Krabi: Best Beaches of Thailand?

Our final stop in Southern Thailand was Krabi.

Honestly, this was the only place on our itinerary that I hadn't really heard of before planning this trip. Unlike the world-famous Phuket or Koh Phi Phi, I went in with almost no expectations whatsoever.

But as the saying goes, sometimes the best things are the ones you never saw coming. After spending three nights here, I can honestly say it was the absolute highlight of the South. I loved it so much that out of all the places we've visited in this region, Krabi is the one I would come back to in a heartbeat.

We arrived in Krabi after a two-hour journey from Koh Phi Phi by ferry. It was a smooth journey across the Andaman Sea, I was even able to spot some jellyfish during the cruise!

Upon arrival, we were met by our transfer driver. I highly recommend booking the "Ferry + Hotel Transfer" combo on Get Your Guide: It’s reasonably priced and saves you from the inevitable taxi rush at the pier. After getting dropped at our hotel and I unintentionally had a long nap under the AC - clearly heat, humidity & ferry combo drained me!

Once I finally woke up and recharged, we walked down to the nearby Nopparat Thara Beach to catch the sunset. Similar to our experience in Phi Phi, it was low tide. The water had retreated so far that people were walking hundreds of meters out on the wet sand - can't get enough watching these tidal views.

After wandering the length of the beach, we stumbled upon the Ao Nang Night Market, tried grilled crocodile meat for the first time!

Next day was dedicated to beach hopping! After a lazy breakfast at a local cafe, we took a Grab to Ao Nang Beach (it is a 30 min walk but couldn't be bothered to walk in that heat!) From there, we hopped on a boat to Railay Beach. After a quick 10-minute cruise, we arrived at a stunning coastline framed by massive limestone cliffs. However, the entire beach was under the sun with no shade and it was crazy crowded, so we decided to explore the inland area instead, wandering through the cafes and souvenir shops.

First, heading toward to East Railay: It turned out to be a mangrove-lined pier for larger boats—definitely not the swimming area! I had another beach on my list that ChatGPT had recommended, but I wasn't quite sure how to get there; the path on Google Maps looked like a dead end. But, while wandering East Railay, I noticed a steady stream of people disappearing down a small, tucked-away path heading away from the main beach. My gut feeling kicked in: Where on earth are they all going? I decided to follow the crowd.

The path was an experience in itself! We walked around a massive overhanging limestone caves and rock formations. Finally, stepped onto the exact beach I was looking for: Phra Nang Cave Beach. BOOM! Honestly? It’s probably one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen in my life.

But before I could even process the turquoise water and the caves around, I was greeted by a local: a giant Water Monitor lizard, just wandering across the sand, weaving between tourists and looking for snacks. It gave absolutely zero f’s about the crowd; it wasn't scared of us, and it didn't mind the dozens of cameras pointed its way. I stood there for a few minutes with my jaw dropped, I was just stunned to see such this up close! WHAT A DAY!

I walked to the far edge of the beach to find the only patch of shade available. The lizard seemingly had the same idea; it followed me toward the rocks and then gracefully dived into the sea, swimming alongside the caves. As I watched it glide through the water, a terrifying thought hit me: How scary would it be to be touched by a swimming lizard while you’re peacefully floating? I decided to use some brilliant logic and gave the lizard a five-minute head start to swim far, far away. After chatting with a few other onlookers who were just as stunned as I was, I finally decided the coast was clear. I jumped into the crystal-clear water and finally enjoyed the swim I’d been waiting for!

After hanging out at Phra Nang all afternoon, we made our way back to Railay to catch the last boat at 6:00 PM. By the time we arrived at Ao Nang, the tide had gone out again. The captain had to drop us off a good distance from the shore, so we hopped out into the knee-deep water and trekked the rest of the way to the beach. Getting used to this tide-life! It was just about the sunset time, so we grabbed a couple of cold beers from a nearby convenience store, sat by the beach, and watched one of the most spectacular sunset views of the entire trip.

As is tradition in Southern Thailand, fire shows started on the beach almost immediately after the sun went down. While the skills were impressive, the music was incredibly loud—a bit much for our "chill" mood. Since we were already close to the night market, we decided to head back there for round two of dinner. There’s something so satisfying about the chaos of a Thai night market; we grazed our way through a few more local stalls before finally heading home.

For our final day in Krabi, Matt and I decided to "divide and conquer." He headed off for a hike, but I needed to maximize my sea time while we were still on the coast, so I booked a full-day island hopping tour.

Haunted by my "trauma" from the overcrowded and bumpy cruise with long-tail boat in Phi Phi, I opted for a speedboat version this time. I found a tour via Get Your Guide that combined the 4 Islands and the Hong Islands into one compact, high-speed itinerary. While this tour was a bit pricier, it was worth every penny. Most tours only offer half-day trips to one area, but this was the only option that covered everything in one go.

They picked me up at 8:00 AM with a classic Thai pickup: Riding in the back of an open-air truck! Throughout the day, we had various stops at snorkelling areas or islands. Snorkelling was a massive step up from Phi Phi: Water was clear, and I saw a huge variety of fish and vibrant corals—I even spotted a sea snake! Also jellyfish... We've been warned that it's the peak season for them around here (made sense why I've seen so many from the ferry on the way over!)

While we were in the water, we spotted a massive one drifting nearby. Luckily, the boat crew was incredibly attentive; they were constantly on the lookout, shouting warnings the moment they spotted one in the water. In most of the beaches we've visited, there were different coloured ones (purple-ish, pink) washed up on the shore They are undeniably beautiful, but even one touch is just dangerous.

By the time we reached Hong Island for lunch, our group had started to bond. In a hilarious twist, even though we were all from different corners of the globe—Turkey, Colombia, South Africa—we realised we all currently lived in the UK! We were also joined by a lovely retired couple from Canada who are currently traveling the world. Talk about living the dream!

After lunch, we hiked to the Hong Island viewpoint. Looking down at the cluster of tiny islands surrounded by emerald water, I couldn't help but get Ha Long Bay, Vietnam vibes. It was absolutely stunning. We spent the rest of the afternoon cruising between the "4 Islands"—including the famous Chicken Island (named for its hilariously accurate rock formation)—alternating between swimming, snorkeling, and beach lounging. It was the "absolute dream day" and the great finale for me!

And just like that, our time in Thailand came to an end. After two weeks in the North and Center (Bangkok, Chiang Rai, and Chiang Mai) and ten days in the South (Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, and Krabi), this lovely city was the perfect high note to finish on.

There is so much I will miss about this country, and I finally understand the hype. But if I’m being honest, there is one thing I’ll miss most of all: the legendary 7-Eleven. It was our nightly ritual—the best toasted sandwiches, unique desserts, all the variety of beauty products. On our last night in Krabi, we paid one final tribute to the legendary "Queen of the Marts" before packing our bags.

Next stop: Malaysia!

Wrapping up Krabi:

Local recommendations:

• Breakfast or Lunch: Ded Bai Cafe

• Dinner: Ao Nang Night Market, Fhaisai Halal Food

• Coffee: Truce Coffee Bar

• Snacks: 7-Eleven (obviously)

• Hotel: Viangviman Resort