Chicken Island (Koh Kai)
The island named for the rock at its tip, and one of the stops of the four-island day.
13 places
Krabi's islands, compared
The islands off Ao Nang, the Hong group, Phi Phi and the islands to the south side by side: how you get there, whether a park fee applies, and when to go.
Krabi's islands split into two families: the ones you see in a day, from a boat on a tour, and the ones you can sleep on. Most of the first family sit inside national parks, and the park, not the tour, sets the fees, the closures and the rules: Maya Bay, for one, closes to landings every year from 1 August to 30 September.
Phi Phi Don, Koh Jum and Koh Lanta are lived-in islands that you can reach on your own and stay on. The table below compares all of them on what changes a plan, then each island has its own page.
Compare at a glance
| Places | Access | Entry | Time to allow | Best time | Distance (from Ao Nang) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Island (Koh Kai) | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on an island day | Whenever your boat passes it | 9 km |
| Koh Hong | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on a Hong Islands day | Whenever your boat goes in; access to the lagoon depends on the tide | 17 km |
| Koh Poda | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on an island day | Whenever your boat lands there | 7 km |
| Koh Tup | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on an island day | At low tide, when the sandbar is out | 8 km |
| Bamboo Island (Koh Mai Phai) | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on a Phi Phi day | Whenever your boat lands there | 24 km |
| Koh Jum (Koh Pu) | By boat only | At least a night | Out of the southwest monsoon, when the sea is calmer | 29 km | |
| Phi Phi Don | By boat only | National park fee | A night or more, or a stop on a day tour | On an overnight stay, once the day boats have left | 31 km |
| Maya Bay | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on a Phi Phi day | Any month but August and September, when it is closed | 40 km |
| Koh Rok | By boat only | National park fee | A full day, from Koh Lanta | From October to May, and most reliably from November to April | 94 km |
| Koh Lanta | By road | Free | Several days | From November to April, when the boats from Krabi run | 58 km |
| Pileh Lagoon | By boat only | National park fee | A stop on a Phi Phi day | Early or late in the day, when fewer boats are inside | 39 km |
| Koh Yao Noi | By boat only | Two or three nights at least | Outside the low season: from about May to October, fewer boats run | 26 km | |
| Koh Yao Yai | By boat only | Several nights | Outside the low season: from about May to October, fewer boats run | 25 km |
Koh Hong
The island of the Hong group with an enclosed lagoon.
Koh Poda
The island where the four-island boats put you on the sand, as opposed to the ones you see from the water.
Koh Tup
The island of the low-tide sandbar: at the right moment, you walk across the sea to its neighbours.
Bamboo Island (Koh Mai Phai)
The island north of Phi Phi Don that some Phi Phi days from Krabi add to their route.
Koh Jum (Koh Pu)
One island with two names, where you stay rather than visit: no tours, and the boat from the mainland is the way in.
Phi Phi Don
The larger Phi Phi island, with the ferry pier and the village: where you can stay the night, while the day boats only pass by.
Maya Bay
The bay of The Beach, on Phi Phi Leh: you walk in from the back of the island, you do not swim, and it closes every August and September.
Koh Rok
Two islands in the Mu Ko Lanta national park, reached by snorkelling day trips from Koh Lanta and closed from June to September.
Koh Lanta
The long island south of Krabi that you can reach by road and car ferry all year: a place to stay, not a day trip.
Pileh Lagoon
An inlet almost closed by limestone walls on Phi Phi Leh, where the boats go in through a narrow gap and most tours stop for a swim.
Koh Yao Noi
The smaller and more developed of the two Koh Yao islands: fishing villages, rubber, community homestays and quiet evenings, for a stay of a few nights.
Koh Yao Yai
The larger and less developed of the two Koh Yao islands: long roads, few visitors, and a scooter or your hotel's transport for every trip.
See these places with us
Ao Nang
Four islands, longtail or speedboat
- Choose longtail or speedboat
- Snorkelling stops
- Best for
- Choosing your boat for the same four-island route
- Skip if
- You want a quiet beach to yourself
Krabi
Phi Phi at sunset, with plankton
- Sunset at Koh Poda
- BBQ dinner
- Best for
- One long island day with the most named stops
- Skip if
- You want an early night or travel with small children
Koh Lanta
Koh Rok and Koh Haa snorkelling, from Koh Lanta
- Speedboat to the outer islands
- Lunch buffet
- Best for
- The best-regarded snorkelling of the area, in the season, when you are staying on Lanta
- Skip if
- You are staying in Ao Nang, you travel from June to September, you are set on Koh Haa (closed since 11 June 2026), or a child in your group is 3 or under
Phi Phi
Maya Bay with the first group, from Phi Phi
- Early at Maya Bay
- Lunch on Bamboo Island
- Best for
- Staying on Phi Phi and wanting Maya Bay early in the day
- Skip if
- You are staying on the mainland, or you travel between 1 August and 30 September
Things to do · the islands
Krabi 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 · Phi Phi
Phi Phi Islands
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 · the beaches
Krabi 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 · Koh Lanta
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.
Common questions
Which of Krabi's islands can I reach without a tour?
Phi Phi Don by ferry, Koh Jum by road to Laem Kruat and then a longtail, and Koh Lanta by road and car ferry all year. The other islands are visited on a tour or by hired boat.
Do I pay a national park fee on an island tour?
On the islands inside a national park, yes, and it is often not included in the tour price: it is usually paid in cash on the day. The booking page says what your tour covers.
Can I swim at Maya Bay?
No. Swimming has not been allowed since the bay reopened in 2022. Boats moor at Loh Samah, on the other side of the island, and you walk across to the beach.