Trip Overview – 5 Days at Krabi with stays at Ao Nang and Tubkaek Beach

Just after returning from a short but fun filled trip to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, we managed to snag some good deals on flights from Singapore to Krabi, located in southern Thailand. Krabi is one of the most relaxing and beautiful places on Earth and hence worth visiting again and again.  My travelling companions would be my wife and son.

August is actually not an ideal time to visit Krabi as May to October is the monsoon season with rain forecasted on most days. In my previous trip to Krabi during June, we managed to enjoy good weather despite being in the wet season. So we were keeping our fingers cross for some good weather.

Good weather with calm sea at Ao Nang Beach in August 2022. 

We chose to stay the first 2 nights in Ao Nang Beach. Day 1 is arrival day, so we spent time exploring the Ao Nang Beach area. On Day 2, we took a short boat ride from Ao Nang Beach to the beaches of Railay Peninsula. There are four main beaches at Railay – Railay West, Railay East, Phra Nang and Tonsai. Phra Nang Beach, from my previous experiences, is the best in terms of water quality, scenic quality and attractions.

Since this was my third trip to Krabi, I wanted to check out the very quiet and exclusive Tubkaek Beach that we missed previously. Hence, we booked ourselves into the Amari Vogue Resort at Tubkaek Beach for 3 nights.

Tubkaek Beach is near to the start point of the hiking trail up the Dragon Crest Mountain to the Dragon Crest Viewpoint. It is also near to Hong Islands in case we chose to make a boat trip there.

These were what we did on this trip to Krabi.

Day 1 (14 August 2022)

This is the day we travelled from home to Krabi, arriving at Krabi Airport at about 12.15 PM. Immigration (including health checks for Covid certification) took almost an hour.  Fortunately the driver from Krabi Shuttle service that I booked did not abandon us and waited patiently for us to emerge from the arrival hall.

The journey by van took about 45 minutes. By the time we arrived at Panan Resort Krabi (our hotel in Ao Nang Beach), it was almost 2 PM. This was the second time we stayed at this hotel. It is well located within walking distance to Ao Nang Beach. In case the weather is not suitable for an outing to the offshore islands by long-tailed boat, this hotel has two swimming pools and with swim-up bar and a gym.

 Lobby and restaurant at the Panan Krabi Resort. 

 

Our triple Deluxe Room at Panan Krabi Resort.

We had late lunch at the Family Thai food and Seafood Restaurant. This small and not so prominent restaurant is located along a small alley off the main road of Ao Nang and it serves good value Thai food and seafood. This is a good restaurant in Ao Nang, worthy of a repeat visit.

 Crabmeat omelette, Tom Yum Goong and Stir fried Kailan. 

Deep fried Seabass with hot and sour sauce.

Thai Red Curry with Chicken 

After lunch, we did some shopping along the Ao Nang strip and bought some Hawaiian shirts and foodstuff.

Nice shirt with Monstera Delicosa prints. 

There are many restaurants at the Ao Nang Beach area but my wife wanted my son to experience the Hilltop Ao Nang. As the name implies, the restaurant is located on the top of hill in Ao Nang, offering dining with probably the best views of the Krabi sunset.

Trip report: Back at the Hilltop Ao Nang

We ended the day with drinks at the Boogie Bar. I actually wanted to have drinks and watched the live telecast of the EPL game between Chelsea and Spurs at this bar. I quickly forget about the soccer game as the excellent live rock band in this bar was so entertaining.  

Three hours of non-stop, lively performance at the Boogie Bar. This Band really Rocks!

   

Day 2 (15 August 2022)

We took the long-tail boat “taxi” from Ao Nang Beach to Railay Peninsula. We landed at Railay West Beach but went to swim at Phra Nang Beach.

     Long-tail boats at Railay West Beach. 

Trip Report: A day on the beaches of Railay Peninsula at Krabi

After spending a fun day at the Railay Peninsula, we went back to our hotel in Ao Nang for a dip at the hotel’s pool.

We had a good chat with friendly bartender at the pool bar who introduced us to some local rum and whiskey.

Since this is a day with nice weather, we made it a point to arrive at Ao Nang Beach by 6.30 PM to enjoy the Krabi sunset. This was the best sunset we saw on this trip. No thanks to the “not-so-good” weather on the other days.

Sunset at Ao Nang Beach.  

From Ao Nang Beach, we took a short walk to the Kodam Kitchen, located in the back streets of downtown Ao Nang. Kodam Kitchen serves delicious, authentic Thai cuisine in the outdoor alfresco style seating area.

Trip report: Evening at Ao Nang Beach and dinner at the Kodam Kitchen.

After dinner, we took a songthaew to the Reggae Bar for some drinks and live music.

Reggae Bar at Ao Nang.

After our experience at the Boogie Bar, it is hard for the band at this bar to wow us.

   

Day 3 (16 August 2022)

This was the day with the promised wet weather in August. The wind and rain in the morning was quite alarming.

View of the storm from our room at Panan Krabi Resort. 

There was not much to do except having a sleep in and late breakfast at the Panan Krabi Resort.

Fortunately the rain stopped by lunch time and we managed to walk out to Thanya Kitchen for some Thai food.

The classic Thai Basil Minced Pork at Thanya Kitchen. 

Must eat in Krabi or Thailand – the mango with sticky rice.

This was also the day we shifted from Panan Krabi Resort in Ao Nang to the Amari Vogue Krabi at Tubkaek Beach. Getting from Ao Nang Beach to Tubkaek Beach by Krabi Shuttle service took about 20 minutes. The journey was quite scenic.

Amari Vogue Krabi located at Tubkaek Beach. 

Amari Vogue Krabi is a luxury resort located on the unspoilt and private Tubkaek Beach, lined with other beach resorts.  This was our “home away from home” for the next 3 nights of our 5 days Krabi vacation.

     Our room at the Amari Vogue Krabi. 

After check-in, my wife and I went for a 90 minutes massage in the resort Chaonang Spa while my son went to take a nap in the hotel room. 

Unlike Ao Nang Beach or Klong Muang Beach, there is almost no local restaurant outside the hotels. There are quite a number of excellent resorts along Tubkaek Beach with beachside restaurants that are opened to the public.

The Di Mare Italian Trattoria Restaurant serves excellent pizza.

Since the evening weather was good, we took a walk down Tubkaek Beach and had dinner at the Di Mare Italian Trattoria, located at the Tubkaek Krabi Boutique Resort, followed by drinks at the Arundina Restaurant.

Day 4 (17 August 2022)

It was drizzling a little in the morning. After breakfast, the sun came out and this enabled my son and me to proceed with our plan to hike up Dragon Crest Mountain, while my wife enjoys the facilities at the resort.

We completed our hike in about 5 hours.  Approximately 2 and half hours to go up,  2 hours to come down and 30 minutes to enjoy the views at the top.

At the peak of Dragon Crest Mountain, with views of Railay Peninsula, Ao Nang Beach and Nopparat Tharat Beach in the background. 

We ended the evening with drinks and dinner at Marcos Restaurant in Amari Vogue Krabi.

Trip report: Hike up the Dragon Crest Mountain in Krabi.

Day 5 (18 August 2022)

This was the day that we set aside for a boat trip to the Hong Islands, if the weather is good. Private long-tailed boat to Hong Island could be hired on the beach at 2300 THB for a half day trip. This price is controlled by the boat association and posted on the signboard on the beach.

Long-tail boat at Tubkaek Beach, with Hong islands in the background. 

As my son was feeling a little under the weather, we decided to abort the boat trip and just spent a day lazing by the hotel’s swimming pools. There are 3 swimming pools at this hotel, including a jacuzzi pool.

     

Trip report: Our stay at Amari Vogue Krabi at Tubkaek Beach.

 

Our last dinner at Tubkaek Beach was at the Arundina Restaurant, located at the Tubkaek Krabi Boutique Resort.

Trip report: Our evenings at Tubkaek Beach in Krabi (including places for dinner).

Day 6 (19 August 2022)

Our flight home was scheduled at 1.25 PM, so we spent the morning packing and chilling in our room.

The best way to get to the airport was by the reliable Krabi Shuttle service.

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Back to the Hilltop at Ao Nang

14 August 2022

When visiting places like Krabi which faces the Western coast, a dinner with views of the setting sun would be one of the highlights. The Hilltop Ao Nang restaurant is located on the top of hill in Ao Nang, offering dining with probably the best views of the Krabi sunset.

We had dined at this restaurant in one of our previous trip to Krabi and my wife wanted my son who is visiting Krabi for the first time to experience the Hilltop Ao Nang.  

We made reservations and also arrange for free shuttle pickup in advance at their website. We planned to arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset to enjoy the fantastic views from the restaurant. Travel to the restaurant was by songthaew (covered pickup trucks used as taxis in Thailand) and we were picked up promptly from our hotel in Ao Nang.

The weather was good so the restaurant set up tables for alfresco dining. We were the early birds.

After ordering our drinks, we went to shoot some photos. The panoramic views from the restaurant were quite nice. 

There is a new feature for visitors, especially couples, to enjoy  – beanbags on the net.

View of the Ao Nang country side and Dragon Crest Mountain (with a sharp pointy tip) in the background.

Although we were still quite full from our late lunch, the restaurant manager insisted that we ordered our food sooner than later. 

 We ordered our favourite Thai dishes instead of grilled or BBQ seafood.

Gaeng Poo Bai Chaploo - Southern Curry with Crab Meat and Local Herbs. This was the curry dish recommended by the restaurant manager. This very spicy dish was quite interesting to eat. Soak the rice noodles in the thick curry loaded with favourful herbs and sweet crab meat before eating. Thai version of the laksa, perhaps. 

  Deep fried squid in salt and pepper. 

Duck The Hilltop Style - Deep fried duck breast served with tangy orange sauce. My favourite dish on this day. 

 Stir fried mixed vegetables. 

The classic Thai pineapple fried rice with prawns, cashew nuts and pork floss. 

With the gorgeous views of the sea and the ambience, the prices charged were higher compared to the other local restaurants in Ao Nang.  Thankfully the food was good. I think it was worth it to spurge a little for the experience while visiting a foreign country.

      

      

We enjoyed the light show in the sky at dusk while we dined.

While eating, I asked one of the staff about the live band that played during our last visit. I was informed that since the Covid-19 travel restriction, the live band was no longer performing at the restaurant. Maybe, the live band performance would resume when business picks up in the future.

No live music, but the experience of quiet dining under the stars after the sun set was quite nice.

Would I be back at the Hilltop again?

No, if I were to travel to Ao Nang again by myself.

Yes, if I am travelling with friends who are visiting Ao Nang, Krabi for the first time and I wanted to introduce them to a place with nice food, gorgeous views and stunning red sun sets.

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A day on the beaches of Railay Peninsula at Krabi

15 August 2022

Accordingly to the weatherman, our second day in Krabi would cloudy with some sun and low wind. He was absolutely right!

This weather was perfect for our “day to simply unwind on the beautiful beaches” of Railay.

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.

From Ao Nang beach, regular long-tail boats carried passengers 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. The beach is only a short walk from the Panan Krabi Hotel where we stayed.

We arrived at the ticket booth at about 9.30 AM. To make things easier for us, we bought the two way tickets. We were directed to wait on a wooden bench for more passengers to turn up.

Ao Nang beach where we boarded the long-tail boat to Railay Peninsula (in the background) 

We do not have to wait very long. Once there are enough passengers going to Railay (in this case about 7 persons), we were directed by a boatman to a long-tail boat anchored along Ao Nang beach.

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. A couple of our fellow passengers travelled with large heavy backpacks. They were staying at one of the hotels located at Railay and the only mode of transport to and from these hotels is by boats.

There are four main beaches at Railay – Railay West, Railay East, Phra Nang and Tonsai. In my previous trip, passengers have a choice of the beach to alight on. On this day, all boats landed their passengers on Railay West beach. This beach is nearest to Ao Nang, perhaps a way for the boat operators to reduce cost.

 Railay West beach where we landed. 

Railay West is so scenic, surrounded by limestone cliffs on both sides of the crescent-shaped bay.

Although there are a few hotels facing Railay West beach, this beach is not the best beach for swimming as there were boat traffic and the water quality is not good as Phra Nang Beach.

Since this was not our first time at Railay Beach, we were familiar with the trail leading from Railay West to Railay East Beach and then on to Phra Nang Beach.

One of the “attractions” on this trail is the steep limestone cliffs with caves beneath.

Limestone cliffs and caves on the trail from Railay West to Phra Nang Beach.  

Phra Nang beach was not very crowded as it was not a weekend and August is not the peak season in Krabi.

Southern end of Phra Nang Beach, with Princess Cave and rock climbers.

One of the highlights on this beach is the famous Phra Nang Cave and often referred to as the Princess Cave. For local fishermen, this cave is sacred.

 My son checking out the Princess Cave since this was his first time at Railay Peninsula. 

The many penis figures at the Princess Cave are offerings by local fishermen, other locals, and visitors as offerings to the princess of the cave who will hence bring them prosperity. Or even fertility?

 

There were people doing rock climbing on the almost vertical cliff surface at this end of the beach.

Can you spot the rock climber?

There are many shady spots for us to settle down on our beach mats at this end of the beach.

As more and more folks arrived at this end of the beach by late morning, we decided to head towards the north end of Phra Nang beach. Actually, the northern end is better for swimming, provided the tide is not high. On this day, the tide is coming in and with high tide, the northern end of the beach may be cut off and we would have to wade in the se to return to the southern end.

My son with the beach mat in hand as I scouted for a path to the northern end of the beach.

We ended up deploying on a shady spot, next to the Rayavadee Resort.

Calm sea and warm water and at Phra Nang Beach. 

We stayed at Phra Nang till about lunch time. In my previous trip, there were “food boats” that sells a variety of food and drinks at reasonable prices coming in to this beach during lunch time. Not this time.

For lunch, we would have to look for a restaurant along Railay East or Railay Wet beach. We took the same trail back to Railay West Beach. Along the way, we saw a family of dusky leaf monkeys, also known as spectacled langur monkeys on a tree at Railay East Beach.

Spectacled langur monkeys at Railay Beach. 

These monkeys are not as common as the macaques and are so much cuter with the white “spectacles” around their eyes.

By now, the tide is at its peak and when we arrived at Railay West beach, we have to wade in ankle deep waters to get to the Railay Walking Street with numerous shops and restaurants.

 Start point of the Railay Walking Street. See the boats and sea coming right up to the street at high tide. 

 

Railay Walking Street.

There are many convenience stores, craft shops, bars, cafes and restaurants along the Railay Walking Street. The street is not too long. We walked till the end where I knew there were a couple of good restaurants offering Thai cuisine at affordable prices.

We chose to go to the Mangrove Restaurant. The sight and smell of the BBQ food and welcoming smile of the restaurant manager seals the deal.

 BBQ chicken and seafood outside the Mangrove Restaurant. The squid was added to the grill after our order. 

Our first and only Pad Thai (Thai fried rice noodles)

 Thai salad with sweet and sour dressing.  

Freshly grilled squid with Nam Jim Jaew (Thai dipping sauce), perfect for seafood.

After lunch, we went to the Sand Sea Resort for coffee and chill by the beach. 

Coffee by the beach at Sand Sea Resort.

View of Railay West beach from Sand Sea Resort. 

We watched new arrivals landing on Railay West Beach, even in the afternoon.

Although Railay Beach is a prime spot to enjoy a beautiful sunset, we decided to head back to Ao Nang at about 3 PM. We decided to go for a dip in our hotel’s pool, followed by an evening at Ao Nang beach to watch the sunset.

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