Things to do · Ao Nang
The beach, its tide, the walks next door and the boats that leave from the sand.
Ao Nang is a beach town on the mainland, west of Krabi Town, built around a long beach that doubles as a boat station. The longtails to Railay and many island days leave from the sand, and the ferry pier for the islands further out is just along the coast at Nopparat Thara.
So Ao Nang is less a sight than a starting point. This page goes from what you can do on foot, the beach, its tide and the bays on either side, to the boats, the days out, the evenings and the days when the sea says no. Where to sleep in town has its own page.
Give Ao Nang one afternoon on foot: the beach, the Monkey Trail to Pai Plong, the night market after dark. Then use it for what it does best, sending you elsewhere: a longtail to Railay or an island day from the sand, a ferry from Nopparat Thara Pier. Check the tide first, and keep one day without a boat in reserve.
A swim away from the longtails
Over the headland on foot, by a forest path and a steep last staircase.
A long walk on the sand at low tide
The next beach west, with a sandbar towards the islet offshore.
Railay on a rough day, with dry feet
The sheltered bay east of town, with boats to the Railay East pontoon.
An evening without a ride
The promenade, the restaurants and the Landmark night market, every day.
Ao Nang Beach curves for a long way in front of the town, with limestone cliffs at its southern end. Think of it as a boat station first and a swimming beach second: all day, longtails run up onto part of the sand and push off again, so swim where other people are swimming, clear of the boats. The centre is where the crowd is; travellers find the eastern end, below the headland, calmer and shadier.
The tide changes the beach at a different hour each day. At low tide the sea pulls back a long way, the swim becomes a wade, and you walk out across wet sand to reach your boat. Look at a tide table for your dates: it decides when to swim here and when to walk out on the sandbar at Nopparat Thara.
Late afternoon is the time for the light on the cliffs, and the sun goes down over the sea. From May to October, the southwest monsoon roughens the water along this coast: red flags go up when the national park judges swimming unsafe, and box jellyfish turn up in the park more often in those months. For a sting, vinegar on it for at least 30 seconds, never fresh water, then call 1669, the medical emergency number.
Jellyfish, red flags and where to swim
Where to watch the sunset in Krabi, and how to get back
Beyond the seafront, four quieter shores lie close to town: one over the headland, one along the coast to the west, and two a short ride east. None needs a boat.
Nopparat Thara, Klong Muang and Tubkaek: the quiet beaches beyond Ao Nang
The road along the beach, with hotels, restaurants, tour desks and the boat counters: where you book a boat, eat, and come back to in the evening. Busy from morning until late, most of all in high season. Not for you if you came for quiet.
Just past the eastern end of Ao Nang Beach, over the headland. The Monkey Trail begins at that end of the sand: it climbs through the forest on steps, follows the headland, and drops to the bay down a steep wooden staircase. One recent account puts the walk at about 15–20 minutes, and mentions a register to sign at the foot of the steps and a gate locked in the early evening. Boats come in less often than at Ao Nang, and the same account rates the swim here above Ao Nang's at low tide. Macaques wait along the way: put food away, zip your bags, and give them nothing. The bay's only resort was reported shut for rebuilding in October 2026, so carry your own water. Not for you if you are unsteady on stairs, after rain, or in flip-flops.
Follow the coast road west and Ao Nang turns into Nopparat Thara, within walking distance: a longer, quieter beach shaded by casuarinas, part of the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. When the tide is out, the water retreats far across the flats and a sandbar leads out towards the islet offshore; go out only around low water, and start back before the sea fills in behind you. The ferry pier is at the far end. Not for you if you want a swim at any hour.
A quiet mangrove bay with a village and a pier, a short ride east. From the pier, shared longtails and a shuttle boat run across to the floating pontoon at Railay East, and in the May to October monsoon this sheltered crossing is the one described as most reliable. The bay is shallow and becomes mudflat when the tide is out: come here for the boat, not for a beach day. Not for you if you want a swim, unless the tide is in.
Flat sheets of rock along the shore, packed with the fossil shells of small freshwater snails. Signs on site give 75 million years; other sources put them at 40 million or younger. Time it for low tide, since high water hides much of the rock. You pay in cash at the site's own booth, though one source says entry is free and the amounts quoted vary. It sits close to Ao Nam Mao, so the two make one outing. Not for you at high tide.
Ao Nang has two departure points, and confusing them is the commonest mistake: the beach for Railay and the nearby islands, the pier at Nopparat Thara for the islands further out.
Railay, from the sand. Shared longtails leave Ao Nang Beach for Railay West when about eight passengers are aboard, roughly from 8am to 6pm, for cash at the seafront counters. You land in shallow water, and the way back after 6pm is uncertain.
The nearby islands, from the same beach. The four-island day and many Hong Islands days start from Ao Nang, and many include hotel pickup: check that your part of town is covered. A private longtail from here lets you set the pace.
The islands further out, from Nopparat Thara Pier. Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Phuket and Koh Yao are served by ferries and speedboats from the pier at the far end of Nopparat Thara; none of them leaves from Ao Nang Beach. Boats to Phi Phi run all year, with fewer in the low season, while most of those to Koh Lanta sail only from November to April. Check the timetable with the operator.
Park fees. The island days enter national parks, and the fee is usually paid in cash on the day, on top of the tour price. Keep the ticket on you.
Railay: the peninsula without a road
How to get to Railay, and back with your luggage
Krabi ferries: which pier, which island, which season
Most of Krabi's day trips either leave from Ao Nang or pick you up there. In order of how far they take you:
The four islands, about six hours. Koh Poda, Chicken Island, Koh Tup and Railay or Phra Nang, all close to the coast. The sandbar at Koh Tup shows only at low tide, and no operator can promise it. Not for you if you want an island to yourself.
The Hong Islands, six to seven hours. Further northwest, in a different national park: the lagoon inside Koh Hong's cliffs, shallow at low tide, and on some tours a viewpoint up about 400 steps.
Ao Thalane by kayak, a half day. Mangrove channels between cliffs, at a time the operator sets by the tide.
Climbing or cooking, a half day. A beginners' climbing class at Railay, about four hours, or a cooking class; one we list is in Ao Nang itself, three street-food dishes in two hours.
Phi Phi, seven to ten hours. A long day by speedboat or catamaran. At Maya Bay swimming is not allowed, and the bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September.
Inland, eight to nine and a half hours. The Tiger Cave Temple, the Emerald Pool and a hot spring, by road.
After dark, about four and a half hours. A night swim among glowing plankton; what you see depends on the night.
Keep the longest crossing early in your stay, so that a cancellation can move to another day.
Krabi islands: which day, which boat
The Ao Thalane kayak trips we list
Tiger Cave Temple and Emerald Pool: Krabi inland
After dark, Ao Nang is a place you walk. Restaurants fill the promenade and the streets behind it, and the Ao Nang Landmark Night Market, on the seafront road, opens every day of the week, at 4pm or 5pm depending on the source, until about 11pm.
By day, the Ao Nang local market sets up on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, from about 1.30pm to 7pm, inland on Route 4203, according to two sources. Two others mention a Wednesday evening market but disagree on where and when: ask at your hotel.
We found no weekend market in Ao Nang itself. The week's big market is the Walking Street in Krabi Town, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. The white songthaews, shared pick-ups, run there in the daytime and stop early in the evening: settle how you will get back before you go.
Krabi's night markets, evening by evening
Ao Nang after dark: bars, music and the way home
No viewpoint is a stroll from the beach: around Ao Nang, a view over the karst means a boat, a rope or a forest trail.
The Railay viewpoint. A longtail ride, then a short, steep climb on ropes and red mud; the descent to the lagoon is harder. Only on a dry day, in shoes with grip, and not with young children.
Dragon Crest. Above Tubkaek, a drive northwest: about 3.7 km each way and close to 500 m of climbing through forest, with a sign-in at the ranger post and a last entry around 2pm by guides' accounts. Most of a day; not for children under about ten.
Krabi viewpoints, from the easiest to the hardest
Sooner or later, your boat will stay in. First ask whether the trip is cancelled or only wet, and whether it can move to another day. Rain on its own stops little; it is the sea that keeps the boats in, and on some days the Krabi harbour authority stops every one of them. Do not go looking for a boat that will take you out anyway.
Then give the day to the land. Two of the cooking classes we list, one of them the street-food class in Ao Nang, take bookings up to an hour and a half before the start. Krabi Town has its temple, and a cave at Khao Khanap Nam reached by the river; inland, the Tiger Cave Temple and the hot springs are reached by road, so a rough sea does not touch them.
Leave the Railay viewpoint, Dragon Crest and the waterfalls for a dry day: mud, wet rock and swollen streams make them dangerous.
Krabi on a rainy day: what to do when the boats stay in
Ao Nang itself takes an afternoon and an evening: the beach, the walk to Pai Plong, the night market. The rest of your days start here and end somewhere else.
As a base, four or five days fill easily: Railay, one or two island days, an inland day, and a spare one for the weather.
What disappoints is the beach, if you expected an empty one: it is a boat station with a town behind it, the swim depends on the tide, and the sand is golden with crushed shell rather than white. And if you wanted a Thai town in the evening, Ao Nang is built around visitors: Krabi Town is the place for that.
Where to sleep has its own answer by part of town: the seafront, the quieter hill inland, or the Nopparat Thara end.
Staying in Ao Nang: which part of town, and who it suits
Five days in Krabi, from Ao Nang
| Place | Best for | Getting there | Tide | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The seafront | Boats, food, evenings | On foot | Wade to boats at low tide | Noise, longtail lanes |
| Pai Plong Beach | A swim away from boats | Monkey Trail or longtail | Described as better at low tide | Steep stairs, macaques |
| Nopparat Thara | A walk, the sandbar | On foot or by road | Sandbar at low tide | The tide coming back |
| Ao Nam Mao | Boats to Railay East | By road | Mudflat at low tide | Not a swimming beach |
| The Shell Cemetery | Fossil shell slabs | By road | Go at low tide | Cash fee, little shade |
Ao Nang
Krabi
Ao Thalane
9 tours
The four islands and the Hong Islands, by shared or private boat, from Ao Nang and Railay.
6 tours
The Tiger Cave Temple and Emerald Pool, Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok, and James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay.
4 tours
Half days in the Ao Thalane mangroves, and a Hong Islands day by longtail with a kayak.
4 tours
Hands-on Thai cooking classes in Ao Nang and Krabi, from two hours to a half day.
Things to do · the islands
Four islands for a first day close to Ao Nang, Hong for the lagoon, Phi Phi for Maya Bay, Phang Nga Bay for James Bond Island: four different days at sea, and the boat matters as much as the island.
Things to do · the beaches
Krabi has beaches you drive to and beaches you reach by boat, beaches for a swim and one, at Railay, that turns to mud at low tide: the tide and the season decide more than the sand.
Things to do · Railay
Railay is reached only by boat. Which boat, where it lands you, what to see once you are there, and whether to sleep on the peninsula or come for the day.
Things to do · inland
Away from the coast, Krabi is forest, limestone and fresh water: a temple at the top of a long staircase, a green pool you can swim in, hot springs, waterfalls and mangrove caves. What each one asks of you, and whether to go on a tour or by yourself.
Things to do · Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is two to three hours from Krabi Town by road and car ferry, all year. What separates it from Ao Nang, how to get there in each season, and what to see once you are there.
Things to do · Phi Phi
Phi Phi is two islands: Phi Phi Leh, with Maya Bay and its rules, seen on a day from Krabi, and Phi Phi Don, the island you can sleep on. What each one is, what disappoints, and how to fit them in.
Things to do · Night markets
Krabi's evening markets do not all open on the same nights. Which one runs when, where to find it, and which times we could confirm and which we could not.
Where to stay
Ao Nang for convenience, Railay for the cliffs, Krabi Town for a Thai town, Klong Muang for quiet: the base you pick decides how your days start.
Travel info · Krabi
The season and the sea decide more of a Krabi trip than anything else. When to come, which boats run, what the national parks close and charge, then the airport, the visa, money, health and the rules.
On foot: the beach, the Monkey Trail to Pai Plong, the Nopparat Thara sandbar at low tide and the Landmark night market. Beyond that, Ao Nang is the starting point for Railay, the island days, kayaking at Ao Thalane and the ferries.
Yes, away from the longtail lanes. At low tide a swim becomes a wade; from May to October, stay out when a red flag is up.
On foot by the Monkey Trail, from the eastern end of Ao Nang Beach, ending with a steep wooden staircase, or by longtail. Wear shoes with grip, keep food from the macaques, and bring water.
No. They leave from Nopparat Thara Pier, at the far end of the next beach west, along with the boats for Koh Lanta, Phuket and Koh Yao. Ao Nang Beach is for the longtails to Railay and many island days.
Yes: the Ao Nang Landmark Night Market, on the seafront road, every day until about 11pm. We found no weekend market in Ao Nang; the weekend one is the Walking Street in Krabi Town, from Friday to Sunday.
A cooking class, Krabi Town, or the Tiger Cave Temple and the hot springs, all by road. Leave the Railay viewpoint, Dragon Crest and the waterfalls for a dry day.
Ao Nang itself takes an afternoon and an evening. As a base for Railay, the islands and an inland day, four or five days, with one kept spare for the weather.