Krabi for first-timers: where to stay, what to see and when to go

Suwanna first came to Krabi as a child. The reason she keeps returning has not changed: nature. Islands that few people find, waterfalls and water so clear you can see the bottom.

'What surprised me was how many places you can snorkel here. The water is crystal clear almost everywhere,' she says.

If you have been to Phuket or Bangkok, Krabi feels different. In Suwanna's words, it is a place for being outdoors and close to nature. Limestone cliffs rise straight out of the sea, and days are spent in a boat, in a kayak or on a rock face.

Krabi, Krabi Town or Ao Nang?

The names are easy to mix up, so let's start there.

Krabi is a province on Thailand's southern coast, on the Andaman Sea. Every place in this article belongs to it.

Krabi Town is the provincial capital, a small town on a river estuary. Suwanna recommends it for local restaurants and a look at everyday life. At weekends the walking street fills with food stalls. On a hill in the centre stands Wat Kaew Korawaram, a white temple whose steps look out over the town. The wall along the walk up to it is covered in street art.

Ao Nang is a beach resort about 20 kilometres from Krabi Town. Boats to the islands leave from here, and Krabi's well-known sights are close by: Railay Beach, Phra Nang Cave and Thale Waek, where low tide reveals a sandbar between the islands.

Where to stay in Krabi

Suwanna's answer is clear: Railay.

Railay is a peninsula between Krabi Town and Ao Nang. Limestone cliffs cut it off from the mainland, so the only way in is by boat. That is what keeps it quiet.

'Railay is calmer than Ao Nang. The cliffs, the clear water and the sunsets are enough. You don't need to go anywhere else,' Suwanna says. Climbing routes, snorkelling spots and kayak rentals are all within walking distance. The lagoon at Railay stayed with her long after her visit: the water is so clear it feels unreal.

If you want somewhere quieter still, Suwanna suggests Tubkaek Beach, north of Ao Nang. Many people drive past it, even though the view opens out to the islands and there is room to spread out.

Island trips: what to choose on a first visit

For a first visit, Suwanna recommends a guided island-hopping tour. Boats leave from Ao Nang and Railay, and the captain knows the tides and the weather.

Thale Waek is one of Krabi's well-known natural sights. At low tide a strip of white sand rises out of the sea and links three small islands: Koh Kai, Koh Tup and Koh Mor. You can walk from one island to the next for an hour or two before the water covers the sandbar again. The area is part of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, and a park fee applies. Thale Waek is also a standard stop on the four-island tours, so expect company. If you would rather see it in peace, take the first departure of the morning and check the low-tide time in advance.

Phi Phi and Maya Bay. The Phi Phi islands are part of Krabi province, and if Suwanna could pick one place to return to tomorrow, it would be Maya Bay. Most island tours from Krabi include Phi Phi, and for good reason. Suwanna's advice is simply to go with the right expectations: in high season the day-trip boats arrive together, and the beaches are busy rather than quiet. An early departure makes a difference.

If you want to see Maya Bay for yourself, there are two things to know before you go. The beach closes every year in August and September to let nature recover, and it reopens at the beginning of October. You can't swim: wading in up to your knees is as far as it goes. Boats no longer enter the bay, so visitors land on the other side of the island and take a short walk to the beach along a marked path.

Beyond the beach

Away from the beach, Suwanna recommends three things: rock climbing, kayaking and hikes through caves to viewpoints. The cliffs at Railay have drawn climbers to Krabi for decades, and beginners can join guided courses.

Inland, north of Krabi Town, is Tha Pom Klong Song Nam, a wooden nature trail through mangrove forest. The name means 'two-water canal': depending on the tide, the water is either cloudy seawater or clear fresh water. The trail is short and flat. It suits a day when the boats can stay on the shore.

What to eat in Krabi

'Southern Thai curry with crab, and fresh grilled fish. Don't leave without trying them,' Suwanna says.

Her favourite restaurants are Baan Ma Ying, a floating seafood restaurant on Koh Klang, a short boat ride from Krabi Town, and Kodam Kitchen in Ao Nang, which serves southern Thai home cooking and seafood.

For first-timers she recommends Krabi Town's night market, open from Friday to Sunday. The stalls sell local food, and you get to see how the town spends its weekend evenings.

When to visit Krabi and for how long

Suwanna's favourite month is November. The rainy season is ending, and there are fewer visitors than in January or the other dry-season months. The dry season runs until March, and the sea stays warm throughout.

Give yourself time. Suwanna suggests five to seven days, enough to see the islands, the beaches and Krabi Town without rushing.

For getting around, she recommends a rental car or a scooter, as public transport does not reach everywhere. Thailand drives on the left, so give yourself a quiet road or two to get used to it. In Railay you won't need a car: you get around on foot and by boat.

The most common mistake visitors make

'Many people try to do too much in too little time,' Suwanna says. 'Krabi is at its best when you leave room for chance: a sunset, a café, a beach you ended up on by accident.'

The other pitfall is expecting quiet on Phi Phi. In high season it is the busiest place in Krabi.

Suwanna's perfect day in Krabi

The day starts early on Railay Beach. Breakfast is Thai iced tea and something local by the sea. Then a longtail boat to the islands for swimming and kayaking. The afternoon is spent in a quiet beach café. The day ends with seafood and a sunset.

And her advice to a friend heading to Krabi for the first time? 'Don't plan too much. Let the days find their own pace.'

Finnair flies from Helsinki to Krabi twice a week from late November to the end of March. The flight takes around 11.5 hours.