Thailand’s southern coastline is renowned for its picturesque beaches, both on the mainland and nearby islands. On a recent trip there, we fell in love with some of the beaches in Krabi, a popular tourist town off the coastline of the Andaman Sea. These beaches may require a short boat ride, but are truly worth going the extra distance to visit.
Although there are many beaches in Krabi major from which to choose, we were blown away by three beaches located along the city’s outskirts. A sub-district of Krabi called Ao Nang is home to West Railay and Phra Nang Beaches. Right off Ao Nang’s shore is Poda Island. These have become some of our new favorite vacation spots, and they each offer something unique.
West Railay Beach
What we like most about West Railay Beach is that it sports a “Walking Street” home to several small bars, restaurants, and shops right on the beach’s edge. Marked by a big sign, it’s in the middle of the beach strip, making it a convenient place for all beach goers.
The restaurants offer Thai food and simple Western food, and small independent food stands serve fruit smoothies and Thai snacks. There are plenty of cold beverages available to buy and take on the beach, including beer, to quench your thirst. We could have comfortably stayed at West Railay Beach all day if we had wanted to!
The far right side of the beach (southern end) is populated with several open-aired resorts, including the Sand and Sea Resort and Railay Village Resort. It’s possible to enjoy several uninterrupted days at the beach with amazing waterfront views at their outdoor bar areas if you choose to stay there. This part of the beach also offers shady areas from nearby trees, which was an unexpected but welcomed find.
| TIP: Buy liquor from a Family Mart or 7-Eleven in Ao Nang and bring it with you. For a tropical adult drink, get a fruit smoothie for 50 baht and top it off with liquor. Otherwise, expect to pay around 200 baht for cocktails. |
Phra Nang Beach (Cave Beach)
Phra Nang Beach, also known as Cave Beach, stands out among other beaches in Krabi because it features sky-high cliffs that extend over the southern coastline. There is also a small ground level cave that becomes more or less exposed depending on the tide. It’s a fun place to climb and explore. Needless to say, it makes for a gorgeous backdrop.
High-end private resorts like the Anyaee Railay Resort and Rayavadee Hotel are also at Phra Nang Beach’s southern end, but keep in mind that their bars and restaurants are only accessible for overnight patrons.
For the rest of us daily visitors at Phra Nang Beach, food and drinks can be purchased from a series of long-tail boats that are moored on the north end of the beach. They sell hot food, snacks, smoothies, and adult beverages. We think it’s pretty creative!
We love that Phra Nang Beach is accessible from West Railay Beach, so it’s possible to visit both beaches in one day! To get to the Phra Nang Beach from West Railay Beach, there is a paved path at the entrance of the Railay Bay Resort and Spa. When the path ends at a shoreline (East Railay Beach), turn right and another minute walk through rock formations will end at the Phra Nang Beach.
Poda Island
Poda Island is the least populated and most secluded of the three beaches in Krabi we’ve mentioned, but perhaps the most gorgeous. As we remembered it during our visit there in October 2012, Poda Island was much less crowded than Railay and Phra Nang Beaches. This may be because we were visiting right before the high season, which begins in November and runs until February.
On Poda Island, there is a small drink stand selling cold drinks (including beer) and food vendors selling som tum (papaya salad), grilled meat, whole ears of roasted corn, and ice-cream. Simple but satisfying, an afternoon here made us realize we could live in Thailand one day.
What we love most about Poda Island is the incredibly beautiful deserted beach areas to explore. As we walked around the island, away from where the long-tail boat dropped us off, we had the beach practically to ourselves. We explored while the tide was low, and the beach seemed to go out forever.
There are a few monkeys that wander around the Poda Island beach, so be watchful of your bags. These monkeys are in search of food, but you certainly don’t want them to mistakenly take off with your wallet or passport! Of course, this won’t discourage us from visiting there again. It was too beautiful and relaxing to pass up.
| TIP: There are no umbrellas or lounge chairs for rent at any of the above three beaches, so it’s wise to bring your own beach gear. Colorful woven fold-out mats can be purchased for about 100 baht at the shops along main strip in Ao Nang. |
Where Are These Beaches in Krabi?
West Railay Beach, Phra Nang Beach, and Poda Island are accessible from a small town on the outskirts of Krabi called Ao Nang. Once you’ve landed at the Krabi International Airport, there are several booths selling tickets for transportation to nearby towns.
Ao Nang is easily accessible by public bus (150 baht per person) or a private taxi (around 600 baht) or private shuttle van (800 to 1,200 baht). Because the public bus makes multiple stops, the trip can take up to an hour. Otherwise, it’s a 30 minute drive.
Once in Ao Nang, the beaches are just a short ride away on one of Thailand’s charming long-tail boats.
Buying Tickets to Beaches in Krabi
A small building on the east end of Ao Nang’s main strip sells tickets for boat rides to nearby beaches. Using cash, buy a round-trip ticket about 10 or 15 minutes before you want to leave. Give the ticket to the men at the top of ramp leading down to the beach, but hold on to the return ticket. As soon as a long-tail boat has a minimum of eight passengers, it departs.
| Destination | Length of Boat Ride | Round Trip Cost |
| West Railay Beach | 10 minutes | 200฿ |
| Phra Nang Beach | 10 minutes | 200฿ |
| Poda Island | 25 minutes | 300฿ |
Boat departure begins as early as 8am, but the last boat heading home is between 4pm (Poda Island) and 6pm (West Railay and Phra Nang Beaches).
| TIP: Be sure to wear shoes that can get wet because you have to walk through water to get onto the long-tail or speed boats. |
Other Beaches in Krabi, Thailand
There are other destinations available to visit by long-tail boat, including (but not limited to) Chicken, Hong, Bamboo, and Tub Islands. It is even possible to charter a private speedboat for the day, which allows for more flexible exploration of islands that are further away, such as Koh Phi Phi or Koh Lanta.
Keep in mind that several beaches in Krabi are recognized as National Parks, including Tub, Hong, Chicken, and Bamboo Islands, and have a fee in addition to the round-trip cost.
Map of Krabi and Many of Its Islands and Beaches
View Krabi Islands and Beaches in a larger map
Keep Krabi and its beaches in mind when deciding on a trip to Thailand’s southern region. A place like this may have what it takes to convince you to stay in Thailand for the long run. It did for us!
Nice post! Due to our short Krabi trip, we only plan to visit Railay and Poda. Is it possible to go to Railay from Poda? It’s a bit of a time waster to go to Poda then back to Aonang and then to Railay. Thanks!
Oh yes, that shouldn’t be a problem. Just make sure you buy three tickets (Ao Nang to Poda – 150 baht, Poda to Railay – 150 baht, Railay to Ao Nang – 100 baht) for each of you. Have fun!
We are going to be in Thailand for 2 weeks over christmas holiday – we have 4 days that remain unplanned…would you suggest we stay in Railay Beach or Aonang? We will be traveling with our two children ages 6 and 9! Thanks!
Stay in Ao Nang but take a longtail boat to Railey Beach during the day. Ao Nang has many more options in terms of restaurants, hotels, and transportation. (You must walk everywhere on Railay, not good with tired kids). Plus if you sign up for an excursion, the tour guides prefer to pick you up from Ao Nang. Have a great time!
Thank you so much for the kind reply. Looking forward to really enjoy Krabi to the fullest!
Hi Chris & Angela! I loooove this post, very helpful! I’m planning to go to Krabi this July in a group of 8, and we look forward to charter a private speed boat to Phi Phi Islands as we want to go way earlier and to avoid the crowd. I have heard that for joint boats we can just walk in to book the boats few minutes before departure. However to charter a private boat, driver and all… I am still confused whether or not to pre book or to just walk in if that is possible. Would you please… Read more »
We’d prebook a charter boat just to be safe. It’s not worth rounding up 8 people with all your swimming gear if a boat isn’t available. In fact, the concierge st some hotels can help recommend a company and book it for your family too if you don’t have the time to walk around to different boating agencies. We hope you have a blast!
Hi Chris i like your blog, i´m going soon(July 15) to Thailand, also im wondering if the weather is nice to be on the beaches and do activities?
Thanks
Hot with one to two hour rain showers on most days. You can google the weather of your exactly location for best results.
Thanks so much for the swift reply guys! Any particular southern spot you would recommend for beach and cafe? I’m making the trek from Minnesota, and post accident have just been cleared to start training, so in an ideal world, I’m doing gym/yoga/beach and getting some writing done around the edges….thanks again!
Awesome articles guys! Am about to make my first trip to Thailand, and had been plotting April in Chang Mai for Songkran, but fear of the burning season may quash that. Sadly, the one thing I did not get vaccinated for before leaving the US was Japanese Encephalitis, so I wonder where I might go beach wise in the south, without to much worry for JE or malaria….any thoughts appreciated!
JE and malaria are much more prevalent in the northern region due to the rural jungles. The risk of getting either disease in the south is much less. Have fun on your trip!
After arriving in Krabi, it was easy to be confused. We wondered, “where are the beautiful beaches we’ve heard about?” This post perfectly clears up the mystery and provides everything travelers need to find the best beaches in the area. Nice job!
Yeah, we think everyone flies in and asks, where’s the beach?! Thanks for commenting.
Great post! Thanks for all of the details – its super helpful! Starting to plan my trip to Krabi in May :-)
Awesome, Brittany. Have a great time!
Absolutely gorgeous! I want to go to all of them!!!
We hope you make it to all of them soon!
Cave Beach looks fabulous. We’ve been lusting to stay at the Dusit Rayavadee ever since we stayed at the Dusit on Phuket years ago…
It looked amazing. Their cave restaurant was beautiful. Maybe we will treat ourselves one day :)
Surprisingly, it’s a very affordable place to stay at. What I love most about Poda Island is the incredibly beautiful deserted beach areas to explore! Wish I could stay there a few days.
We can’t wait to go back! Poda holds a special place in our hearts.
Thanks Chris and Angela. My wife and I have just finished selling everything we own and are heading off to Vietnam in a week with our two year old boy Jack to start our new nomadic lifestyle. We plan on spending a couple of months in Krabi in June and July and your tips in this post will come in very handy. Thanks :)
Hi Chris, we are so glad that we could help. You are making a brave move and we wish you all of the very best! Good luck :)
Thanks guys, not long now until we leave. Very exciting, a little nervous, just can’t wait.
Nerves are perfectly normal and what make the leap so gratifying and rewarding. Knowing you faced your fears and took a huge life-changing risk is huge. You guys will do great. All the best!
Nice report, cocktail smoothies is an awesome tip! I felt so poor when we visited the south and got almost Zero change from 1000 Baht for 2 Mohitos. And they weren’t even that good :'(
Yea, I remember you guys telling us that story. Unbelievable. There are definitely cheaper places to grab a drink. It is just hard to wrap your head around why some places charge such a high premium when good views of the beach can be found at just about any old bar or restaurant. Saying that, I (Chris) did buy a 210 baht tall alcoholic frappe at a tattoo parlor/coffee shop in Ao Nang. It wasn’t something I had seen anywhere else so it was totally worth it! :)
All of these beaches are beautiful, but Cave Beach is calling my name. Thanks for the tip on saving 150 bahts/beverage :P
So glad you caught that tip ;)
Hey, I am travelling to Ao Nang next month to celebrate my 30th birthday? I read ur blog and its totally amazing. I am looking forward to Krabi with all the more excitement after reading this. Which tip on saving 150 bhat are you refering in here?
The TIP right above the header “Phra Nang Beach” – we suggest buying a bottle of rum or vodka at a convenience store in Ao Nang and bringing it with you to Railay. Buy a 50 baht smoothie and top off your drink with your choice of liquor instead of buying a 200 baht cocktail. Have fun!
Thanks for the report on this area. It is somewhere we want to check out, possibly even to live. Do you have any idea of the cost of living difference between there, Chiang Mai, and Hua Hin? When are you heading back to the states for your visit?
No problem, Vince. We have had thoughts of living in Krabi as well. I think if you stayed away from the more touristy areas you could live there rather cheaply. I would go as far to say that Hua Hin and Krabi are probably comparable regarding cost of living expenses. For us, Chiang Mai has proven to be unbeatable, but that isn’t to say that prices haven’t ticked up a bit since we have lived here. As you know, we are in the middle of an awful smokey season, so we are almost positive that we will be skipping it… Read more »
Love your reports! Thank you so much! How much would you budget for housing and food in that area?
Hi Chris, we aren’t totally sure about long-term cost of living in the area. We would guess based on our little bit of experience and say one could live comfortably for around $1000 to $1500 a month. Add a partner and the price will tick up from there. We plan to stay there in the future for a longer period of time and will definitely be sure to do an extensive cost of living breakdown shortly thereafter. Take care, Chris!