One of the most challenging parts of planning this trip was deciding where to go and stay in the southern region of Thailand. We were looking for someplace that would be naturally very stunning, yet showcase some of the beach culture Thailand is known for. When I began asking around to plan the trip we were warned off Pukhet at Phi Phi with such overwhelming consensus, I decided to listen in an attempt to dodge the childish party scene and exploitation of the natural beauty. While Koh Lanta seemed like perhaps the best destination for us, we just did not have the time to commute that would have been required. Instead I landed on Ao Nang Provence on the Andaman Coast, a short drive from the very accessible Krabi Airport. From here we were able to explore nearby Railay with ease and enjoy both a stunning, more remote beach and enjoy great authentic thai seaside dining.

EXPERIENCE

The beaches of Thailand are as close to paradise as it gets. While in Ao Nang we spent a lot of time on the beach exploring the small tide pools and helping a local fisherman round up some little crabs from under the rocks. We walked the beach admiring the rock columns and enjoyed the only sunset of our trip here as well.

We took an excursion to Railay on the long tailed boat, which was probably the highlight. The boat dropped us on lovely West Railay which we were happy to arrive at early. From here we sunbathed, swam in ocean and walked across the peninsula to East Railay. This area is known for rock climbing and we enjoyed watching those scaling the rocks. In this area we also checked out several caves, including a “penis shrine” cave called Tham Phra Nang. We walked across the island to East Railay and spent some time on Pranang Beach, which was called “the most beautiful beach in the world.” Overall these beaches were crowded and touristy, as expected. Many beach activities like kayaking and snorkeling are available. The days were incredibly hot at about one hundred degrees, so we took most of our sun in the mornings then retreated for cheap massages and quiet time in the shade by afternoon.

STAY

We stayed in the L Resort Hotel in Ao Nang Provence. This property was about to undergo a refurbish which is good. While our bunglow was minimal and outdated, the proximity of the hotel to the beach and the long tail boat station could not be beat. 

Choosing a place to stay in this region was almost as tough as chosing a beach to visit. We are not ones for big beach resorts, so we chose this small “resort” that was very moderately priced instead. This place has a gorgeous pool and perfect location (right near where the long tail boats take off for Railay on the beach). The hotel itself is a grouping of small private bungalows, none of which are in great shape currently, but a renovation project is beginning soon. Breakfast was included and a transfer from the airport was easily arranged. While I cannot say this place was fantastic by any means, it served our needs well for this portion of the trip and we did not spot any more appealing options to entice us once we arrived.

EAT

We were lucky to have a tasty and extravagant breakfast included in our stay at L Resort which carried us for most of the morning. We snacked often while in this region on banana, chocolate and sweetened condensed milk pancakes and fresh fruit smoothies. Both evenings, however, we had rather lavish dinners as we really tried to take advantage of the fresh, local (and hopefully not too controversial) seafood. Our first night in town, we followed a Lonely Planet recommendation went to Kruthara. This was a seafood feast to remember. We took a two mile walk along the water from the hotel to get there, and I guess it really worked up our appetites. We enjoyed crabs, tiger prawn, conch, giant oysters, fried rices and grouper at this local hotspot. Everything was as fresh as it gets and had some of the most flavorful fresh sauces and flavors imaginable. If you go try the black pepper sauce and garlic stuffing.

While we were tempted to just repeat on Kruthara for night two, we decided to be adventurous once again. Our second evening we ate off the beaten path of Ao Nang at a place known for their authentic Thai cusine, Krua Rom Yen. The owner of our hotel recommended this place and they even picked us up by tuk tuk to take us to their remote location. The open-air venue was quite impressive, though we were the only customers. The extensive menu was delicious and we again over did it on local seafood fare. I’d recommend both of these restaurants to folks visiting the area.

Monkey Visitors

Penis Cave at Railay

Railay Climbers

Arriving to Railay

Ao Nang Sunset

Lunar New Year

Long tail Boat Trip