The best things to do in Krabi split into two halves: the sea side — Railay, Phra Nang, Koh Hong and the hongs, Chicken Island — which is where the famous limestone scenery actually is, and the land side — Tiger Cave Temple, the Emerald Pool, the Tab Kak Hang Nak trail and Krabi Town’s night market. Most visitors have three or four days; the honest split is two days on the water and one or two on land. Below is the version of that list we give our own guests, with the practical numbers (distances, entry fees, drive times) and the things the brochures leave out.
We run private charters from Phuket into Krabi’s bay every week, so this is written from the boat rather than from a search engine. The route we use is about 50 km by sea from Boat Lagoon Marina, against roughly 180 km by road with two ferries, which is why we tell Phuket-based guests that Krabi is a day trip, not a relocation. Koh Hong is our first stop and it is under an hour from the marina; Railay is usually mid-morning. Our Thai captains read the tide each morning to decide whether Hong Lagoon is entered before or after Railay, because the lagoon empties to sand at a low spring tide.
If you are staying in Phuket and want the sea half of this list in one day without the ferries, that is exactly what our private Krabi charter does: Koh Hong, Hong Lagoon, Railay and a snorkel stop at Chicken Island, eight hours, all-inclusive, from ฿41,690 for the boat. If you are already staying in Ao Nang, skip that link and read on — everything else here is reachable by longtail, tuk-tuk or a hired car.
Simba Sea Trips has been running boats out of Phuket since 2005. Every charter is skippered by a licensed local Thai captain, and the go/no-go call on sea state is made at the marina each morning, not at the jetty. That matters more in Krabi than it sounds: the crossing from Phuket is open water, and the difference between a good day and a miserable one is the operator’s willingness to change the order of stops.
Krabi at a glance
| Sea side | Land side | |
|---|---|---|
| Headline stops | Railay Beach, Phra Nang Cave Beach, Koh Hong + Hong Lagoon, Chicken Island / Tup Island, Koh Poda | Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool + hot springs, Tab Kak Hang Nak trail, Krabi Town night market |
| How you get there | Longtail from Ao Nang; speedboat charter from Phuket or Ao Nang | Hired car + driver (about ฿2,000–2,400 for 6–8 h) or Krabi Town local bus |
| Best months | November–April (calm seas, clearest water) | Year-round; trails are slippery June–October |
| Time needed | 1–2 days | 1–2 days |
Is Krabi worth visiting?
Yes, if you want limestone scenery and quieter beaches and you are not expecting Phuket’s range of hotels, restaurants and nightlife. Krabi is smaller, cheaper to get around, and most of what people mean by “Krabi” is the 4 km strip from Nopparat Thara pier to Ao Nang beach. The top-end market is thin; that is part of the appeal. If your holiday is mostly beach time and one big scenery day, Krabi does that better than anywhere on the Phuket side. If you want a week of varied dining and day trips in every direction, base in Phuket and do Krabi as a day on the water.
1. Railay Beach — the one everyone comes for
Railay is a peninsula cut off from the mainland by cliffs, so it is boat-access only even though it is not an island. West Railay is the beach in the photographs: sheltered bay, flat water, cliffs at both ends. Arrive early. By late morning the longtail fleet from Ao Nang has landed and the sand fills; we aim to have guests on the beach before that, which is one of the reasons our Krabi day starts at Boat Lagoon at first light. A five-minute walk across the peninsula takes you to East Railay (mangroves, no swimming beach) and on to Phra Nang.
2. Phra Nang Cave Beach
South of Railay, and to many people the better beach: finer sand, the cave shrine at the northern end, and Happy Island wadeable at low tide. Lunch from the longtail “boat kitchens” that pull up on the sand is the local move. The cliff-side path to the viewpoint and the hidden lagoon starts near here; it is steep, rope-assisted in places and not suitable for children or anyone in flip-flops. We have written a separate guide to Phra Nang Cave Beach.
3. Koh Hong and Hong Lagoon
Koh Hong is the anchor of any Krabi boat day and the reason we route our charters here first. The beach on the south side has the clearest early-morning water in the province, and the lagoon — the “hong”, or room, inside the island — is entered through a gap in the cliff that is only sensible at the right stage of tide. On a big spring low it drains almost to sand; on a high tide the boat idles in and the walls close over you. Your captain will time it. The 360° viewpoint on Koh Hong is a short, steep metal staircase — wear shoes, not bare feet. Full guide: Koh Hong Island.
4. Chicken Island, Tup Island and Koh Poda (the “Four Islands”)
The classic Ao Nang longtail circuit. Chicken Island (Koh Gai) has the region’s easiest snorkelling off the northern point; Tup and Chicken are joined by a sandbar you can walk at low tide; Koh Poda is the postcard beach with the karst stack offshore. On our charter, Chicken Island is the snorkel stop after Railay. Guide: Chicken Island and Tup Island and Koh Poda.
5. Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea)
About 18 km north-east of Ao Nang. The temple is known for the tiger paw-print impressions in the cave and for the summit shrine, which is 1,237 steps up. Budget an hour up and down if you are fit, more in the heat, and go early or late. Dress for a temple: shoulders and knees covered. The view over the Krabi plain and the karst towers is the best land-based panorama in the province.
6. Emerald Pool and the hot springs
The Emerald Pool (Sra Morakot) is a mineral spring pool in Thung Teao forest park, an hour or so east of Ao Nang by road; the Klong Thom hot springs are nearby and the two are usually done together. Because of the drive, combine them with Tiger Cave in a car-and-driver day rather than trying to do them by public transport. Go on a weekday morning; weekends bring Thai day-trippers and the pool is small.
7. Tab Kak Hang Nak nature trail
The best walk in Krabi and a proper effort: 30–40 minutes’ drive from Ao Nang, then three to four hours on the trail to the summit viewpoint and back. Take more water than you think, wear real shoes, and start early — the trail is exposed once you are above the treeline. Not a wet-season activity.
8. Krabi Town night market
Krabi Town is about 30 minutes (18 km) from Ao Nang by local bus or taxi. The weekend walking-street market and the riverside night market are better value and more local than Ao Nang’s, and the street food is the point. If you have already done Phuket’s markets it is optional; if you have not, go.
9. Sunset in Ao Nang
The bars and restaurants on the beach south-east of the longtail ticket office are the reliable option. The local trick is the cocktail van that sets up past the ticket office in the evening — a Mai Tai for about a hundred baht, then walk the beach as the sun goes down behind the headland.
10. Getting around
- Hired car with driver: ฿2,000–2,400 for six to eight hours is normal and lets you do Tiger Cave, Emerald Pool and the hot springs in one day. Say clearly that you do not want a “city tour” — that phrase means a circuit of commission shops.
- Longtails from Ao Nang: shared or private, to Railay, Phra Nang and the Four Islands. Cheapest way onto the water; no shade, no toilet, and the ride can be wet when the afternoon wind is up.
- From Phuket: road (about 2.5 hours plus ferries to Railay), the Rassada Pier ferry (3–4 hours), or a direct speedboat charter across the bay. For the Phuket–Krabi transport options in full see how to travel from Phuket to Krabi.
- Krabi Airport: 30–40 minutes from Ao Nang; taxis are a fixed fare, around ฿600.
When to go
November to March gives the calmest seas and the clearest water on the islands; that is also the busiest period at Railay. April is hot but still calm. June to October is the south-west monsoon: the land attractions are fine between showers, but island days depend on the morning’s sea state, which is why any reputable boat operator — including us — makes a same-morning call rather than promising the itinerary in advance. Our weather policy is simple: if we cancel for weather, your deposit is refunded in full.
Plan the sea half with us
If you are based in Phuket, the Krabi private charter covers Koh Hong, Hong Lagoon, Railay and Chicken Island in one eight-hour day with pickup, breakfast on the beach at Koh Hong, lunch, snorkelling gear and park fees included, from ฿41,690 for the boat. For the wider picture of what Krabi’s coast offers, start at our Krabi destination page. Questions: sales@simbaseatrips.com.
