Our 8D/7N itinerary in Krabi with stays in Ao Nang and Klong Muang Beach

Just after returning from a fun filled trip to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, we managed to snag some good deals on flights from Singapore to Krabi, in southern Thailand. Krabi is one of the most relaxing and beautiful places on Earth and hence a very popular tourist destination. It is known for its steep, limestone karsts, dense mangrove forests, and more than a hundred offshore islands with white sand beaches and clear emerald waters.

We wanted a relaxing holiday with some days set aside for activities, sightseeing and also time to do nothing but chill in a nice beach resort.

Where to stay in Krabi?

There are a few locations in Krabi where we could potentially choose to stay or based ourselves in. Railay Beach, Ao Nang Beach, Klong Muang Beach, Tubkaek Beach and Krabi Town itself.

For a beach and seaside holiday with good access and day trips to the attractive offshore islands in the Andaman Sea off Krabi, the seaside town of Ao Nang would be the best place to stay instead of Krabi Town. Ao Nang Beach is one of the places where visitors could board the long-tail boats to offshore islands like Tup, Poda and Railay Peninsula.

In terms of places for a relaxing stay in a beachside resort, we were considering the quieter Klong Muang Beach and/or Tubkaek Beach. We ruled out Railay Beach or one of the offshore islands as we wanted a place that is easily accessible.

We stayed 3 nights at the Pakasai Resort and Spa in Ao Nang and 4 nights at the Nakamanda Resort and Spa at Klong Muang Beach.

Our trip was in March, which was off the peak season of December, January and February. March and April is the hot but dry season in Krabi before the start of the the rainy monsoon season which is in May. Travelling during the shoulder season, we managed to get good prices for our hotel stays and yet enjoyed some fabulous weather. It is prudent to book early during the peak seasons to get the good hotels.

 

Here is our 8 Days/7 Nights itinerary.

 

Day 1 (21 March 2018)

This is the day we travelled from home to Krabi, arriving at Krabi Airport at about 3 PM. From the airport, it took us 40 minutes to travel by airport taxi to our hotel in Ao Nang.

We had dinner at the Ao Nang Seafood Street and took a walk along Ao Nang Beach Road. Ao Nang Beach is one of the most “happening place” in Krabi. The main road running along Ao Nang Beach is lined with shops, restaurants and tour desks. 

“Ladyboys” performing at one of the fancy restaurants at Ao Nang.

Trip Report: Ao Nang Seafood Street for drinks and dinner by the beach, with views of the stunning Krabi sunsets.

Day 2 (22 March 2018)

At Phra Nang Beach, Railay Peninsula.

 

A must do when visiting Krabi is to take a long-tail boat “taxi” from Ao Nang to Railay and spent the day exploring the beaches of Railay Peninsula, especially Phra Nang Beach.

Trip report:  Day trip to Railay Peninsula in Krabi from Ao Nang.

After spending a relaxing day at the beaches of Railay Peninsula, we went back to our hotel in Ao Nang to freshen up before heading out to enjoy the Krabi sunset from Nopparat Thara Beach, about 15 minutes’ walk from our hotel in Ao Nang. A good place for dinner is the Potjawan’s Restaurant located along Nopparat Thara Beach.

Trip report: Evening at Nopparat Thara Beach and seafood dinner at Potjawan.

Day 3 (23 March 2018)

Ao Thalane or Thalane Bay has some of Thailand’s most beautiful mangrove forests with limestone cliffs, caves and amazingly shaped karsts. Located about 29 km from Ao Nang and 20 km from Krabi town, the easiest way to enjoy a leisurely day of kayaking would be to sign up for a half-day (or full-day) tour for about 500 to 700 THB per person. This includes hotel pickup from Ao Nang or Krabi town, kayak and equipment rental, life-vests, use of a waterproof bag, bottle of water, guide and some refreshments.

Kayaking in Ao Thalane, Krabi

We spent the morning enjoying the pool at the Pakasai Resort and Spa before going for the kayaking trip in the afternoon.

Trip report: Kayaking in Ao Thalene.

Day 4 (24 March 2018)

This is the day we shifted from Pakasai Resort and Spa in Ao Nang to the Nakamanda Resort and Spa at Klong Muang Beach. We spent the morning enjoying the facilities at Pakasai and had lunch in Ao Nang. Getting from Ao Nang to Klong Muang by taxi took less than an hour.

Enjoying the pool at Pakasai Resort and Spa.

Hotel review: Our stay at Pakasai Resort and Spa.

Nakamanda Resort and Spa is a small luxury hotel located on a beautiful private cove in the unspoilt Klong Muang area in Krabi, Thailand. This was our “home away from home” for the next 4 nights of our 8 days Krabi vacation.

Day 5 (25 March 2018)

Long-tail boats at Koh La Ding or La Ding Island.

We visited the Hong Islands by private long-tail boat from Klong Muang Beach. The Hong Islands are a small group of tropical Islands located just off the shores of Klong Muang Beach. It is hence faster and cheaper to go to Hong Island from Klong Muang Beach than from Ao Nang Beach.

Trip report: Day trip to Pak Bia, Lading and Hong Islands by private long-tail boat from Klong Muang Beach.

Day 6 to Day 8 (26 to 28 March 2018)

We spent the next two days chilling out and enjoying the facilities of the Nakamanda Resort and Spa at Klong Muang Beach.

Evening scene at Klong Muang Beach, next to Nakamanda Resort.

Compared to Ao Nang, Klong Muang is more secluded, quieter with lesser shopping, dining and nightlife and is the perfect place to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. We enjoyed mornings and evenings by the beach, massage services at the hotel’s Naga Spa and lounging by the hotel pool or within our villa in this small luxury hotel.

Hotel Review: Our stay at Nakamanda Resort and Spa at Klong Muang Beach, Krabi.

Trip report: Our evenings at Klong Muang Beach in Krabi (including places for dinners).

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Ao Nang Seafood Street for drinks and dinner by the beach, with views of the stunning Krabi sunsets

21 March 2018

The coastal province of Krabi, at the southern end of Thailand on the Andaman Sea, is well known for the spectacular limestone cliffs, beautiful islands with clear emerald waters, white sandy beaches and stunning red sunsets. The proximity to the sea also meant that fresh seafood is in abundance and Krabi would be a good place to savour them, in addition to delicious Thai cuisine.

For a beach and seaside holiday with good access and day trips to the attractive offshore islands in the Andaman Sea off Krabi, the seaside town of Ao Nang would be the best place to stay instead of Krabi Town. Ao Nang Beach is one of the places where visitors could board the long-tail boats to offshore islands like Tup, Poda and Railay Peninsula.

Ao Nang Seafood Street is one place in Ao Nang that fulfils 3 of the above highlights of Krabi –  fresh seafood/Thai cuisine, by the beach, with views of the stunning Krabi sunsets.

We decided to have our first dinner in Krabi, shortly after our arrival at Ao Nang, in one of the restaurants along this street. We knew that this is not the cheapest place for seafood or a meal in Ao Nang but the evening drinks and dinner will come with views of the red setting sun over distant islands in the Andaman Sea. A good way to start our vacation.

Earlier, we have taken the one and a half hours flight from Singapore Changi Airport, arriving at Krabi Airport at about 3 PM. Ao Nang is about 30 km from Krabi airport. We took a taxi for 600 THB (pay at the taxi desk in the arrival hall of the airport) for the 40 minutes journey from the airport to Pakasai Resort, our hotel in Ao Nang for the next three nights. Cheaper options for travel from the airport to Ao Nang were available. A shared shuttle bus/van to hotels in Ao Nang would cost 200 THB/person but the bus may not move till there are enough passengers to fill the vehicle.

Pakasai Resort is excellently located within a 10 minutes stroll to Ao Nang Beach where everything in Ao Nang seemed to be happening. The Ao Nang Seafood Street is located at the Northern end of Ao Nang Beach Road and was easy to find. 

Entrance to the Ao Nang Seafood Street with a sign that cannot be missed.

View of the Ao Nang Seafood Street, looking out from where we came in. Ao Nang Seafood Restaurant is the first restaurant on this stretch.

The six seafood restaurants along Ao Nang Seafood Street are:

• Ao Nang Seafood
• Sala Bua & Lo Spuntino
• Baan Lay Thai Kitchen
• Long-Tail Boat Bar & Restaurant
• Rabieng Thalay
• Krua Ao Nang Cuisine (Salathai).

The street is actually a pathway that runs through the middle of these restaurants, connecting one to the next all the way along.

We were spoilt for choice. Walking along the pathway, we could view the fresh seafood laid out on ice, menus and speak to the staff that will be keen to explain what were on offer.

One of the restaurants along the Ao Nang Seafood Street.

Generally, the process is simple. Choose the seafood on display, agree on the price (some seafood items are quoted based on their weight) and the restaurant will prepare the seafood according to your taste.

We could have a fish cooked in various ways, e.g. steamed fish or deep fried fish; what kind of sauce you want with the fish.

For lobsters, squid or prawns, we could choose to grill or bake them. There were pictures on the menu or on the walls that one could point to.

There are also non-seafood items, including popular Thai dishes like tom yum soup, green, red or yellow curries with meat, and Western dishes on the menu.

Some restaurants would offer a set meal with various combinations of seafood like lobster, king prawns squid or fish in a basket for 1500 to 2500 THB.

After browsing through the 6 restaurants, we chose to have our first dinner at Krabi at the Long-Tail Boat Bar & Restaurant, partly because of the decent reviews from the internet and partly because we were enticed by the lobster, fresh grouper fish (garoupa) with glassy eyes and shiny and plump squid in their combo set. All these seafood and complimentary steamed rice for 2000 THB plus 10% service charge which was included in the final bill. Good value for money, compared to what we would be expected to pay back home.

We sat on the second floor terrace on a table overlooking Ao Nang Beach. Our views of the beach and sunset were partly obstructed by a tree. So our choice of restaurant was not so ideal after all.

View of the sunset and Ao Nang beach from the second floor terrace of the Long-tailed Boat Restaurant.

We sipped our beer and watch the sunset from the terrace while our selected seafood was being cooked.

Grilled lobster, served with spicy, sweet and sour Thai seafood dipping sauce and a black pepper sauce.

Our lobster was grilled and served with 2 kinds of dipping sauces. The first sauce was a black pepper sauce and the other was a spicy, sweet and sour Thai seafood dipping sauce that included ingredients like chopped garlic, chopped coriander, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chillies, sugar and lime juice. 

We left the black pepper sauce untouched and completely finished up the flavourful Thai seafood sauce that blended very well with the sweet flesh of the grilled lobster. The lobster was not as fresh as I had expected. We should have gone for the combo with the 4 huge Tiger Prawns instead of the lobster.

The Long-Tailed Boat Restaurant steamed our garoupa nicely and served it with a black pepper and onion sauce, instead of the local Thai style (with lime and chilli) which we had wanted. Some miscommunication perhaps. We did not make a fuss about it.

Steamed grouper with pepper and onion sauce.

Deep fried calamari with garlic pepper and excellent local Thai seafood dipping sauce.

The best dish of the night turned out to be the humble squid. Deep fried with garlic pepper, it was excellent when dipped in the same spicy, sweet and sour Thai seafood sauce. 

Overall, our first dinner in Krabi, at the AO Nang Seafood Street, was enjoyable and seafood was good. There are cheaper options for similar meals in Krabi but beachside restaurants with “views to die for” would be expected to charge a premium for that.

On hindsight, we could have spent the evening strolling on the beach, observing and photographing the Ao Nang sunset and then have our dinner at a cheaper restaurant, minus the over-hyped “views".  That was what we did for some of our other dinners in Krabi. But not all. Somehow, an evening drink and meal by the beach, with views of the setting sun over the sea is still something that is worth paying a premium for.

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Day trip to Railay Peninsula in Krabi from Ao Nang

22 March 2018

When vacationing in Krabi, Ao Nang town would be a good place to stay for a few days as there are plenty of activities and day trips available from Ao Nang. Trips could be made from here by speedboats to Hong Islands, Phi Phi Island or by traditional long-tail boats to the nearby Tup, Poda, Chicken Islands or Railay Peninsula.

For our first outing in Krabi, we were considering whether to do the popular but hectic 4 Islands Tour (which includes stops at Tup Island, Poda Island, Chicken Island and Phra Nang Beach at the Railay Peninsula) or just spend a relaxing day exploring a few of the white sand beaches at the Railay Peninsula by ourselves.

We chose the latter and I was glad we did.

Railay is not an island but it felt like one. It is actually a peninsula located just south of Ao Nang. With three of its sides surrounded by the sea and a range of steep limestone cliffs that cuts it off from all roads to the “mainland”, the only way to get to Railay is by boat. 

There are four main beaches at Railay – Railay West, Railay East, Phra Nang and Tonsai, plus small ones with no names and some even appearing only at low tides. Phra Nang Beach according to reviews and tips from previous visitors is the best in terms of water quality, scenic quality and attractions.

From Ao Nang beach, regular long-tail boats carried us to Railay for just 100 THB one way or 200 THB for two-way return tickets. There are ticket booths located at both ends of Ao Nang beach. We had options to alight at either Phra Nang or Railay for the same price.

We bought the one way tickets and sat on plastic chairs under the shade of trees that lined Ao Nang Beach. The boatman will wait for 8 passengers to fill the boat before leaving. We did not have to wait very long in the morning as Railay is a very popular destination from Ao Nang. Once 8 passengers to Railay were confirmed, the assigned boatman led us to his boat.

Ao Nang Beach where long-tail boats are boarded for excursions to the offshore islands and Railay Peninsula.

Boatmen and passengers relaxing under the shade by Ao Nang beach. The steep cliffs of Railay Peninsula could be seen in the background on the left of photo. That’s where we are heading.

There are no jetties or piers. We had to wade out to the boats in knee deep waters to climb up a ladder hung down the side of the wooden boat.

Weighing the anchor and off we go in the long-tail boat. The propellers are mounted at the end of a long shaft emerging from the engine at the back, hence the name of this type of boat.

Heading parallel to Ao Nang Beach towards Railay Peninsula.

The 15 minutes ride to Railay offered splendid views of the karst landscape of sea cliffs and tall rocks sticking out from the emerald green waters. I did not shoot many photos due to the spray from the bow of our fast moving long-tail boat raining down on us occasionally.

Spectacular limestone karsts landscape and seascape along the Railay Peninsula.

Our boat landed on the northern end of Phra Nang Beach first. Although we had told the ticket sellers that we wanted to go to Railay Beach, we decided to alight at Phra Nang Beach with the rest of the passengers since there were few people at this beach and the scenery and waters was so inviting. 

Panoramic photo of Phra Nang Beach near where we landed from our long-tail boat from Ao Nang.

Excellent swimming area at Phra Nang Beach.

There was plenty of space under the shade of trees by the edge of the white sandy beach for us to deploy the colourful straw beach mat and towels that was provided by the Pakasai Hotel in Ao Nang.  I was just amazed by some sun-bathers who chose to sit under the blazing Krabi sun to tan themselves.

We chose to just laze under the trees and/or take dips in the warm, clear water.

It was low tide when we first arrived and there were folks who swam or waded to the small limestone karst island just off the beach.

Phra Nang Beach has a sandy bottom with clear water and no rocks or corals. Good for a dip in the clean clear water but very little to see for snorkelers.

It was nice to see that the swimming area was cordoned off by lines of yellow floats. No boats are allowed within this area for safety reasons.

One of the attractions at Phra Nang Beach is the Princess Cave (Tham Phra Nang Nok), located at the southern end of the beach. Local legend claims the cave is the home of a mythical sea princess and since ancient times, fishermen had come to make offerings believing that their offerings will bring them success in their fishing and protect them from danger.

I wonder who started making offerings of lingams or carved wooden phallic symbols to the princess as the cave is now littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of these fertility symbols. Quite a sight.

Princess Cave, located at the southern end of the beach.

 

Thousands of lingams or carved wooden phallic symbols, offerings and other objects believed to help with fertility left inside the Princess Cave.

Since it was low tide, we could wade to the sea caves next to the Princess Cave.

Exploring the sea caves  of Phra Nang Beach at low tide. 

Panoramic view of Phra Nang Bay through the cavernous opening of the sea caves.

The tide was slowly rising, so we did not linger too long at the sea caves.

Can you spot the rock climbers?

The southern end of Phra Nang beach is more crowded than the northern end. There were rock climbers scaling the almost vertical cliffs at this end. Beginners could sign up for a crash course in rock climbing from tour operators.

After exploring the southern end of Phra Nang Beach, we returned to the northern end where we had left our mats and belongings under the trees. Thankfully, they were still there.

This beach got more and more crowded when the tour boats doing the 4 Island tour arrived near noon time.

Phra Nang Beach, Railay Peninsula, Krabi.

The boats that came to this beach included the “food boats” that sells a variety of food and drinks at reasonable prices.

Wondering what is good for lunch. Plenty of choices.

These included Thai food, fast food (Burgers, Sandwiches, Baguette, Kebabs), BBQ, seafood, fruits, shakes, cold and hot drinks etc. We bought our lunch consisting of a baguette with beef and salad, a pita bread chicken sandwich and a cold canned drink from one of the boats.

Tip: Stay away from the baguette! Tough as rubber tires.

Since we came to Railay for relaxation, leg massage and foot reflexology at the beach after lunch is a must.

It was about 2 PM when we left Phra Nang Beach to walk to Railay West Beach via Railay East Beach. The trailhead is at the southern end of Phra Nang Beach, near the Princess Cave, where people were doing rock climbing. 

As we made our way to the southern end of Phra Nang beach again, we saw that the tide had risen.

Some parts of what used to be sandy white beach are under water at high tide.

The initial part of the trail to Railay West beach was beneath the towering rock cliffs, followed by forest where sometimes monkeys could be spotted.

On the trail linking Phra Nang Beach and Railay East/West Beach.

Start of the steep muddy trail to the Railay Lookout Point.

There was a detour to the Railay Lookout Point along this trail. To get to the lookout point, one has to go up a steep muddy path. Ropes were provided to assist climbers but I think this was too dangerous for us to attempt. 

We passed by Railay East Beach first on our way to Railay West Beach. This beach is muddy and flanked by mangroves.

Railay East Beach at high tide.

This beach has a small wooden jetty and many hotels and resorts are located along this stretch. The views are picturesque but this beach is not ideal for swimming, even at high tide.  Railay East has a few hotels and resorts with restaurants serving food or drinks for those looking to have a proper sit-down meal.

From Railay East, footpaths between hotels and resorts led us to Railay West.

Railay West Beach, Krabi

More luxurious hotels are located at Railay West and this long stretch of white sandy beach is popular with visitors. Kayaks were available for rental but it was too late in the day for us to do kayaking.

Mango smoothie at the Railay Bay Resort and Spa, Railay West Beach.

Even the cat is feeling relaxed at Railay beach.

I went for a dip at the southern end of Railay West Beach. The water was slightly murky.

Beautiful scenery but not so good water quality at Railay West Beach.

Although sunset from Railay West Beach is supposed to be very beautiful, we decided to go back to Ao Nang Beach at about 4.30 PM since getting a long-tail boat from Railay to Ao Nang would be more difficult at night.

Railay West Beach where long-tail boats could be boarded for trip to Ao Nang.

From Railay West Beach, we took the long-tail boat back to Ao Nang. There is a ticket booth at the area where many long-tail boats were parked. Once again, we bought the ticket for 100 THB each and waited for the boat to fill before heading off back to Ao Nang.

Planning a trip to Railay? Here are some pointers to share.

• Getting on and off the long-tail boats requires wading into the sea as there are no jetties. Many wore sandals or flip-flops. We wore aqua shoes, shoes that are designed for water activities.  
• Protect your electronics, e.g. phones and cameras, with a waterproof bag or waterproof casings for your mobile phone. This are sold at many shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
• Bring beach mats or pool towels. Our hotel in Ao Nang (Pakasai Resort and Spa) provided beach mats and pool towels that we could take to the beach. Alternatively buy a beach mat at one of the shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
• No need to bring snorkelling gear for trips to Railay. There are better snorkelling at the offshore islands. Not at Railay.
• There are restaurants selling food and drinks at all beaches. At Phra Nang where there are few restaurants, you could get decent food and drinks from the “food boats”.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen. The Krabi sun is no joke.
• Go on a weekday and go early in the morning to enjoy the beaches without the crowds.
• Buy return tickets instead of single trip tickets for the long-tail boats to and from Ao Nang. With a return ticket, you may have the option to board a boat at Phra Nang Beach back to Ao Nang. I did see any ticket booth at Phra Nang Beach.
• The regular boats operate from 8 AM till about 6 PM (before sun down). Thereafter, you may have to pay more or charter our own long-tail boat back to Ao Nang.
• Lastly, in terms of water quality, I think Phra Nang Beach is the best beach that is on the Railay Peninsula or even the Krabi mainland. Do not miss.
  

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Evening at Nopparat Thara Beach and seafood dinner at Potjawan

22 March 2018

After spending a relaxing day at the beaches of Railay Peninsula, we went back to our hotel in Ao Nang to freshen up before heading out to enjoy the Krabi sunset from a beach. There are two beaches within walking distance from the Pakasai Resort and Spa where we were staying. Since we had seen the sunset from Ao Nang Beach the previous day, we walked about 15 minutes to Nopparat Thara Beach.

Nopparat Thara or sometimes spelled as Noppharat Thara is a long beach, just north of Ao Nang with a small stream and peninsula in between. The stretch of beach closest to Ao Nang is the most developed and it is bordered by the main coastal road with shops and restaurants.

To fully enjoy the spectacular Krabi sunset, it is good to check the exact timings of the sun set and get to the beach or a beachside restaurant 15 to 30 minutes before that.

We did not check our watches and actually missed the sight of the sun setting into the horizon by a few minutes. Nevertheless, we managed to enjoy the beautiful colours of twilight till dusk from the beach.

Nopparat Thara Beach at low tide.

Watching the colours of the sky changed from blue to pink to purple at Nopparat Thara Beach at twilight was awesome. The tide was out on this evening. I like the way the sky gets reflected by the remaining water on the beach at low tide.

Once darkness sets in, a restaurant along this beach would be a good place for dinner. There were a few to choose from. We went to the Potjawan’s Restaurant serving Thai food, Issan food and seafood as it has good reviews on the internet.

Deep fried seabass with sweet and spicy sauce at Potjawan's Restaurant in Krabi. Highly recommended dish. You pick your fresh fish on ice and specify how you want it cooked. Price goes by the weight of the fish. Typically cost about 300 to 350 THB per fish.

Green curry chicken, one of my favourite Thai dish with steamed rice. The gravy was not as thick as I expected it to be but still delicious.

Rice “crystal” noodles with shrimps.

The reviews were mostly right. Potjawan’s Restaurant did not disappoint.

Update: Potjawan Restaurant has relocated to Ao Nang Beach, where the E-san Restaurant used to be.

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Kayaking in Ao Thalene, Krabi

23 March 2018

After a great out enjoying the beaches at Railay Peninsula, we went kayaking in Krabi's beautiful Ao Thalane bay the next day. Ao Thalane or Thalane Bay has some of Thailand’s most beautiful mangrove forests with limestone cliffs, caves and amazingly shaped karsts.

The bay is located about 29 km from Ao Nang and 20 km from Krabi town. One could try to arrange your own transport to Ao Thalane and hire kayaks at the kayaking centre at Ao Thalane but the easiest way to enjoy a leisurely day of kayaking would be to sign up for a half-day (or full-day) tour for about 500 to 700 THB per person. This includes hotel pickup from Ao Nang or Krabi town, kayak and equipment rental, life-vests, use of a waterproof bag, bottle of water, guide and some refreshments.

There is no need to book the tour too far in advance. Check the weather and the tide a few days before your intended trip. We booked our trip after arriving in Ao Nang via internet.

Trip planning tip: Check the tide when deciding when to go as the tide does makes a difference on how much you can see during your trip. Best time is during mid-tide. At mid-tide, more of the areas in the Ao Thalane forest are accessible and we could paddle deeper into the mangroves forest and into caves.

The caves may not be accessible at too high a tide. Too low a tide means some shallow and narrow waterways would not be passable and your trip would be shorter. But low tide could also mean you could see crabs, mudskippers, lizards and other interesting creatures that lived in the muddy ecosystem.

After checking the tide tables on the internet, we decided on an afternoon half-day trip. We were picked up promptly at 1.45 PM from our hotel in Ao Nang. There were 3 other persons already in the back of the pickup truck.  One young German man travelling solo and 2 other German men who looked like brothers. The driver introduced himself but I could not hear his name.  He told us he would be our kayaking guide and there were 5 persons in his tour group.

The drive to Ao Thalane from Ao Nang took about 35 minutes, through small towns, villages and spectacular karst landscape.

Scenic view of the Krabi karst landscape from the back of our pickup truck on our way to Ao Thalane Bay for kayaking.

After arriving at the Kayaking Center, we were given some time for refreshment and toilet breaks while our guide went to prepare the equipment. 

Kayaks at the Kayaking Center in Ao Thalane.

We were given a short briefing on use of the paddles before boarding the open kayaks. The last time my wife and I did any kayaking was back in our school days, more than 30 years ago, and it felt good to be on a kayak again. The guide and the solo traveller took the single-seater kayak and the rest of us took the double-seater kayaks. 

All ready for kayaking. Equipment, life vest and a waterproof bag are provided (but we brought our own waterproof bag to store phones and wallet).

The water at the bay was extremely calm and the kayaks were very stable.  Although the risk of kayak capsizing is extremely low in the calm sea, we would still get slightly wet from the water dripping down from the paddles.

Overview of the journey through the mangroves forest of Ao Thalane.

Once all 5 of us in the group were on kayaks, we paddled a short distance through open water from the launching point to the mangroves forest of Ao Thalane.

The channels through the mangroves are narrow, so we had to proceed in a single file most of the time. Hence it was difficult to hear what our guide was saying as he talked about the mangrove forest. This was not a big deal to me and my wife since we lived in South East Asia and are very familiar with mangroves.  We did hear about mangrove
wood being processed for use as charcoal for burning, and how the mangrove could convert sea water to fresh water. The aerial roots of the mangroves at Ao Thalane are home to many crustaceans which attracted many game fish like snappers in these waters.

Our guide led us through shallow channels, over submerged roots and even paddle right next to almost vertical limestone cliffs, towering above us. He knew the forest very well and it was comforting that we had a guide to lead us. I would not want to get lost or stuck in the midst of the mangrove forest with the tide going out.

With the mangrove forest on one side and the cliffs on the other side.

It was a leisurely kayaking through the forest without anyone else but us. At times, we stopped paddling and listened. Silence, except for occasional sound of cicadas and rustling of leaves overhead.

Some parts of our journey required us to negotiate sharp turns in tight spaces as we weaved our way through the forest. It was good that our group is small, only 4 kayaks including one for our guide. And everyone in our group are capable kayakers.

My wife snapped photos using her mobile phone, protected by a waterproof casing, while I did most of the paddling in the forest.

After rounding a sharp turn, we saw it!

A lone macaque monkey.

Lone macaque sitting quietly on the aerial roots of a mangrove tree. Poor creature seems to be lost and alone as they usually travel in a group.

These monkeys are commonly found in the forest in South East Asia and we had seen many of these while hiking in the nature reserves back home. Here at Ao Thalane, these macaque could swim and dive to hunt for crabs. Our guide told us not to show any plastic bags as these monkeys are known to jump onto kayaks to snatch food from plastic bags. A plastic bag means yummy food and fresh water to them. The lone monkey did not harass us and we continued on our way.

We saw cliffs with supposedly thousand year old historical paintings done by sea gypsies who once lived in these area. The paintings were much too small and high up on the towering cliffs to be seen clearly from our kayak.

We paddled into a large cave with stalagmites and stalactites. It was named the Crocodile Cave, probably because some of the hanging stalactites may look like a crocodile to those with a bit of imagination. In any case, there is no live crocodile in this forest although it seemed like a good habitat for them. However, large water monitors (a lizard that looked like the Komodo Dragon) that could grow up to a two meters in length had been seen in the mangroves. Thailand is also home to cobras and many other kinds of snake. The lizards and snakes normally avoid human. So we are pretty safe.

Inside the Crocodile Cave at Ao Thalane.

Leaving the cave, we paddled through a lagoon on our way out from the forest. Surrounded by the limestone karsts, this speculator seascape at this part of Ao Thalane is the filming location for many movies. These include a popular movie called The Beach (starring Leonardo DiCaprio), Bollywood movies and local Thai movies.

This speculator lagoon in Ao Thalane is the filming location for many movies.

Narrow passage that leads to the open sea.

The weather took a turn for the worse and it started to rain. There were small swells as we exited the lagoon into the open sea again. One foot high waves crashed onto our kayak as we paddled furiously against the wind and rain. For once, I was a little concerned about capsizing and lightning.

We seek refuge inside a small lagoon with a short stretch of sandy beach to wait for better weather.

On hindsight, I should have join our guide and go for a dip in the sea since I was already soaking wet.

A small lagoon with a short stretch of sandy beach on our way back to the Kayaking Center.

Fortunately the rain did not last very long and we saw another group paddling past our lagoon. They were a much bigger group, including families with small kids.

Leaving the cave, we caught up with the group, overtook them and head towards the kayak centre. As the tide had gone down in the two hours since we started our kayaking, a small sandbank was now visible forming a natural obstacle. We had to pull our kayaks over this sandbank with extremely soft sand. 

Exposed sandbank at low tide that we had to negotiate on our way back to the Kayaking Center.

Once back at the Kayaking Center, we had time to wash up and enjoy a fresh fruit platter with slices of watermelon and pineapples. Surprisingly, we had no aching arms after the kayaking!

We were given the option to buy a souvenir photo of us in a kayak for 100 THB. Although the picture was not very good, we bought it to support the local business.

The rain poured down again and we saw some disappointed people at the Kayaking Centre. They had come for the Sunset Kayaking Tour and it had to be cancelled for safety reason.

Our guide drove us back to our hotel in Ao Nang in his pickup truck. It was still raining slightly when we arrived back at the Pakasai Resort and Spa. 

No Krabi sunset by the beach to watch on this rainy evening. Once the rain stopped, we walked across the road from our hotel to the E-San Restaurant. This restaurant serves delicious seafood at reasonable prices. 

Seafood dinner at the E-san Restaurant in Ao Nang. Deep fried sea-bass with sweet and spicy sauce, grilled tiger prawns and deep fried squid with garlic and pepper.

Update: Potjawan Restaurant (used to be at Noppharat Thara Beach) is now operating at this location.

Overall, we had a great afternoon of kayaking at Ao Thalane. A highly recommended outdoor activity for visitors to Krabi.

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