Longtail boats floating in the turquoise water of Pileh Lagoon, framed by steep jungle-covered limestone cliffs, Phi Phi Islands, Krabi province

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KrabiTravel Guide

Thailand8 stories

Krabi province is where Thailand's Andaman coast turns theatrical: sheer limestone karsts rising from jade water, beaches reachable only by longtail boat, and an archipelago — Poda, Hong, Phi Phi — scattered offshore like an afterthought of paradise. It offers everything from backpacker bungalows to one of Asia's most storied resorts, all within sight of the cliffs.

When to come

November–March (dry season)

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

We have a weekend here planned hour by hour.

A weekend, hour by hour

Krabi is inEnough for a long weekend Where the food is the reason

When to go

November–March (dry season)

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with

George Town, Malaysia340 km
a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in January, February, March · a different price level (budget)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia630 km
a full travel day · but their best months do not overlap with this one
Bangkok650 km
a full travel day · both good in January, February, November · a different price level (budget)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia760 km
a full travel day · both good in January, February, November

Plan itWhere to stay in Krabiad · Booking.comTours and tickets

On the map

Finding Krabi

Open in Google Maps Larger map

The stories

Reading Krabi

Wooden longtail boats moored on white sand at Phra Nang beach, Railay, with a limestone karst rising from turquoise water behind

Destinations

The Krabi essentials: arriving, island-hopping and doing it right

Airports, songthaews, longtail boats and the season that decides everything — the practical groundwork for a smooth Krabi trip.

Thailand · 2 min

Flat whites with latte art on a wooden café table surrounded by potted plants

Food

Coffee, cake and people-watching in Krabi

Krabi's islands get all the attention, but its best hours run on sock-filtered coffee, market breakfasts before nine and long riverside sits in a working provincial town.

Thailand · 12 min

A plate of pad thai with prawns, rice noodles and bean sprouts on a white dish

Food

What to Eat in Krabi: The Essential Dishes and Where to Try Them

Southern Thailand eats differently — hotter curries, fresher seafood, roti for breakfast. The dishes that define Krabi, and the markets and stalls where they shine.

Thailand · 2 min

Planning

Krabi, place by place

Everything below is named in one of our own stories about Krabi. The line under each is the sentence that recommended it, and the link goes to the piece it came from.

Where to stay

The areas and addresses our writers put first

Rayavadee
Krabi
The Rayavadee resort occupies the coconut grove behind the beach if you feel like celebrating something.
Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise Check prices

What to see

The things that justify the trip

set.sj
Railay and Phra Nang
The Railay peninsula is attached to the mainland but sealed off by cliffs, so everything and everyone arrives by boat — typically 15 minutes from Ao Nang.
Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise See on the map
Yoav Aziz
Phra Nang Cave Beach
East Railay is mangrove and mid-range resorts; West Railay is the sunset beach; and a ten-minute path leads to Phra Nang Cave Beach, routinely ranked among Asia's finest, where climbers pick their way up the karst beh…
Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise See on the map
Myra Pro
Koh Kai
Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise See on the map
Tom Lorber
Hong Islands
Further west, the Hong Islands enclose a shallow lagoon that glows absurdly turquoise at high tide.
Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise See on the map
Koh Poda
Krabi
Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise See on the map

Things to do

Walks, tours and days out we would book again

Islands by longtail
Krabi
The classic four-islands trip — Koh Poda, Chicken Island (Koh Kai), Tup Island and Phra Nang — can be done by shared boat or, far better, by chartering a longtail early before the flotillas arrive.
Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise Find tours
The Dragon Crest hike
Krabi
For a proper walk, the trail up Khao Ngon Nak climbs through jungle to a clifftop ledge with a sweeping view over the coast's karst towers and bays.
Green Krabi: jungle pools, mangroves and easy escapes Find tours

Our picks

What we'd do in Krabi

See and do

Doing it right
Two habits transform a Krabi trip.
Read: The Krabi essentials: arriving, island-hopping and doing it right
Find tickets
The season nobody explains properly
Krabi's dry season runs from roughly November to March, and April is reliably the hottest month.
Read: Green Krabi: jungle pools, mangroves and easy escapes
The quiet northern beaches
North of Ao Nang, the shoreline at Klong Muang and Tubkaek stretches long, calm and conspicuously uncrowded — casuarina trees, gentle water, and sunset views out toward offshore islands.
Read: Krabi Beyond the Crowds
Green season
roughly May–October — heavier rain, big discounts, fewer boats
Read: Krabi in Every Season: When to Go and What Changes
Find tickets
Railay and Phra Nang
The Railay peninsula is attached to the mainland but sealed off by cliffs, so everything and everyone arrives by boat — typically 15 minutes from Ao Nang.
Read: Krabi and the Andaman coast: Thailand's limestone paradise
Find tickets

Eat and drink

The order of the day
The rhythm matters more than the list.
Read: Coffee, cake and people-watching in Krabi
Gaeng som — the south's signature curry
A blazing orange sour curry, sharp with turmeric and tamarind, usually cooked with fish and vegetables.
Read: What to Eat in Krabi: The Essential Dishes and Where to Try Them
Kanom and coconut everything
Thai sweets — kanom — lean on coconut, rice flour and palm sugar, and the range is far wider than the mango sticky rice everyone photographs: steamed banana-leaf parcels, layered jellies in pastel stripes that you peel apart a sheet at a time, grilled sticky rice in bamboo, fried bananas, taro custards.
Read: Coffee, cake and people-watching in Krabi
Roti — the sweet street classic
Crisp-edged griddled flatbread, folded around banana and finished with condensed milk, is the south's favourite dessert-on-the-go, a legacy of the region's Thai-Muslim food culture.
Read: What to Eat in Krabi: The Essential Dishes and Where to Try Them

Before you go

Practical essentials for Thailand

Money

Thai baht (THB)

Language

Thai; English works in hotels and tourist restaurants but thins out with taxi drivers, street vendors and upcountry

Power

Type A/B/C/O, 220V 50Hz

Getting around

Domestic flights and overnight trains cover the distances; in Bangkok the BTS Skytrain and MRT metro do the work — the MRT takes a contactless bank card at the gate, the BTS needs a ticket or a Rabbit card. Elsewhere, songthaews and Grab.

Tipping

Thais themselves do not tip - round a taxi fare up or leave the small change - and you should never add more when a luxury bill already carries a service charge.

Tap water

Not usually drinkable outside newer Bangkok buildings, so stick to bottled; restaurant drinking water is boiled and factory-made ice is safe.

Driving

Left-hand side; the 1968 International Driving Permit is required alongside your national licence.

Emergency

191 (police), 1669 (medical), 199 (fire), 1155 (tourist police, English-speaking)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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