r/travel • u/AutoModerator • Oct 10 '19
Advice r/travel Region of the Week: 'Krabi, Thailand'
Hey travellers!
In this new series of weekly threads we want to focus on regions that have a lot to offer to travellers: the towns, nature, and other interesting places whether they are lesser or more known. If more known provide more in depth suggestions like tours, things to do, places to eat, etc.
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Example: We really enjoyed the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. It was $35 each, but there's enough to keep you entertained for whole day. Bear in mind that parking on site is quite pricey, but if you go up the hill about 200m there are three $15/all day car parks. Monterey Aquarium
Unhelpful: Read my blog here!!!
Helpful: My favourite part of driving down the PCH was the wayside parks. I wrote a blog post about some of the best places to stop, including Battle Rock, Newport and the Tillamook Valley Cheese Factory (try the fudge and ice cream!).
Unhelpful: Eat all the curry! [picture of a curry].
Helpful: The best food we tried in Myanmar was at the Karawek Cafe in Mandalay, a street-side restaurant outside the City Hotel. The surprisingly young kids that run the place stew the pork curry[curry pic] for 8 hours before serving [menu pic]. They'll also do your laundry in 3 hours, and much cheaper than the hotel.
Undescriptive I went to Mandalay. Here's my photos/video.
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u/shyaggressor Oct 13 '19
Just back from a week in Krabi with family. Had also visited before. So here it goes :
Krabi town: avoid
Ao nang : the place to stay for daytrips. Pier is next to all hotels and resorts near the beach. Night market is good but Krabi has better.
Daytrips to Railay, bamboo and phrang nang are great. Hong island is just not worth the effort.
Phi Phi is well known and worth it if you enjoy tourist infested places.
Kohl Lanta : strictly for families looking for quiet time with great scuba and snorkeling opportunities during daytrips.
Khao sok national park: worth 2 days of visit. Stayed at Riverside cottages, was worth it. Lake visit is soothing and a nice change from beaches.
Food, I believe is to each his own. I liked some but didn't quiet a few dishes. But stick to street food which is authentic as well as tasty and affordable.
Dont take tuk tuk but use buses for within island movements.
Rest travel incl taxis, ferries have same rate everywhere so they cant skim you.
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u/Darthlentils Oct 11 '19
I've spent 2 weeks in Krabi province. This is all my personal opinion, I have spent a total of 3 months in Thailand on 2 different trips.
I really dislike Krabi town and Ao Nang, and Railay Beach was expensive and packed with tourists (but beautiful). This part of the country is a holiday destination for all middle-class people on Earth it seems, it's full of Europeans, Americans, Russia, Chinese, Turkish, Indians, like full of people. It's not what the travel bloggers try to sell you.
If, like me, you're looking for a more chill experience, I can highly recommend getting away from Krabi and heading to Koh Lanta, it's much more chill and out of way. Great diving there, less of a party vibe, just overall really relaxing.
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Oct 11 '19
[deleted]
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u/Darthlentils Oct 11 '19
I'm sure it must be pretty nice in the shoulder or low season, but in December it was packed!
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u/awkward_noob Wanderer Oct 11 '19
I was there in August, and it was pretty empty. The beaches were all empty, lucked out on the weather, no rains and all sunny throughout, and absolutely cheap accommodation. November- Feb in any most south asian country is like visiting Europe in July-August, swarmed with tourists but with an exception of a proper infrastructure to support the mad rush.
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u/jesteryte Oct 14 '19
Where's a good place to stay in December?
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u/Darthlentils Oct 14 '19
Depends what you are looking for. It's packed for a reason, it's beautiful.
As I said, I stayed in Koh Lanta in December 2018 and loved it.
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u/jesteryte Oct 14 '19
Ah, I guess I was asking for specific accommodation recommendations in Railay. I'll be there for rock climbing, and though Koh Lanta does look beautiful, I don't think it's been developed for climbing.
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u/Darthlentils Oct 14 '19
I'm not a climber so I don't really know. I remember getting an accommodation last minute, it was meh. Book in advance so you have plenty of choice!
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u/flame7926 Flying away Oct 14 '19
Hey, I'll be there in December for climbing too! When will you be there?
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u/upsidedownbat Where to next? 🐒🌴🍜 Oct 14 '19
Did you spend the night at Railay? I don't like Railay Beach quite as well as Phranang Beach (I mean they're a short walk away from one another) but so many people come on day trips that in the evenings (after everyone watches the sunset from the beach) there was basically no one when I was there in February of last year. My friends and I went night swimming under the caves at Phranang (which is amazing with the bioluminescent plankton all around and the awesome rock formations above) and there was never anyone else on the beach.
The night life is pretty chill...there are a couple of reggae bars along the East-West path and then Last Bar on the East side has a fire show and Muay Thai every night.
Edit: and the Railay viewpoint/ secret lagoon hike is intense but a great experience!
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u/jesteryte Oct 15 '19
Phranang Beach
Did you stay somewhere nice on Phranang? Looking for recommendations.
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u/upsidedownbat Where to next? 🐒🌴🍜 Oct 15 '19
No, I stayed on Railay East because it's cheap! But anywhere on Railay is like a 10 minute walk from anywhere else. The walk from Railay East to Phranang is amazing at night, too, with the rock formations hanging over you.
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u/jesteryte Oct 14 '19
I'm going to be there in December/January for rock climbing, but the kicker is I'll need to work (remotely) afternoons, so will need electricity/WiFi. Where should I base myself, high-priced Railay or Ao Nang?
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u/Darthlentils Oct 14 '19
I don't think electricity and wifi will be an issue there, it's quite developed.
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u/upsidedownbat Where to next? 🐒🌴🍜 Oct 14 '19
Railay isn't *that* high priced. The resorts on the West side are expensive, but there are still huts and bungalows and rooms on the other side for 800-1500 baht. I stayed at Anyavee Railay Resort, which is probably the higher end of the "budget" category at around 1500 baht, for a SWEET bungalow (air conditioning and everything haha!)
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u/Fatty_Boombalattie Oct 15 '19
Some other tips that haven’t been mentioned.
-If taking a long boat to Railay Beach from Ao Nang for a day trip, make sure you arrange travel or know when the last boat back to Ao Nang is or you could get stuck there. Also, long boats don’t leave until it’s full so it could take some time to get back. There are some boats that leave from Phra nang beach but there’s generally less people on that side to fill up a boat.
-Railay Beach itself is pretty tide sensitive. On a high tide there’s not a whole lot of beach. On a super low tide it may be hard to carry heavy luggage over the muddy flats.
-Not sure if it’s still there, but there’s a Bob Marley themed bar in Railay Beach. Check it out if you want to pick up a few Js and chill at the beach. Just be discreet.
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u/mellofello808 Oct 12 '19
We did some excellent scuba diving out here to a ferry that had unintentionally sunk just a year before we got there. (It has now been underwater for quite a while).
We also really enjoyed taking the boats around the islands.
Krabi was such a relief after being in Phuket were we just felt skeevy the entire time.
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u/kolarovmcfc straya cunt Oct 16 '19
Go to tiger cave temple, the views from the top are incredible. Try and get there before sunrise since the heat is unbearable. https://i.imgur.com/IT1CRQm.jpg
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u/sheepsareawsm Oct 16 '19
I would go in the off peak season as it is much more affordable then. My favourite places were Tonsai beach (for the rock climbing and seclusion) and Ao Nang for how cheap and comfortable it was compared to Railay. Plan to head back there when the season is low again. Genuinely prefer Krabi to Phuket or Bangkok or even nearby Phi Phi (which has more of a party crowd)
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u/awkward_noob Wanderer Oct 11 '19
Stayed there for 4 days, here's my advice:
- Stay in Ao Nang area, close to the promenade (ao nang beach), plenty of hotels of all budgets there.
- Very good bus connectivity from airport, you just contact their desk at the arrivals and tell them your hotel name and they drive you to the hotel gate, no walking needed from a bus stop.
- If you want to hike to the princess lagoon in railay beach, be prepared you might get mud all over your feet and clothes, and decent fitness level. Otherwise you can just chill at the beach and do the flat walks between Railay beach and phra nang beach, the latter is quite beautiful.
- Like with all of Thailand, bargain hard with tuktuk drivers, harder if you're white-skinned. Although he entire area is very walkable, I've overheard absurd rates from tuktuk drivers to families with tired kids.
- Krabi town is not as charming as ao nang, although the weekend market is worth a pop if you're there on the weekend. Otherwise its a small township with a promenade overlooking the backwaters from the sea.
- Seafood, goes without saying, its brilliant.
- You can book ferries to Phi phi and Phuket from nearly anywhere in town, and even your hotel. The rates are almost the same everywhere and include a transfer from your hotel to the port.