Krabi is one of those places where the name causes more confusion than the trip itself. It’s a province, a town, and — in the way most people use it — a beach resort that isn’t actually called Krabi at all.
We spent sixteen days here in February 2026, based in Ao Nang, with side trips to Bangkok and Koh Lanta in between. This is what we’d tell a friend before they go.
In this guide
- Krabi, Krabi Town or Ao Nang?
- Where we stayed
- Getting there and getting around
- Best time to visit
- Our Krabi guides
- Questions people actually ask
Krabi, Krabi Town or Ao Nang?
This trips up almost everyone, so it’s worth two minutes.
Krabi Province is the region on Thailand’s Andaman coast. It contains Krabi Town, Ao Nang, Railay, Koh Lanta and the Phi Phi islands.
Krabi Town is the provincial capital, inland on the Pak Nam River. It isn’t on the beach. Most travellers pass through it rather than stay.
Ao Nang is the beach town about 15–20 km from Krabi Town, and it’s what most people mean when they say “we’re going to Krabi.” It’s where the hotels, restaurants and boat departures are.
We stayed in Ao Nang. If you want a beach on your doorstep and boats leaving from the sand in front of you, that’s the practical choice.
Where we stayed
Our base was Apasari Krabi in Ao Nang — a superior twin room with a balcony, booked as part of a package for the whole two weeks.
One thing worth knowing about package bookings: we kept the room for the entire period even on the nights we slept elsewhere. When we went to Bangkok for three days and to Koh Lanta for two, our things stayed in Ao Nang and we travelled light. It cost nothing extra and it made the whole trip simpler.
Getting there and getting around
Krabi International Airport (KBV) sits between Krabi Town and Ao Nang, with direct seasonal connections from several European cities and frequent domestic flights from Bangkok.
We arrived on a direct charter flight and shared a minibus from the airport with the group we were travelling with. On later trips within Thailand we used domestic flights between Krabi and Bangkok.
Around Ao Nang itself, almost everything is walkable. For anything further — the temple, Krabi Town, the airport — we used Grab, Thailand’s main ride-hailing app. Boats to Railay and the islands leave directly from Ao Nang beach. Our full guide to getting around Krabi covers all of it, including one thing about pedestrian crossings we wish we’d known earlier.
Best time to visit
High season runs roughly from November to April, when the weather is driest and the sea calmest. This is also when prices are highest and Ao Nang is busiest.
We went in February, in the middle of high season. Days were hot — around 35 °C in the shade on the afternoon we visited the temple — and it did not rain once.
From May onwards the monsoon arrives, prices drop, and some places close or cut their hours.
Our Krabi guides
What we saw, how we got around, and where we ate.
Tiger Cave Temple
You don’t have to climb the thousand-plus steps to make it worth the trip. What’s at the bottom — and the monkey that took a couple’s lunch.
Getting Around Krabi
Grab, longtail boats, songthaew and tuk-tuks — plus the pedestrian-crossing lesson that no guide had warned us about.
Kodam Kitchen
Large, busy and fast. The one we kept returning to for Seafood Jarn Ron — and where we learned what Thai “not spicy” really means.
Roadside Bar
A small side-street place a friend pointed us to. The best Pad Thai we had anywhere in Thailand, at 110 baht a plate.
More guides are on the way: Railay Beach, where to stay in Ao Nang, and a full week-by-week itinerary.
We write these guides from places we’ve actually been. Everything here comes from our own trip, not from a press release.
Questions people actually ask
Is Ao Nang beach good for swimming?
Honestly — it’s fine, but it isn’t the postcard. The sand is pleasant and the beach is easy to reach, but the water in front of town was not the clearest we saw in Thailand. If clear water is what you’re after, take a boat to Railay or one of the islands. Plenty of people swim at Ao Nang and enjoy it; just don’t arrive expecting turquoise.
Is Krabi expensive?
Ao Nang is one of the pricier beach areas in Thailand outside Bangkok, but “pricier” is relative. A plate of Pad Thai at a small local restaurant cost us 90–110 baht. Prices climb closer to the beachfront and in high season.
How do you get around?
Walk within Ao Nang, Grab for longer distances, longtail boat for Railay and the islands. Scooters are everywhere and cheap to rent, but traffic moves fast and pedestrian crossings are not treated the way you might expect at home.
Are the monkeys a problem?
They can be. We watched one lift an entire bag of sandwiches off a table at the foot of the Tiger Cave steps, in front of the people who had just put it down. Monkeys in Thailand work in groups and go for food, sunglasses and water bottles. Keep your bag closed and don’t try to negotiate.
Do you need to book tours in advance?
For the standard island trips, no — agencies line the streets of Ao Nang and boats leave daily in high season. Booking ahead mainly buys you a specific date and a fixed price rather than availability.
Can you drink the tap water?
No. Bottled or filtered water is the norm across Thailand, and it’s inexpensive. A refillable bottle with a filter cuts down the plastic considerably.
Do I need a visa?
It depends entirely on your passport, and Thailand’s entry rules have changed several times in recent years. Check your own country’s current requirements on an official source before you book — not on a travel blog, including this one.
Based on our own trip to Krabi in February 2026. Prices and conditions were correct at the time of our visit. Last updated: 22 July 2026.