The best place to stay in Krabi for most travellers is Ao Nang, the convenient beach town where boat trips, restaurants and tours are concentrated. Choose Railay for the most beautiful setting, Klong Muang or Tubkaek for quiet luxury, and Krabi Town for local life on a budget.
Check real-time availability and prices for hotels in Krabi (Ao Nang), taxes included, and book directly - many rooms come with free cancellation.
Krabi province stretches from mangrove rivers and jungle inland to a coast of limestone cliffs and more than 100 islands. For a first visit, you are really choosing between four bases: Ao Nang (convenient beach town), Railay (car-free peninsula), Klong Muang and Tubkaek (quiet resort beaches) and Krabi Town (local and cheap). The islands, above all Koh Lanta, are a separate trip rather than a base for Krabi's sights.
Three things decide it. First, how much you want to do: Ao Nang is where boat tours, day trips and restaurants are concentrated, so it saves time and money. Second, how much you value the setting: Railay is far more beautiful, but every trip in or out means a longtail ride with your luggage. Third, the season: from May to October boats between Ao Nang and Railay can stop in rough weather, which makes a mainland base more reliable. Check the best time to visit Thailand for the Andaman coast.
| Area | Vibe | Mid-range double (high season) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Nang | Lively beach town, very convenient | 1,500-3,500 THB | First-timers, families, day trips |
| Nopparat Thara | Quieter end of Ao Nang, long beach | 1,200-3,000 THB | Couples, value, sunsets |
| Railay West and Phra Nang | Spectacular, car-free, pricier | 3,500-8,000 THB | Couples, splurges |
| Railay East | Mangrove side, bars, cheaper | 1,500-3,500 THB | Climbers, budget |
| Tonsai | Rustic climbers' cove | 600-1,500 THB | Climbers, backpackers |
| Klong Muang and Tubkaek | Calm, upmarket resorts | 3,000-9,000 THB | Luxury, honeymoons, peace |
| Krabi Town | Local riverside town | 700-1,800 THB | Budget, transit, food |
These are rough prices for a comfortable double between December and March; expect 30-50% less from May to October and peaks around Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. One thousand baht is about 26 EUR.
Ao Nang is where most visitors stay, and for good reason. The beach is the departure point for longtails to Railay and the islands, tour companies pick up from every hotel, and the town has hundreds of restaurants, massage shops, dive schools, pharmacies and 7-Elevens. The setting is still lovely, with limestone cliffs at both ends of the bay.
The main beach road is busy and commercial, and the sand itself is only average for swimming compared with Railay or the islands. Where you stay within Ao Nang matters:
Ao Nang suits first-timers, families and anyone planning several tours. Our list of things to do in Krabi shows how many of them start right here.
A few minutes east of Ao Nang, Nopparat Thara is a long, casuarina-lined beach that feels a world away from the main strip. The western end shares a road with Ao Nang, so restaurants are within walking distance, while the eastern end near the national park office and pier is calm and local. At low tide the sea pulls back to reveal wide sand flats, which is less good for swimming but beautiful at sunset.
Rooms here are often cheaper than on Ao Nang's beach road for similar quality, and Nopparat Thara pier is where many island tours and ferries depart. It is a smart choice for couples and for longer stays.
Railay is the most beautiful place to stay in Krabi, and staying overnight means you get Phra Nang Cave Beach before the day-trippers arrive and after they leave. There are no cars and no roads to the mainland, only boats (about 100-150 THB per person from Ao Nang). The peninsula has several distinct sides:
Things to know: you will carry luggage through shallow water at low tide, electricity and wifi are generally fine but choices for eating are limited and pricier than on the mainland, and in rough monsoon weather the Ao Nang boats may stop, with boats from Ao Nam Mao pier the fallback. Two or three nights on Railay, then moving to Ao Nang or an island, works well.
Next door to Railay West, Tonsai is a rustic cove surrounded by some of the world's best sport-climbing walls. Accommodation is basic, from bungalows with fans to a few simple air-conditioned rooms, and the atmosphere is sociable and outdoorsy. You reach it by longtail or, at low tide, by scrambling over the rocks from Railay West, and there is a jungle path over the headland. Stay here if climbing is the point of your trip; otherwise Railay East offers similar prices with more convenience.
About 20-30 minutes north-west of Ao Nang, the beaches of Klong Muang and Tubkaek look straight out to the Hong Islands. This is Krabi's upmarket strip, with large resorts, spas and villas and very little else, which is exactly why people come. The water is calm in high season and the sunsets are superb.
The trade-off is isolation: restaurants outside the resorts are few, so budget for Grab rides or the hotel shuttle into Ao Nang (usually 200-400 THB each way by taxi). Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is the area's best-known luxury address. The steep Dragon Crest hike starts nearby.
Krabi Town sits on the Krabi River about 30 minutes from Ao Nang and is the transport hub for buses, minivans and some ferries. It has no beach, but it offers the cheapest rooms in the area, a relaxed riverside promenade, the weekend night market near Chao Fa pier and genuinely local food. Tiger Cave Temple is about 15 minutes away, which makes an early climb easy.
One night here works well on arrival by bus or before an early ferry. For a longer stay, most people prefer the beaches.
If your priority is a proper island beach holiday, consider staying on one of Krabi province's islands and visiting the mainland sights on a day trip.
Heading on to Phuket as well? Our guide to where to stay in Phuket compares its beach areas. Ferry and bus links between them are listed on our transport tickets page.
Check real-time availability and prices for hotels in Krabi (Ao Nang), taxes included, and book directly - many rooms come with free cancellation.
Krabi International Airport has direct flights from Bangkok and several Asian hubs. Arriving late? Book the first night near Ao Nang or in Krabi Town rather than Railay, as the last longtails usually leave around sunset.
Compare hotels in Krabi with live prices for your dates.
Ao Nang is more convenient and cheaper, with easy access to tours and far more restaurants. Railay is more beautiful and peaceful but only reachable by boat, so many travellers spend two nights on Railay and the rest in Ao Nang.
Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara are the easiest for families, with plenty of hotels with pools, restaurants and tours that pick up from the door. Klong Muang suits families wanting a quieter resort stay.
Krabi Town is worth a night for its riverside, night market and cheap rooms, or before an early bus or ferry. There is no beach, so most people base themselves in Ao Nang instead.
The drive takes about 30-40 minutes. A shared airport shuttle costs around 150 THB per person, and a private taxi is roughly 600-800 THB.
Ao Nang or Nopparat Thara is the safest choice from May to October, because boats to Railay and the islands can stop in rough seas and a mainland base keeps your options open.