The best hotels in Krabi

Ao Nang Beach Road is where most of Krabi's action happens. Tour operators, seafood restaurants, massage shops, and longtail boat piers all stack up along a 1.5km strip. It's not quiet, but everything you need is within 10 minutes on foot. The beach itself is decent. not spectacular. but it's the launchpad for Railay, Phi Phi, and the Four Islands, which is the real reason to be here.

Hotels range from the budget-friendly Gluay Hostel on Ao Nang Beach Road at $45-75/night all the way to Holiday Inn Ao Nang Center at $150-230. Mid-range is where you get the best value: Ban Sainai Resort on Sainai Road sits back from the strip and is quieter than most, while Aonang Cliff Beach Resort gives you dramatic cliff views from $120/night. The cliff area is a 10-minute walk from the beach along a winding path.

Avoid rooms directly above the strip between Soi 5 and Soi 8 if noise bothers you. That stretch is loud until midnight. The Nopparat Thara end of Ao Nang, about 2km west of the main beach, is calmer and still only $5 by songthaew to the pier. It's the move if you want Ao Nang prices without Ao Nang noise.

Klong Muang sits about 25-30 minutes north of Ao Nang on Route 4034. The beach here stretches for nearly 3km and rarely gets crowded, even in peak season. There are no longtail piers or tour desks on the beach, which is exactly the point. You're trading convenience for calm, and for the right traveler, it's a very good trade.

This is where Krabi's best resorts live. Nakamanda at Klong Muang Beach runs $170-260/night for pool villas set in tropical gardens. Tubkaak Boutique Resort on Tubkaak Beach, our highest-rated pick outside the luxury tier at 9.0, offers a level of service and design that genuinely surprises people. And Phulay Bay at Klong Muang Bay is, simply, one of the finest resort experiences in Thailand at any price.

You need transport here. The nearest 7-Eleven is a 10-minute scooter ride, and evening restaurant options outside the resorts are limited to a handful of local spots near Ban Klong Muang village. If you're a first-time Krabi visitor who wants to explore, stay in Ao Nang first. Klong Muang rewards people who've done Krabi before and know they want to slow down.

Railay is accessible only by longtail boat from Ao Nang pier (15 minutes, $3 per person) or from Krabi Town's Chao Fah pier. There are no roads, no 7-Elevens, and no motorbikes. What there is: Phra Nang Cave Beach, which is legitimately one of the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia, and limestone cliffs that draw rock climbers from around the world to routes on the Thaiwand Wall.

Railay East is where hotels and restaurants cluster: it faces mangroves and is functional rather than beautiful. Railay West faces the beach and is where you want to spend your days, an 8-minute walk from East. Railay Beach Club on Railay East runs $135-210/night and offers real value for this location. Rayavadee on the Phra Nang Peninsula is in a different universe at $450-900/night, but it's the only hotel with garden pavilions a 2-minute walk from Phra Nang Cave Beach.

Stay at least 2 nights or it's not worth the boat logistics. And yes, the last longtail back to Ao Nang leaves Railay pier around 6pm in low season. after that you're paying $15-20 for a private charter or you're staying put. Budget travelers who didn't plan this will tell you about it at length.

Most tourists skip Krabi Town entirely, which is a mistake. The Thanon Khong Kha riverside road has one of the best night markets in southern Thailand on Friday-Sunday evenings. Wat Tham Sua (Tiger Cave Temple) is a 30-minute walk or short taxi from Chao Fah Road, and the 1,237 steps to the summit give you a view across the entire Krabi coastline. This is a real working Thai town, not a resort strip.

Krabi Resort on Chao Fah Road is the standout hotel here. It sits on the Krabi River estuary, 8 minutes walk from the ferry pier, and it's the most logical base if you're catching early morning boats to Ko Lanta or Ko Phi Phi. At $100-160/night, it's one of the better-value options in the province for what you actually get.

Krabi Town is not a beach destination. The town itself is on a river, not the sea, and the nearest beach is a 25-minute drive. Stay here if you love markets, temples, kayaking in Ao Thalane (30 minutes north on Route 4), and don't need sand outside your window. It's also 15-20% cheaper across the board than equivalent hotels in Ao Nang.