Ao Nang
From the main street of Krabi town, next to Soi 8, you can go from morning to night via Noppharat Thara to Ao Nang, the largest and busiest resort in Krabi and also known as Aonang in many places. It has grown together with Noppharat Thara, and the whole area is a brand new area, built to the delight of tourists, almost entirely commercial and aimed at basic western tourists.
Ao Nang is actually in the area between the Haeng River and the back end of Ao Nang Beach. The road past the Haeng River from the direction of Noppharat Thara makes a bend at the river, which looks long on the map but is walked through in a few minutes. This section has a lot of good services that are also within the reach of those staying on the Noppharat Thara side. Typical shops from pharmacies to supermarkets and tailor shops are along this bend, and restaurants give a good overview of the food that is preferably eaten in a resort like Ao Nang.
After the bend, the road returns to the beach, which is a kilometer long and has the shortest boat ride to Railay. The beach is nice but lively in many ways, and especially from 11am to 3pm it is so hot most of the time that quite a few sunbathe. However, staying on the beach , drinking something, eating, sitting in the shade or walking along the beach for miles of runs. One of the most important times is the sunset time, which comes around 6pm to 7pm all year round, when it’s good to head to the end of the beach and perhaps enjoy fabulous sunset moments on one of its terraces.
The point of Kiivai promenade , which also has the best places to spend the evening, is at the junction of the road leading to the city of Krabi. This street, like the promenade, has restaurants, shops and all possible services , and if you want to travel the fastest between Krabi town and Ao Nang, you should get on the open platform on this street and not pass through Noppharat Thara.
Noppharat Thara
Noppharat Thara is known by so many different but completely similar styles that they are not worth bothering with their heads and this name may not come across even on the spot. Many travel agencies, hotel reservation systems and others call Noppharat Thara Ao Nang, but Noppharat Thara is a completely different holiday destination than Ao Nang . The most tourist-friendly terrain is near the Haeng River, and there are many restaurants on this promenade that are geared towards tourists. A nice promenade, one of which is also on the Ao Nang side, runs between the promenade and the sea, and the promenade has stalls for juice, tea or coffee. Long-tailed boats depart from near the Haeng River toward Railay and other places, and a ticket can be purchased at any time from a booth near the river.
If you want to see a little different Krabi, you should walk along the promenade all the way to Soi 13, as they have a lot of authentic Thai restaurants around . They have low prices but excellent food, and these are restaurants that are eaten by the local workers and residents of the area themselves. The beach is narrow and not a very popular place in these areas, and you should always walk around Soi 16 before it starts to happen. There are restaurants and shops here, and the beaches at the headland are some of the best in Krabi. There is room for others to share, and the views are ideal.
At the tip of the peninsula you can spend a tropical beach holiday at its best, but in the woods between it and the harbor you should be careful with the dogs and monkeys, and they should by no means be approached let alone touched. Attention should also be paid to warning signs, which warn in particular of jellyfish and thieves lurking in swimmers’ valuables.
Near the beach as well as near Soi 16, there is a harbor with the best access to Koh Phi-Phille and Koh Tao. From the port also leaves other vessels for which a ticket can be arranged from any Krabi travel agency or tour booth. Next to Soi 16 there is a road to Krabi town, and if you want to go to Krabi town on a flatbed from these, you should go down the road and wait for the songthaew to arrive soon.
Railay
Railay is a peninsula that can only be reached by boat and is a place that everyone vacationing in Krabi should visit. An excursion or boat ride to it can be arranged anytime and anywhere, and it is fastest to get there from Ao Nang, second fastest from Noppharat Thara and the slowest city of Krabi, from which, however, departures can get on board and leave without getting their feet wet.
If you arrive at Railay from the city of Krabi, the boat arrives at the East Railay floating dock(floating Pier), which is roughly in the middle of the east coast. If you head south, ie to the left, you will head towards East Railay beach , which is not a strange beach, but it is one of the quietest on the peninsula. Next to it are a couple of rock climbing spots , and at the beach, a path starts towards Phra Nang Beach on the other side of the peninsula. It is a paradise-like beautiful beach with some ships coming from the direction of Ao Nang and next to it is a climbing spot and close to Tham Phra Nang or Princess Cave, which is a sacred place for the locals.
From Phran Nang beach you can’t move to the rest of the peninsula for the same the path along when you arrived from East Railay beach. The beach promenade can always be walked past a floating pier towards Railay Highlands , where there are many opportunities for rock climbers. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and a variety of small shops between it and the pier, and it is the best place on the peninsula in terms of services. Along the promenade you can climb stairs to one of the many on the peninsula viewpoints, and from there you can take a small road (Walking Street) towards Railay West Beach. It is similar to a paradise beach like Phra Nang , and can also be accessed directly from the direction of Ao Nang. There are several resorts with swimming pools nearby, and if high prices don’t scare you, the resorts near the beach are great places to spend the night.
Above the west shore is Railay’s most relaxed place, Hat Ton Sai. Also known as Tonsai Beach and its hinterland concentration are the most affordable places to spend the night here, and there is also the best nightlife on the peninsula. If you want to get close to the beach directly from Ao Nang or Noppharat Thara, you should come to the pier next to Tonsai, and this is a particularly good solution in case you are staying around Tonsai.
Railay is just a walk away, but some resorts have golf carts to pick up their customers from the piers. It is also possible to negotiate with long-tailed boats and other boat workers, and move along the waters from different shores of the peninsula elsewhere.