So about 1 month back, Tim and I visited Krabi to mark our final overseas trip before he enlists into the army (boohoo). It was our very first trip to Krabi, so we did not exactly know what to expect. This is purely based on our experience. Do kindly leave a comment if you have better suggestions or any questions. We will be happy to hear them! :)
Oh yes! During our trip, we also realised that Krabi is
perfect for our Muslim friends as well! They have numerous Halal certified restaurants around the area, Muslim communities selling their super
sedap food (especially pancakes!!), and most importantly, they can also speak Malay. Feels like home? :)
1. Stay along Ao Nang Beach
(view from our balcony - ocean view room)
(shops right beside our hotel)
If you are planning to island-hop during this trip, staying at Ao Nang will be your best bet. During this trip, we stayed at
Ao Nang Cliff Resort, which is located right beside McDonald's (7 Eleven and Starbucks nearby too). Restaurants, shops, tour agencies are conveniently located along the main road. It is also a mere 10 - 15 minutes walk from Ao Nang Beach. Ao Nang Beach is also the place where you get on boats for the tours you have booked.
2. DO NOT book tours online
(tour agent we utilised for this trip)
You can easily find tour agencies along Ao Nang. Since there are so many of them, prices will definitely be competitive. The best part? You can negotiate when you are in groups of 3 - 4. Most offer similar tours which usually includes
pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, lunch, and snorkeling gears.
(lunch provided, Tim for scale heehee)
During our trip, Tim and I went out awhile after we checked in to look for tours. We managed to get a pretty decent deal from the tour agent right opposite our hotel. Tours we booked:
1) 4-Island Tour
via long tail boat -
400THB/pax (S$16)
2) Phi Phi Island Tour
via speedboat -
1100THB/pax (S$44)
Kindly refer to brochure below for the tour details.
(click for larger image)
Both tours included lunch and snorkeling gears. Personally, I prefer the long tail boat because it is less rocky, and goes at a slower speed so we can enjoy the scenery. The speedboat is really fast and it pretty much scared the shit out of me when it flies mid-air when it gets too bumpy. Speedboat rides are significantly more expensive than long tail boats, but it gets around a lot faster. According to our tour agent, speedboat is more suitable for Phi Phi Island tour because it is too far away.
3. Rent a motorcycle, avoid taxis
You can easily find taxis lined up along the main road of Ao Nang but my advice is - DO NOT TAKE THEM. They are usually overpriced. On top of that, they are usually quite rude if you walk away after asking for the price. We got cursed quite a bit. Maybe that's why I got some rashes after the trip LOL.
If you are planning on touring around Ao Nang on your own, I highly recommend renting a motorcycle for a day. It typically costs around
200THB - 300THB (S$8 - S$12) per motorcycle for 24 hours, depending on the size.
I recommend
Smiling Dog Rental as they are reliable, and provide good quality motorcycles/scooters. The typical process:
- Take pictures of any existing defects on the motorcycle.
- Hand over your passport as a deposit.
- Sign a document stating that you will cover all costs should there be any accidents.
- Make full payment.
No driving license is required, however, it will be good if you have some riding experience as there is no speed limit. You also need to fill up the petrol which you have used. It is around
100THB (S$4) for a full tank (going crazy here because fuel prices are reallyyyyyy high in Singapore).
(small petrol kiosks easily found around Ao Nang)
Rent a motorcycle, and explore Krabi!!
4. Visit Krabi Town (Fri, Sat, Sun)
If you spend 4 weekdays in Krabi, you will most probably miss the opportunity to visit the famous night market at Krabi Town (opens only on
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights). It is located approximately 40 minutes drive away from Ao Nang.
Before going to Krabi, I read online that we can take a public bus to Krabi Town. However, it took us almost forever to find the bus stop. Even when we found it, the sign boards were faded, and we were not confident that the bus will actually come.. We decided to walk down Ao Nang, and ask the trusty tour agents along the streets. We got a good deal of
250THB/pax (S$10) for 2-way transport to Krabi Town. Remember the rude taxi drivers I mentioned earlier? They actually quoted
500THB (S$20) for a one-way trip! It's quite ridiculous because I believe the cabbies at the night market will extort you with sky high prices back to the hotel.
What to expect in Krabi Town?
FOOD. FOOD. AND MORE FOOD.
Okay la, food is not all that you should expect in Krabi Town, but Tim and I felt like we were in heaven when we saw numerous stalls selling ALL KINDS OF FOOD. From authentic Thai street food to sushi, to beers, to ice creams, to cakes - you name it, they have it!
On top of that, there are also stalls providing manicure services, apparels for both men and women, souvenir shops (must-go!!), shoes, bags, etc. There is also a concert going on in the heart of the night market. Tables and chairs were also set up in front of the stage where Tim and I emptied our countless plates of food, drank, and enjoyed the music.
Oh, we were given around 3 hours to spend in Krabi Town, which was more than enough since the night market was not very big.
5. Get protected from the sun
I cannot emphasize this enough. Please do not be like Tim and I. We gave our sunscreens a miss, and suffered from horrendous sunburns which greatly affected our movements for the rest of the trip. *sobs* And if you suffer from bad sunburns, you will not be able to enjoy the
200THB (S$8) 2-hour full body massage. Like oh. my.god?!??!?! In Singapore that would probably cost at least S$50.
If you are flying on budget like us, you can easily get sunscreens, aloe vera cream, and many more at the stores along Ao Nang.
Now you see why I recommended you guys to stay in Ao Nang? YOU CAN GET ALMOST EVERYTHING THERE.
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Alright, we have come to the end of this post. I genuinely hope that the tips will be useful for you readers going to Krabi. It is a perfect getaway as it is affordable, relaxing, and beautiful. A great way to escape from your hectic life in a fast-paced city like Singapore.
Please look out for more posts coming your way! X
