Sunny Days in Krabi, Thailand: Beaches, Boats, & Night Market Bites

Krabi is the laid-back coastal side of Thailand with turquoise water, limestone cliffs, cheap delicious food, and endless sunset views. We based ourselves in Ao Nang where most of Krabi's activity is centered around. We spent our days beach hopping, exploring Railay by longtail boat, hiking with monkeys, and eating lots of good food. There is also an extensive selection of restaurants and shops open late into the evenings which make for nice evening strolls when the weather is a bit cooler.

Beaches, Caves, Longtail Boats, & Fresh Seafood

Here’s how we spent a few sunny days in Ao Nang + Railay, including what we did and how much we spent.

Laid-Back Beach Club Day

• C2 Beach Club: All-day sunbed for THB 500 (~ $14 USD)
• 4 large beers, a burger, & a pad Thai for THB 1,082 (~$30 USD). Food and drinks were good and the views were even better.

If you walk down Ao Nang Beach toward Monkey Trail, you'll come across C2 Beach Club which is a pretty expansive beachside property. They offer comfy loungers with umbrellas right on the beach for rent, which we took advantage of. There are other restaurants and areas along the beach in Ao Nang as well if you want to try different beachside areas, or you can lay on the beach anywhere for free, but there is just no shade or any company offering umbrellas. We loved hanging out here during the day, going back and forth between our beach bed and swimming in the water, and watching the gorgeous sunsets in the evening. It's a great area for people watching and food and toilets are just steps away. 

Railay & Phra Nang: Krabi’s Most Iconic Beaches

• Roundtrip longtail boat to Railay: THB 200 per person round trip (~$5.60 USD). Railay is only accessible by boat, which makes it feel like a protected little slice of paradise. It's away from all of the activity in Ao Nang so there are fewer people and the water is also really calm and a bit clearer as well. It's a great way to try another beach that isn't too far away and allows you to return to Ao Nang at any time because there are always boats waiting.
• Logistics:You can buy a roundtrip ticket to West Railay at a kiosk by the Ao Nang beach. The longtail boat will leave when it has about 10 passengers. The trip to Railay and back to Ao Nang is about fifteen minutes each way. When you want to return, you'll find long tail boat drivers along the West Railay beach directing you where to go. When they have 8 passengers, they'll return to Ao Nang. We waited about 5 minutes on either end. One note about the long tail boats: They are a bit challenging to get in and out of so if you have a disability or are not very nimble, it might be difficult for you. See our Krabi video where we show you the process for getting on and out.

• Walk to Phra Nang Beach to see limestone cliffs while swimming in crystal clear water. It's about a 15-minute walk from where the boat drops you off in West Railay. Either check Google maps or ask a local which way to walk but the trails are paved and easy to find. You'll see some shops and food stalls along the way. Once you get to Phra Nang, there are no vendors, so if you think you might get hungry, grab a smoothie or snack on your walk there or be willing to walk about ten minutes back for it. We also recommend going early to avoid the crowds and get a shady spot on the beach. 

Monkey Trail Adventure

We took the short but steep Monkey Trail that starts at the end of Ao Nang Beach. Given the heat and humidity, it was a strenuous hike despite being short. Also, keep an eye on the monkeys. We saw them jump right up on a woman's back! They're cute, but a little rambunctious and definitely not afraid of people. At the end of the Monkey Trail is a secluded beach, but when we visited in early December 2025 they were building a resort there so there was a lot of construction and not much else to do there (and no infrastructure like toilets or food vendors). 

Some Non-Thai Food Options

• Aonang Crab House: large water + Hawaiian pizza + penne bolognese: THB 540 (~$15 USD). We were in the mood for something other than Thai food and this hit the spot. There are plenty of non-Thai food options everywhere in Ao Nang.
• Bawarchi Paradise (Indian food): roti, veg biryani, chicken vindaloo, fish masala + 2 large Leo beers for THB 950 (~$26 USD) Thailand has a lot of Indian restaurants. This was the first one we tried and the food was delicious.

Shopping

• 2 beach towels: THB 700 (~$19.50 USD). Perfect if you forgot towels… or want a colorful souvenir. We forgot to bring our hotel's beach towels to Phra Nanag, so we picked some up at one of the vendors on our walk to the beach.
• 2 body scrubbers: We picked up two body scrubbers at the night market for THB 80 (~$2.50 USD) to give ourselves a little exfoliation back in our hotel room.
• Ao Nang has plenty of shopping streets and markets, so you'll have no issues finding souvenirs or even essential items you might have left back home!

Laundry

• Pu Laundry: THB 240 (~$7.50 USD) for 4.8 kilograms. There's no shortage of places who will do your laundry. The going rate seems to be THB 50 per kilogram. We had about a week's worth of laundry and chose Pu because it was close to our hotel, received good reviews, and they used machine dryers (some locations hang dry their clothes). The standard rate usually includes next day service. For double the price, they'll do same day (generally within 3 hours).

Ao Nang Night Market 

• Grilled mixed seafood plate: THB 350 (~$9.75 USD). This vendor has tons of raw seafood platters. You pick the one you want and tell them how you want it prepared. We got ours grilled and it came with a spicy lemon sauce. It's in our video. 
• Coconut smoothie: THB 60 (~$1.70 USD) Several vendors were selling smoothies where you can choose up to three types of fresh fruit. We went for the classic coconut version. 
• Nutella mango crepe: THB 100 (~$2.80 USD) The crepe stall also had lots of options, so it was tough to decide, but we were happy with our Nutella mango crepe. It was the perfect dessert after our seafood platter.

Everything was fresh and full of flavor. We also had fun exploring all the shopping stalls in the market after dinner. Just keep in mind that the night market doesn't open until about 5pm.

Hotel

Lai Thai Luxury Condominiums: THB 2,710 (~$85 USD) per night, including breakfast. We were about a 10 minute walk from the beach, but the room was much cheaper than options right on the beach. Service was excellent and we enjoyed relaxing by the pool. They also have a fairly large fitness center and delicious breakfast. Here's the link to the hotel we stay at: Lai Thai Luxury Condominiums

Final Thoughts

Krabi was the beach escape we needed with gorgeous water, dramatic cliffs, cheap eats, and all the island vibes. From lazy beach days to fun shopping streets and markets, this is an easy place to relax… or explore all day long. Combine it with Bangkok for the perfect Thailand duo!

They also offer a lot of day trip to other islands, temples, caves, and hot springs. We were in the mood to relax after being in Bangkok for a week, but there are plenty of things to keep you busy if you're looking for a more active vacation or more Thai cultural experiences.

Planning your own Krabi trip? Don’t forget to grab our free packing list and download our free travel safety checklist so you’re fully prepped for paradise.