5 days in Krabi

A shared longtail from the Ao Nang beachfront to Railay West. Tickets are sold for cash at the boat counters, and a boat leaves when it has about eight passengers, with no fixed timetable.

There is no pier at Railay West: you step down into shallow water. Wear shorts and keep your phone and passport in a dry bag.

Nothing to book. Check the fare at the counter: there is no official price list online.

Walk across to Railay East and along the walkway under the cliffs to Phra Nang Beach, at the southern tip, with the shrine to Phra Nang in its cave at the foot of the cliff. Island tours land here too, so the earlier you arrive, the quieter it is.

Railay is where Krabi climbs, and five days leave room to try. Half-day classes for beginners last about four hours and teach the basic techniques.

If climbing is not for you, swim at Railay West and do nothing else. The viewpoint trail is there for the sure-footed in dry weather only: a climb on mud and ropes, not a walk.

Tonsai, the climbers' beach next door, is over the rocks at low tide only, or by a steep jungle path. Not with luggage, and not in the dark.

Stay into the late afternoon if you like. The catch is the boat back to Ao Nang: shared longtails run until about 6 pm, and sources disagree on what is left after that, a shared boat at a higher fare or only a whole boat to hire. Ask at the counter before you stay on.

From May to October the sea on the Ao Nang side can suspend these boats. The crossing from Ao Nam Mao to Railay East, on the sheltered side, is described as the more reliable one then.

The Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea), northeast of Krabi Town, from when it opens, around 5 or 6 am by visitors' accounts. The staircase to the summit shrine has about 1,260 steps; sources disagree on the exact number. Most people take between half an hour and an hour.

Shoulders and knees covered, shoes you can climb in, water in your bag and nothing edible in your hands: the macaques on the lower steps take food and open bottles.

Two people died on the climb in March 2026. Go at your own pace, turn back if you feel unwell, and if you have heart trouble, stay at the foot. Entry is free.

Further east, in Khlong Thom district, the Emerald Pool: a spring-fed pool in the forest of a wildlife sanctuary, a walk of about 800 m on the direct path or 1.4 km on the boardwalk. You may swim in the main pool only. The edges are slippery and there is no ladder.

The Blue Pool, a few hundred metres further on, is for looking at: swimming there is not allowed. Ask at the gate whether it is open before you walk on.

The sanctuary has its own ticket at its own gate; one source says it is cash only, so carry some. It is not covered by any national park ticket.

Back towards Krabi Town, and indoors for the hottest hours. If there is energy left, a longtail from Chao Fah pier to Khao Khanap Nam, the two limestone pinnacles in the river. The boat is priced per boat: agree the price, and whether the boatman waits, before you go.

If this lands on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the Walking Street in Soi Maharat 8, from about 5 pm: the biggest market of the week. One guide lists only Friday and Saturday, so ask at your hotel before counting on a Sunday.

On other evenings, the Chao Fah night market by the river is reported every evening, though by a single source. Or swap this day with day 5 so that the evening falls at the weekend.

Nothing to book if you go on your own: all of today is by road, with a driver or a taxi. Agree the return to Ao Nang in advance, as the white songthaews finish early.

If a boat day was cancelled, rebook it for today. That is the whole reason this day exists, and in the monsoon, from May to October, it is the day most likely to be used.

If nothing was cancelled, walk along Nopparat Thara, the long beach just west of Ao Nang. At low tide the sea pulls back a long way and a sandbar runs out towards the islet offshore: a walk rather than a swim.

Nothing to book. Look at a tide table before you go: at high tide the sandbar is under water.

A half day in a kayak among the mangroves and limestone cliffs of Ao Thalane, with pickup where your area is served. The day is about the trees and the rock rather than the beach.

Or nothing at all. After four full days, an afternoon by the pool is not a wasted one.

If you have not seen it yet, a night swim in bioluminescent plankton: the water lights up in small sparks when you move. How strong the glow is cannot be booked, and one local travel site's rule of thumb is that darker nights, around the new moon, are better.

Otherwise, the Landmark night market on the Ao Nang seafront, which is on every day, and an early night.