Our stay at the Amari Vogue Krabi located at Tubkaek Beach

16 to 19 August 2022

In my previous trips to Krabi, I have stayed at beach resorts near Ao Nang Beach, Nopparat Tharat Beach and also Klong Muang Beach. On this third visit to Krabi, I decided that I must stay a few nights at the secluded and private Tubkaek Beach.

There are a few 4 and 5 stars luxury resorts located at the exclusive beach. So, there are much lesser people. Compare to Ao Nang beach or Nopparat Tharat Beach, Tubkaek Beach offers serenity everywhere. No crowds, calm sea, secluded beach allowing peaceful watching of spectacular sunset.

After staying a couple of nights at the Panan Krabi Resort in Ao Nang Beach, we transferred to the Amari Vogue Krabi Resort for the remaining of our stay in Krabi. The Amari Vogue Krabi resort is one the luxurious resorts located along the Tubkaek Beach.

Terrace at the lobby with sofas and lounge chairs overlooking the hotel’s ground. 

Upon arrival, we were treated to views of the Andaman Sea from the lobby. The resort was located on sloping ground, with the road access and lobby located on highest level.

Views of the beautiful tropical landscaping in the hotel from the lobby terrace. 

Our Deluxe Twin Room at the Amari Vogue Krabi Resort that came with two queen size beds.

Our room was located at the uppermost floor of the resort.  The bathroom came with a tub and an opening that allows users of the tub/bathroom to look into the room and vice versa. We kept this opening shut throughout the duration of our stay.

Getting to the pool area and beach from our room requires the use gentle sloping stairs.  More guestrooms are located on both sides of this pathway and the hotel facilities like the Spa, Lotus restaurant and swimming pools are located in the middle.  There are no lifts. Usage of the stairs is required each day to get to the swimming pools and beach.

View of the main staircases linking the lobby at the top to the swimming pools and beach located below.  

 

Swimming Pools

There are three swimming pools in Amari Vogue Krabi, including a jet pool at the top level.

        

Water jet pool at the highest level.

    

Shallow pool at the middle level. No one was swimming here. 

Main swimming pool next to the beach.

The Marco’s Restaurant and Bar is located next to the pool as well. 

Infinity edged pool.

 

Beach

Tubkaek Beach is secluded and quiet, being a private beach. There is little boat traffic. The water is shallow during high tide with little waves. Perfect for kids or non swimmers to take a dip.

  Beach area just outside Amari Vogue Krabi.

 

Lounge chairs at the beach.

Pak Bia and Hong Islands are just across the sea from the resort. In fact, it is nearer and hence faster and cheaper to get to these islands from Tubkaek Beach, than from Ao Nang Beach.

Views of the Hong Islands seen from the poolside at Amari Vogue Krabi Resort.

 

Long-tail boats to Pak Bia and Hong Islands could be chartered from the beach. Only a few long-tail boats are moored here, with fixed, published rates for a day trip to the offshore islands.

 Enjoying the long swing outside the neighbouring Banyan Tree Resort.  

  

What we did at Amari Vogue Krabi

Our typical day at the Amari starts with a sumptuous buffet breakfast at the Lotus Restaurant. There are indoor as well as outdoor seats.

Interior of the Lotus Restaurant where buffet breakfast is served daily.

There are options for Thai breakfast that includes Dim Sum prawns, Boiled rice soup with chicken, pork or fish, Thai style omelet with rice, Pad Sie-Ew with chicken or pork and Pad Kapaow with chicken or pork.

My favourite is the noodle station serving up rice noodles, fish and meat balls in delicious broth.

There is also the standard Western Breakfast.   

Staff at the egg station can cook up egg Benedict, omelette with fillings of our choice, plus hard and soft boiled eggs. There are pancakes or waffles served with maple syrup or chocolate sauce.

Interesting local egg dish from the egg station.

 

What we did on Day 1

On our first day after arrival, we went for a couple’s massage at the Chi Spa with the resort while my son chilled in the hotel room.

 Lobby of the Chi Spa where we did the paperwork, including choosing the oil to be used for our massage. 

A feet scrub and wash before lying down on the massage table. 

The massage room, with soft music and serene settings. 

The massage was okay in my opinion. Not the best we had in Thailand but generally meet my expectations.

In the evening, we took a walk along the 2 km stretch of beach during low tide. There are only a few other people on the beach. All are guests of one of the resorts.

We ate at the Di Mare Italian Trattoria restaurant, one the beachfront restaurants in the Tubkaek Boutique Resort.

I have a separate post on what we did in the evenings in Tubkaek Beach here.

What we did on Day Two

Besides the beach, one of the must do when staying at the Tubkaek Beach area is hiking. Dragon Crest Mountain has one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the south of Thailand.

Dragon Crest (known by the locals as Khao Ngon Nak) is one of the most famous viewpoints in Krabi, offering really spectacular views of Krabi and its surrounding islands. 

After breakfast, my son and I to proceed with our plan to hike up Dragon Crest Mountain, while my wife enjoys the facilities at the resort.

Having a well earned rest at the summit of Dragon Crest Mountain.

I have a separate post on our hike up Dragon Crest here.

       

What we did on Day Three

My original plan was to do a boat trip to the Hongs Islands on this day. The weather was sunny and the sea was calm. However, Sam was feeling a little unwell and he wanted us to proceed without him. My wife and I had been to Hong Islands in our previous trip, so we decided to stay at the hotel and chill by the pool instead.

After my exertions hiking the grueling Dragon Crest Nature Trail the day before, the first thing I did at the swimming pool was to try out the jacuzzi. 

Soothing the tired leg muscles at the jacuzzi pool.

After that, we chilled out with cold drinks at the main pool. We had the pool all to ourselves until late in the morning when some other guests arrived.

Drinks from Marco’s Restaurant and Bar

Lunch was at the Marco’s Restaurant and Bar. This restaurant serves both Thai and Western dishes. 

Seafood Risotto

We cannot come to a seaside resort and not take a dip in the sea.  Tubkaek Beach is perfect for a dip at high tide. With a very gradual slopping sandy beach, we could walk 100 m out to sea and it is only waist deep. There is no boat traffic and gentle waves. Perfect for non swimmers and young children. 

The weather could turn suddenly in the rainy season in Krabi. Just as we get getting comfortable on the lounger by the sea, rain clouds started approaching from the horizon.

It is fun watching the hotel staff scrambling to tie everything down and prepare for the storm. Similarly we had to abandon our time on the beach and head for our room.

Approaching storm clouds off Tubkaek Beach.

Rain came and went fast. By evening, we were back at the beach for a sundowner before dinner at the Arundina restaurant, located in the neighbouring resort.

Pre-dinner drinks at the Marco’s.

View of the sunset from the Arundina Restaurant located at the Tubkaek Boutique Resort.

I have a separate post on what we did in the evenings in Tubkaek Beach here.

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Evenings at Tubkaek Beach in Krabi

16 to 18 August 2022

Almost everyone who visited Krabi will know of Ao Nang Beach.  Ao Nang is the main tourist area and the gateway to some of Thailand's best islands. On the other hand, not many would have heard of Tubkaek Beach.  

Tubkaek Beach is a two kilometre stretch of golden sand that hosts a handful of luxury resorts. Tubkaek Beach is about an half an hour’s drive from Ao Nang, located north west up the coast. 

It is an idyllic and tranquil beach, with beautiful turquoise sea and great views of the Pak Bia island and the Hong Islands. A perfect place for those looking for peace, quiet relaxation, solitude and a nice swim in warm, shallow waters off a private sandy beach during the day.

Unlike Ao Nang Beach, we had Tubkaek Beach all to ourselves, with no long-tail boats loading and unloading people. 

In the evenings, one could enjoy the beautiful sunsets from the beach, weather permitting. Once dark, there is nothing much to do except dine at one of the fine restaurants located within the many 4-5 star hotels that are found along this private and luxurious beach.

Compared to touristy places like Ao Nang beach or Railay, Tubkaek Beach has practically no night life. There are no pubs, no bars, and no shops. Not even a convenient store.

In our 3 nights stay at Amari Vogue Krabi, we enjoyed walking along the beach during sunset before settling down for dinner along one of the exclusive beachside restaurants.

Di Mare Italian Trattoria restaurant at the Tubkaek Boutique Resort

On our first day at Tubkaek, we took a walk along the 2 km stretch of beach during low tide. There are only a few other people on the beach. All guests of one of the resorts.

We ate at the Di Mare Italian Trattoria restaurant, one the beachfront restaurants in the Tubkaek Boutique Resort.

We were the first customers for dinner that day. A friendly waiter arranged for us to sit right next to the beach so we can get the unblocked view of the sun setting over the offshore islands.

Best seats of the house. Right by the beach.

 

While waiting for our main course to be served, we munched on the delicious breadsticks that was served as our appetisers.

The authentic Italian restaurant served excellent seafood and pizza.

 Our pizza is made to order and cooked in the pizza oven. 

One of the best pizzas I have eaten.

Delicious barramundi with crispy skin and fresh lemon butter sauce. 

Once the sky got dark, more customers streamed in from the beach. Most sat indoors, near the bar, as by now there is not much to see on the dark beach except a few crabs that were roaming on the sand, faintly lit by the restaurant’s fairy lights.

I enjoyed the food served up in this excellent Italian restaurant. Highly recommended.

After dinner, we were attracted by the live music from Tubkaek Boutique Resort’s other restaurant known as the Arundina.

Live music at the Arundina. The lady singer was belting out some nice English sentimental songs. 

 

Cocktails with exotic names like the Blue Moon, Sundowner and The Beach at the Arundina for 280 THB each.

We had cocktails and listened to the live music till the band finished their performance for the night. I like the lively atmosphere at the Arundina. We made a mental note to come back to the Arundina for dinner in the next few days.

Marco's Restaurant and Bar at the Amari Vogue Krabi

On day 2, Sam and I did the hike up Dragon Crest Mountain to the scenic viewpoint. It was a tiring day for us, so we decided not to out and dine at the Marco’s Restaurant and Bar, located within our hotel, the Amari Vogue Krabi.

Fresh coconut drink at the Marco’s Restaurant and Bar while watching the sun set. 

The Marco’s Restaurant serves both Western and Thailand cuisine. We chose Thai food.

We sat at a table with unblocked view of the Andaman Sea and the offshore islands. 

Chicken Satay at the Marco’s.

Tom Yum Goong – The famous hot and sour soup made from galangal, lemon grass, straw mushrooms, onions. kaffir lime leaves with Prawns. 

 Fish of the day. Pan fried seabass, cooked Western style. 

Massamum Gai – Creamy peanut curry with chicken leg, cinnamon, star anise, potato and onions.

View of the Marco’s Restaurant and Bar at night.

 

Arundina Restaurant at Tubkaek Boutique Resort

On our last evening at Tubkaek Beach, we had evening drinks at the Marco’s Restaurant and Bar before taking a walk along the beach to the Arundina Restaurant, located within the Tubkaek Boutique Resort.

Pre-dinner drinks at the Marco’s Restaurant and Bar.

The sunset along Tubkaek Beach on this evening was not bad.

The beachfront Arundina Restaurant serves authentic Thai dishes and offers nice view of the sea. It is a good place to have a sundowner during sunset, followed by dinner.

Watching the sun goes down from our table at the Arundina. 

We ordered Thai Fish Cakes, Prawn Omelette, Spicy Stir Fried Chicken served with steamed jasmine rice.

 

A seabird hunting for its dinner along Tubkaek Beach at twilight. 

Snapping photos of the twilight scenery at Tubkaek Beach.

There was a wedding dinner event held at the Arundina on this night so we did not get to enjoy the live music. Instead we were treated to some music from the wedding event.

Wedding event, so no live music at the Arundina.  

Overall, I enjoyed our stay at Amari Vogue Krabi and the quiet and relaxing evenings at Tubkaek Beach.

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