach, Rock Climbing, and the Andaman Coast

Krabi: The Andaman Coast at Its Most Dramatic

The landscape that defines Krabi is vertical: limestone karst towers emerging from the sea and from the flat land around the Krabi River estuary, covered in jungle to their summits, their bases undercut by the tides into caves and overhangs. You see this landscape first from the plane if you are flying into Krabi International Airport, and it does not look quite real. On the ground it is even more extraordinary.

Krabi province has some of the best beaches in Thailand — Railay is routinely on lists of the finest beaches in the world — alongside serious rock climbing, island-hopping through the Phi Phi archipelago (shared with Phuket province), and a town that remains surprisingly liveable compared to the full-throttle tourism of its neighbour to the north.

Railay Beach

Railay is accessible only by longtail boat: a limestone headland cuts it off from the mainland road network entirely, which has preserved it from the development that has overtaken most of the accessible beaches in the province. There are four beaches on the headland: Railay West, the main beach with good swimming and most of the accommodation; Railay East, darker sand and mangroves, with a cluster of budget bungalows; Phra Nang Cave Beach, widely considered the most beautiful of the four, sheltered in a deep cove with a Hindu princess shrine in the sea cave at the far end; and Tonsai, reached by a coastal path at low tide, where the climbers stay.

The limestone towers around Railay and Tonsai have over 700 documented climbing routes across all grades, making it one of the premier sport climbing destinations in Southeast Asia. The quality of the rock is exceptional and most routes end at open-sky anchors with views over the bay. Half-day and full-day guided climbing instruction is available from several operators in Railay West and Tonsai.

Longtail boats to Railay depart from the Krabi Town pier and from Ao Nang beach. The journey from Krabi Town takes about 45 minutes; from Ao Nang, 15 minutes. Boats run throughout the day and into the evening; the last boat from Railay West typically departs around 22:00. Fare is 100 baht per person from Ao Nang.

Ao Nang

The main beach resort of Krabi is at Ao Nang, 18 km from the provincial capital and the hub for boats to Railay and the four islands. Ao Nang itself is a straight beach backed by a continuous strip of hotels, restaurants, bars, and tour operators. It is convenient and has good infrastructure but lacks the drama of Railay or the authenticity of Krabi Town. Most visitors use it as a base and spend their days elsewhere.

The beach at Ao Nang is swimmable but not remarkable by the standards of the region. The views of the karst towers offshore and the long-tail boats moving between them are the main attraction of sitting on it. At high tide the beach narrows considerably.

The Four Islands

The standard day-trip boat tour from Ao Nang and Railay visits four small islands southeast of Krabi: Ko Poda (with the most reliably clear water), Chicken Island (Ko Hua Khwan, named for its profile), Ko Tub, and Phra Nang Cave Beach at low tide (technically part of the Railay headland). The tours include snorkelling equipment and lunch. The water around Ko Poda is among the clearest in the area and the coral, while not pristine, still hosts enough fish to justify snorkelling.

The four islands tours are mass-market and the boats can be crowded. Chartering a longtail for the day (around 1,500–2,500 baht depending on season and your bargaining) gives more flexibility and takes you to the same islands with fewer people.

Krabi Town

The provincial capital, 18 km from Ao Nang, is a working Thai city with a night market, a morning market, seafood restaurants, and considerably lower prices than the beach areas. The riverfront walkway offers views of the karst towers and the fishing boats on the Krabi River. The Maharaj Night Market, along the main street, is one of the better evening food markets in the province: local dishes including mussaman curry, pad see ew, and fresh fish served alongside the usual tourist-market staples.

Staying in Krabi Town rather than Ao Nang saves money and is viable if you are comfortable getting a songthaew or motorbike taxi to the pier each morning. The journey takes 20–30 minutes.

Koh Lanta

One hour south of Krabi by ferry, Koh Lanta is a long island in the outer Andaman that has developed more slowly than Koh Phi Phi or Ao Nang and retains a more relaxed character. The west coast has a dozen beaches spread over 25 km, each with its own cluster of guesthouses, from the backpacker-oriented Hat Khlong Dao in the north to the quieter Long Beach and the almost-deserted Bamboo Bay in the south. Koh Lanta Old Town on the east coast is a stilted fishing village with a Muslim-Thai character, Chinese shophouses, and almost no tourist traffic despite being one of the most photogenic settlements in the province.

Koh Phi Phi

The Phi Phi islands straddle the boundary between Krabi and Phuket provinces and are accessible from both by ferry. Koh Phi Phi Don, the inhabited island, has rebuilt itself since the 2004 tsunami into a dense party-beach resort with no vehicles (the island is car-free) and a bay of superlative beauty that is visible from the viewpoint above the village. Koh Phi Phi Leh, the uninhabited island, contains Maya Bay, where the film The Beach was shot and which is now restricted to limited visitor numbers to allow the coral to recover.

Practical Information

Krabi International Airport (KBV) has connections to Bangkok Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi (1 hour 20 minutes), Kuala Lumpur, and a growing number of direct charter routes from Europe in the high season. Ferry connections run from Krabi Town pier to Koh Phi Phi (1.5 hours, 350 baht), Ko Lanta (2 hours by ferry or 1 hour by speedboat), and Ko Samui (seasonal high-speed catamaran).

High season is November through April. The peak is December through February when the sea is flat and skies are clear. The Andaman coast’s monsoon runs May through October: swimming can be restricted at the beach and some boat services reduce frequency, but prices drop substantially and the crowds disappear. The landscape during the monsoon, with dark clouds over the karst towers and rain on the sea, is genuinely dramatic if you are not committed to beach-sitting.

From Phuket, Krabi is 2.5 hours by bus or 1.5 hours by speedboat along the coast. The two destinations are frequently combined in a single southern Thailand trip. From Bangkok, the options are flight (1.5 hours direct) or overnight bus (12 hours), with the flight strongly recommended for most travellers.