Being so close to Phuket was bound to have its effect sooner or later. The island's mainland neighbor, Krabi has been developed over the last 10 years or so into an international resort that will soon rival the big island. Krabi's popularity is mainly due to its combination of fantastic limestone cliffs which march right down to sparkling white sandy beaches. Of course, there's also the clear waters filled with spectacular corals as well.

Discussions of Krabi as a destination can be somewhat confusing, since Krabi is the name of a province, which in typical Thai fashion takes its name from the name of the city which serves as the provincial capital. The province of Krabi includes the Phi Phi Islands as well as the Lanta Islands, both of which are popular destinations. However, when people talk about Krabi as a destination, they usually mean the area around Ao Nang, which is west of Krabi Town and about 30 to 45 minutes from the province's airport.

Within the broader Ao Nang area, there are several resort areas to choose from. For spectacular scenery and a touch of isolation, I would definitely put he Railay peninsula high on the list of best locations. The central area of Ao Nang is very developed, and frankly it's where you will find the most average of accommodations. If Railay doesn't suit, then you'll find several nice resorts west of Ao Nang, in areas such as Klong Muang and Tubkaak.

Getting There

The best way to get to Krabi is to fly there. The only other realistic option is by bus, which takes in excess of 12 hours from Bangkok. The train completely by-passes the Andaman coast, so it is not really an option. You can also get to Krabi through Phuket, but this involves either a long boat ride (more than four hours) via Phi Phi, or an even longer over-land journey.

Domestic Airlines Serving Krabi

There are only a couple of domestic airlines currently serving Krabi (airport code: KBV). Domestic travel to the area fell off significantly after the December 2004 tsunami, and hasn't really returned, even though the province was relatively unaffected by the disaster, with the exception of Phi Phi.

Thai Airways

The national flag carrier flies to almost all major tourist destinations. Their web site allows you to view schedules and seat availability. You can book and pay online for paperless travel.

Bangkok Airways

The nation's second carrier is almost solely responsible for developing special destinations such as Samui and Sukhothai. Their now extensive network covers several countries and many of the major world heritage destinations of Southeast Asia. They have some limited e-ticket capability.

Air Asia

Air Asia was the first budget airline to go regional. Based in Malaysia, Air Asia started flying in Thailand in 2002, and has a reputation for offering some of the lowest fares around. Thai destinations include Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai and Phuket. If considering Air Asia, it's important to keep in mind that the fares go up the closer you get to your departure date. To get the cheapest fares you need to book at least three months in advance.

Ao Nang (Krabi) Hotels & Resorts

There's a wide variety of resorts and hotels available in the Krabi beach area, which includes Ao Nana and Railay. Here's short list of places worth considering. Alternatively, you may wish to consider staying on the Lanta Islands of Krabi province.

Railay Beach, Krabi Province

The area of Krabi known as Railay is a bit of a geographical curiosity. While it's part of the Krabi province mainland, the resort area of the peninsula can only be reached by boat. High vertical cliffs cut off the peninsula from the rest of the coast. The peninsula is really just a build-up of sand between the cliffs and two large rock stacks. The result is three beaches with decidedly different characters.

East Railay is a long gently curving arc of rocky sand with some mangrove trees at either end. With its stony nature and boats from Nammao coming and going at just about all hours, East Railay is not the best beach for sun and fun. West Railay, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. White sand stretches between two large rocks at either end.

But the picture postcard beach is Phranang Beach, south of West Railay. White sand runs between the large rocks which divide Phranang from West Railay, down to the large stone pillar which caps the peninsula. In the side of this cliff at the south end of the beach is a cave housing an unusual small shrine. Another stone pillar just offshore completes the picture postcard beauty. While the two Railay beaches are lined with several resorts each, only one resort has direct access to Phranang, the Rayavadee. A path at the base of the southern cliff gives public access to Phranang Beach.

Getting to Railay

Although part of the mainland, you can only reach the Railay area by boat. There are two areas on the mainland where you can get regular boats, which will take you to two areas in Railay.

To the east, and thus closest to Krabi airport and town, is the dock at Nammao bay (Ao Nammao). Boats from here run to Railay East, at just about any time of day. "Shared" boats depart when full for a cost of 50 Baht per person. If you're in a hurry, you can pay more to 'rent' the entire boat. Figure on paying at least 200 Baht for a personal trip.

To the west, boats leave from Phranang and Noppharat Thar Bays for Railay West. Prices are similar to the boats from Nammao Bay, but, boats from the west only operate during the daylight hours. If you're staying in Railay and need to get there after dark, you must make your way to Nammao Bay.

Regardless of where you depart from, the trip to Railay only takes around 15 minutes.

Worth noting: There are no docks at Railay. Getting from a boat to dry land will almost certainly require you to get your feet wet. A few hotels on Railay East have some tractor contraptions to get you and your luggage from the boat to the hotel, but these are not always available. Dress appropriately when going to and from Railay.

Railay Hotels & Resorts

While Railay is very small, it still has a full spectrum of accommodation choices, although not a lot of selection in each class. At the very top end of the offerings is the Rayavadee Resort, which is so big it has all of Phranang Beach to itself, plus frontage on Railay East and West. In terms of value-for-money, I quite liked the Tropical Villas at the Sunrise Tropical Resort. Another option would be the deluxe or better rooms at the Railay Bay Resort.