Why We Chose Krabi

When researching where to visit in Thailand, there were SO MANY options when it came to beaches! This was both exciting and frustrating, especially when it came to us choosing where we wanted to spend our time. When beginning to plan for our trip, all we knew was for the second half we wanted to be on a beach, in the sun, and swimming in the beautiful emerald waters of the Andaman Sea, but that still gave us lots of options. It was almost impossible to choose, with every place looking just as gorgeous as the next. Believe me, we did lots of blog reading and contemplating before choosing where to go, but from what we read it seemed like the two main places of interest on the west side of the Thailand cost were Phuket and Krabi. In the end, we decided to spend our short time in Krabi for a number of reasons. First of all, it seemed as though Krabi was a bit less of, how do I say it….a party scene. Not that having a rowdy time is a bad thing by any means, but the quieter atmosphere appealed to us, because we were looking for more of a relaxing vacation while maybe drinking a pina colada on the beach instead of raging all night long.

I got my pina colada :)

Another reason we choose Krabi is because the distance and the transport from the airport to Ao Nang seemed quick and easy (not that we wouldn’t have also been able to find that in Phuket). Once we got off the plane we were able to find a cheap shuttle bus to take us all the way to Ao Nang in about 45-60 minutes (this bus also stopped in Krabi Town). From Ao Nang beach we hopped on a boat – for another small fee (~$9) – that took people to West Railay and Tonsai Beach. We could have stayed in Ao Nang as well (it seemed beautiful), but we wanted to adventure a bit farther away from the mainland.

Our boat from Ao Nang to Tonsai!

Railay, also known as Rai Leh, is a large peninsula between the city of Krabi and Ao Nang. It is broken up into three main areas; Railey East, Railay West, and Tonsai. You can only access Railay by boat due to the high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access, which made it even more beautiful! We chose to stay at Tonsai because again it was quieter and seemed to be less populated with tourists (and was only a short walk from the west beaches of Railay). Side Note: It turned out that Tonsai Beach is very popular to rock climbers, due to the huge rock faces surrounding the area. Brandalyn and I aren’t climbers ourselves, but it was super inspiring to sit and watch others scale up the very tall rock walls.

Tonsai Beach was incredibly beautiful! The view of the teal waters and contrast of limestone rock and greenery was mesmerizing and honestly looked like they weren’t real. With high tide present for the majority of the day it was the perfect place to hang out on the beach and take dips in the warm water. (During low tide there are many rocks and it is not ideal for swimming).

Tonsai Beach during high tide

Tonsai Beach during low tide

There are also lots of backpacker places, as well as some nicer hotels, on Tonsai Beach to stay at. Most of the lodges are a quick walk behind the beach and there is a nice paved road to get there, but keep in mind if you don’t stay at the fancy hotel located almost directly on the beach that you may have to walk a bit from where the boat drops you to where you’re staying.

From Tonsai you can also walk a quick 10 minutes to reach Railay West. During high tide you may have to wade through some water at the end, but it is definitely manageable. The west beaches of Railay are known for their beautiful sunsets and fancy hotels. There truly is a gorgeous view from this side of the beach.

You may have to wade through this water if you walk from Tonsai

to Railay West during high tide (which is most of the day).

The view from the edge of Railay West Beach

Smiling because of that view!!!

Railay East is about a 15-minute walk from the west side of peninsula. This area certainly does not have as nice of a beach, but there are a lot of places to eat, shop, and stay if you’re on a backpacker budget. For those with a higher budget there are also a few nicer places to stay as well.

I must say that if you come to this part of the world and don’t take advantage of the cheap boat tours to the surrounding islands you’re crazy! Again, there are so many companies to choose from, as well as a number of places to adventure to, during different times of day and with different itinerary lengths. We decided to take the day boat tour to the Hong Islands and it was one of my favorite days of our trip. Throughout the day we made five stops, including to snorkel (which wasn’t great) and see Lahding Island, Pakbia Island, and Hong’s Lagoon. The tour also fed us a delicious lunch, with vegetarian options available.

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The final reason we chose to come to Krabi instead of Phuket was so that we could visit Tiger Cave Temple also known as Wat Tham Suea – just northeast of Krabi Town. At 1,237 steps in elevation, a tall Buddha statue waiting at the top, and a stunning view of the surroundings, this was one of my favorite days in Thailand.

We made it. The view from the top of 1,237 steps!

Most reviews we saw said that it takes the average person between 45-60 minutes to climb to the top, but B and I did it in 36 minutes (and took plenty of breathers). I do not by any means have great endurance and was able to climb these many stairs without any problems. Plus, what you find on top is totally worth the climb. Honestly the way down was what I hated. With how steep it was I really needed to concentrate and hang onto the railing so I didn’t go tumbling down.

#thailand