Ao Nang, Krabi was our second island to visit in Thailand and we had an absolute blast! Although the water here is not as clear and turquoise as some of the other islands, we still had a great time exploring. This is a beach with a very long stretch of sand. There are cliffs all over, which mean that you need a long tail boat or speedboat to get to certain parts of the island.
7 Things to do in Ao Nang, Krabi:
1.Go to Railay Beach
Railay beach is located on the south west of Krabi city and just south of Ao Nang. Due to the rugged natural environment without any road access, Railay beach is only accessible by boat. Luckily there are many long tail boats in the area. So you can just walk up to one of the locals at the tail boats and negotiate a price for a trip to Railay beach.
Railay Beach has an East and West side. The East side is where all the boats from Krabi comes in and the West side is the best for swimming. Railay Beach is very small and it is an easy walk between the East and the West side.
There are many things to do in Railay Beach, and they are:
- Rock climbing at the beautiful limestone cliffs.
- Visit the princess lagoon. (This is only accessible when the pathway there is not muddy due to rain).
- Go to Railay viewpoint (Again, also only accessible when the pathway is not muddy).
- Wander around the caves on the island.
Just have a look at the maps of the island located at the beach. These maps have a clear indication of where all the different places are.
GPS Coordinates (Railay Beach)
2.Hike up to the Tiger Cave Temple
The Tiger Cave Temple is also known as the Wat Tham Sua Temple and is situated on the North East side of Krabi. This is a Buddhist temple and although it is called the TIGER Cave Temple, there are no tigers in captivity here, but it got its name from the tiger paw prints in the cave.
This was probably one of the toughest climbs I ever did. Maybe because of the 1260 steps that are extremely steep and the extreme humidity that goes with it. Although, once at the summit, you will be amazed with the 360° view this temple has to offer. You will also be met with a tall golden Buddha statue. Do remember that this is a sacred place and you will be asked to take of your shoes before you enter the area.
There are also many monkeys wandering around the temple.
It is free to hike up to the Tiger Cave Temple viewpoint, however you do need to pay a fee if you want to go inside the temple.
GPS Coordinates (Tiger Cave Temple)
3.Go shopping
Go shopping at Krabi Town or the night market. Of all the islands we’ve visited, Krabi was the one where I enjoyed shopping the most. Maybe because there were lots of options and it was the cheapest place to shop at, compared to Phuket and Koh Phi Phi.
Definitely try the rolled ice-cream that Thailand is so famous for!!!
GPS Coordinates (Krabi Town – Ao Nang)
4.Enjoy the beautiful resorts
We stayed at the Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas. They offered a lot of activities (like kayaking) and the Monkey trail made is easy to go to town. The monkey trail is a short hike through the forest, but completely safe to hike – even at night.
This resort is surrounded by limestone cliffs and can only be accessed via a boat or the monkey trail. The resort does have a speed boat that travels to and from the pier in Krabi every hour
With many palm trees, this will definitely make you feel like you are in paradise.
The beach is can also be visited by people not staying at the resort, during they day. They will have to sign in when they reach this secluded beach.
GPS Coordinates (Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas)
5.Just enjoy the beach
There are many beautiful beaches around Ao Nang. You can either take a nice swim, get your tan on or walk among the beautiful shore of Ao Nang.
6.Take a day trip to Phi Phi Island
If you are only staying in Krabi when visiting Thailand, I suggest you take a day trip to the Phi Phi Islands. This Island is known for its beautiful turquoise water and you would definitely miss out if you do not go here.
I do suggest to go to this island as early as possible, as it can get a bit crowded.
(Check out my blog post: 5 Top things to do at Koh Phi Phi island – here )
7.Go to the Emerald Pool
The Emerald Pool is a freshwater lagoon that is a popular swimming spot in the lush forest. The Pool is also called the Crystal pool because the water is crystal clear and very warm. It is located about 60km south east of Krabi town and takes about an hour to get there via a car.
GPS Coordinates (Emerald Pool)
Other Blog Posts:
5 Things to do in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand
6 Things to do in Phuket, Thailand
You can also go check out our Thailand Travel Vlog:
Travel with Mariska 
3 thoughts on “7 Things to do in Ao Nang – Krabi”