Last Updated on 06/12/2024

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Ao Nang Guide : Thailand Island Reviews

Ao Nang is the best location to stay in Krabi. Krabi is the name of the province. Within Krabi province there is also Krabi town which doesn’t have a beach. Ao Nang makes an excellent base for travelling Krabi province and nearby Thailand beaches like Railay beach. Ao Nang is the best location to stay in Krabi also as a jumping off point to go to many beautiful island destinations in Thailand such as Koh Phi Phi and Koh Hong.

Ao Nang Monkey Trail

For a good chance to see monkeys then consider a short hike along Monkey Trail Ao Nang. It is a 15 minute walk between Ao Nang beach to the Centara Grand beach, with sea views and monkeys. It is possible (and likely!) to see a family of macaques as well as dusky langurs hanging out on this monkey trail in Ao Nang. 

Ao Nang Snorkelling

Ao Nang day trips can be arranged for snorkelling and island hopping routes around Krabi.

4 Island Tour Ao Nang

 One of the more famous Ao Nang day trips is the 4 island tour which involves visiting different Krabi beaches, stops for snorkelling and lunch on an uninhabited island. Ao Nang Tip: check if your day trip includes National Park fees as these can often be the same price as the trip itself. Thailand National Park fees are set by the government and are not negotiable. 

Koh Hong Island Trip: Ao Nang Beaches

Koh Hong is a stunning, uninhabited island with white sand and clear, turquoise water and a stunning viewpoint of Phang na Bay. It has one of the best beaches in Thailand in the white sand beach category. Note: It gets busy with daytrippers in peak season and on weekends so try to avoid these to get this quiet Thailand beach to yourself! National Park fee is 300 baht to enter, but it is worth the money.  

 Ao Nang Beaches

Ao Nang has two long stretches of beach which you can walk to from most Ao Nang hotels. The beaches have yellow sand and the beautiful backdrop of the limestone karsts behind them. They are not, however, as beautiful as the white sand beaches on neighbouring islands so many visitors arrange an island hopping day trip to visit these stunning Krabi beaches. 

Ao Nang to Railay Beach

Visiting Railay is one of the best things to do from Ao Nang. Railay beach is one of the best beaches in Thailand, with three beaches to choose from, wild monkeys, a cave shrine and a very impressive bat cave. To get from Ao Nang to Railay beach it is incredible easy. You can take a long tail boat, it will cost 100 baht one way or 200 baht return and you can take from the ticket office just at the bottom of the main road in Ao Nang infront of Vacation Village near the beach. Book a return ticket or you may have to wait on Railay for others to join you to return to Ao Nang as there are multiple long tail boat operators. At the time of writing, boats leave from Nopparat beach so you will be taken in a songtaew (truck) for 5 minutes down the road as part of the ticket price. 

Ao Nang Hike

Ao Nang is a great base to stay at so you can experience Ao Nang hiking in nearby beautiful national parks in Krabi. There are many options including the emerald lagoon, hot spring waterfall and some fantastic viewpoints. There’s always a chance of seeing monkeys. You can organise with roadside tour operator. The tours are well organised Krabi day trips often including water and snacks/lunch. Alternatively rent scooters and travel there yourself. The emerald lagoon is about a 1 hour drive outside of Ao Nang.

Ao Nang Diving

If you are a diver then one of the great thing to do in Ao Nang is scuba diving nearby dive sites. If you are a beginner then consider getting PADI qualified and doing your Open Water course in Thailand. There are many Ao Nang dive centres. Many will offer long day trips to Koh Phi Phi for diving in the marine national park there, as well as shorter day trips to Ao Nang local islands. While the coral is not as impressive as other areas of Thailand it is still possible to see reef sharks, turtles and seahorses. 

Ao Nang Guide : Best Places to Stay in Ao Nang

There are so so many Ao Nang hotels that it can be hard to decide between them. Make sure you are staying near enough to Ao Nang beach so that everywhere is walkable and book a hotel with a rooftop swimming pool. The best place to stay in Ao Nang for mid-range accommodation is BlueSotel SMART (Agoda) or (BlueSotel SMART Booking.com) which is two minutes’ walk to the beach, has a stunning rooftop infinity pool and beautiful, clean, spacious rooms. It is also a great place to watch sunset from while having a cocktail at the rooftop pool bar. 

The best place to stay in Ao Nang for more budget friendly Krabi accommodation is Sea Seeker Hotel (Agoda) Or Sea Seeker Reviews on Booking.com. The rooms are clean, modern and all have a balcony with mountain views. The swimming pool has a bar and a slide. It is located 5 minutes walk from Ao Nang beach. Compare Ao Nang hotel prices with Agoda or with Booking website.

For my full Where to Stay in Ao Nang guide, read this post.

Ao Nang Guide to Restaurants : Where to Eat

There are various street food markets, stalls and many many restaurants in Ao Nang. It is a great place for Indian food as well as Thai cuisine. One of the best places to eat in Ao Nang is Thailandia on the main strip down to Ao Nang beach. It does the best massamam curry I’ve ever had with the added bonus of roti as well as rice. 

Getting from Ao Nang to Koh Phi Phi

Travelling to Koh Phi Phi from Ao Nang is also incredibly easy. There are many roadside tour operators who will organise a hotel pick up and ferry ticket for you. The ferry (a slower boat) is approximately 2 hours and speedboat is 1 hour journey to Koh Phi Phi. Prices vary but expect to pay around 400 baht for the slow Ao Nang to Koh Phi Phi ferry and more than double that for the Koh Phi Phi speedboat.

Krabi Airport to Ao Nang: Airport Transfer Krabi to Ao Nang

Getting from Krabi airport to Ao Nang is incredibly easy. On arrival at Krabi airport there will be a transport operator asking where you are heading. You can then share a minivan with other people arriving for 150 baht per person. It will leave once full or you have waited for other flights. The minivan will drop you at your hotel. You can arrange with the same company to collect you if or when you need to return from Ao Nang to Krabi airport. The airport is approximately 30 minutes from Ao Nang. This, of course, depends on traffic and if your minivan is stopping to drop off other visitors. 

3 days in Ao Nang

3 days in Ao Nang is the perfect holiday time to go to Railay beach, go Thailand island hopping and visit Krabi national park. If you just have two days in Ao Nang then I recommend choosing either Railay, the island hopping tour or some hiking in the national park. It is possible to go here for a weekend getaway from Bangkok as it is close to Krabi airport and easy to access. 

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If you enjoyed this Ao Nang Guide then find more Thailand island guides here, click here to see what other Thailand islands you should visit