Our time in Thailand so far had been everything we’d hope it would be, if not more. We were now on our way to our last stop before heading home.
I’ve mentioned in the past that me and Chris aren’t really beach lovers – we prefer hiking in mountains over relaxing at the beach.
That said, Krabi surprised us. It’s definitely a beach town, and it’s got a very relaxed vibe. There are not as many strict dress code expectations, and people are noticeably more laid-back. You can spend time lounging on the beach, there’s also plenty of ways to stay active if that’s more your style.
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Things to Know:
Weather can change quickly
This is especially true during monsoon season. We were there between the hot and monsoon seasons, and we kinda lucked out. It never rained in Krabi while we were there.
Though we were lucky, it’s still best to be prepared with a lightweight poncho or a travel umbrella just in case. We actually packed and wore rain jackets that came in quite handy.
It has a fun, lively nightlife scene
Though it doesn’t have the same party reputation as Phuket, it’s definitely a place where people come to have fun.
The streets were always abuzz, and bars were full of people from all over just having a great time. The energy felt lively and friendly. People were happy to be there.
Island Tours are the main activity
The most popular tours in Krabi revolve around the nearby islands. Some of the most common options include:
- The Four Islands Tour
- The Hong Islands Tour
- The Phi Phi Islands Tour
- The Seven Islands sunset tour
Each offers slightly different scenery and timing, but they all focus on exploring the stunning limestone islands that make this area famous.
Where We Stayed
Krabi Resort | 232 Moo 2 Tambol Ao-Nang
I’m gonna be honest up front. I try really hard to stay mostly positive (albeit a bit sarcastic) on this site, but our experience at Krabi Resort was not great.
First of all, the room and the view were beautiful.
The property itself is in a fantastic location right on the beach in Ao Nang, and the grounds are lush and tropical.
But it was by far the least welcoming place we stayed across the four lodging experiences we had in Thailand. Shockingly so.
Based on the warm welcomes and gracious hospitality we experiences at our other three hotels, we expected something similar here. Instead we were given a map and a key and sent on our way.
We asked for information on how to rent a motorbike, since our hotel in Chiang Mai secured that for us. Their abrupt response was: “talk to security.” I”m still not really sure what that means.
There was one really nice man who drove us to our room in a go-cart so we didn’t have to carry our luggage – he was nice.
The room itself was lovely for sure, but the air conditioning was slow, and it was miserably hot.
Once we had our things settled in our hot room, we called the number provided to us for tourist information to try to figure out how to get a motorbike, and again, got an abrupt response. This time it was: “We do not call for you.”
Maybe this is dumb, but the hangers in the closet are permantently attached to the rod, so you can’t move them around very well, and there’s signs about making sure to return the beach towels or else you’ll have to pay 900 baht to replace them. I mean, I get it, the resort doesn’t want their stuff stolen. That is fine, it just adds to the overall unwelcome feel this place has.
Krabi itself, however, was amazing. So if we get the chance to return, we’ll just have to find a different hotel.
Where We Ate
At this point of the trip, Chris was officially done being hot. He felt the heat worse in Krabi since we didn’t have great air conditioning at our hotel. So Chris started picking restaurants based on if Google reviews mentioned air conditioning.
Uno Restaurant | 1 Maharaj 10
We ate at this Italian restaurant after getting our mandatory Covid test at a nearby medical laboratory – years later and I can still feel the cotton swab through my nose and tickling my brains. That laboratory employee was aggressive!
Anyway, we ate here because Chris saw they had air conditioning. And honestly, we weren’t expecting great Italian food in Thailand, but it was pretty good! Solid comfort food with familiar flavors.
Panyi Restaurant
We ate here as part of our James Bond island tour. They fed us with more food that any two people could ever possibly eat! Surprisingly our favorite was the simple fried rice. Better than any other fried rice I’ve ever had.
Noori India | 245 5, Ao Nang
We love many of the Indian restaurants available to us in Utah, and though Chris orders his dishes with a medium spice level, I always ordered with no spice. Chris liked the butter chicken he ordered, but I couldn’t eat the chicken tikka masala. It wasn’t necessarily too spicy, but the flavor just wasn’t sitting well with me. I didn’t eat much, and the waiter was annoyingly persistent asking why. To be polite, I said I was already too full, but when he persisted, I said it was too spicy. He was annoyed I’d order a dish that was too spicy I guess.
Jeanette’s Italiano Restaurant | 245 8, Ao Nang
Another casual spot easily found in Ao Nang. I had yellow curry and Chris tried their pizza. We each enjoyed our meal well enough.
Up Next
The whole reason Thailand ended up on our radar to begin with was the amazing photos of James Bond Island. The next post details the day we spent there.
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