The small Thai seaside town of Ao Nang, surrounded by craggy green limestone karst mountains, was where we chose to end our exploration of Asia. By this point, we were ready to base ourselves in one place for 10 days and just RELAX, although, as it turned out, there was plenty to do!

Ao Nang gave us many hours of heat and sunshine and indulged our final desire to explore some of the numerous paradise beaches and islands within striking distance. It really was an apt way to end our months of travelling, and left us with some fond memories of Thailand and its friendly culture.

Getting there

Ao Nang is 40 minutes from Krabi airport, on the Western side of the Thai Peninsula. There are regular flights here from Bangkok. As it’s a seaside town, it’s also possible to arrive by boat from Phuket or other islands in the Andaman Sea.

Getting around 

As usual in Thailand there are many Tuk Tuks which can be hailed in the street for short journeys. As we were staying on the outskirts of the town, we chose to rent a scooter to help us whiz around the town and to other beaches on the mainland. Renting a car would be useful and more comfortable for longer trips into the interior, although most activities can be booked with tour companies.

Where to stay

Ao Nang Town is very much a tourist town, so there won’t be any shortage of places to stay. It’s a bit noisy and full on right in the centre, and there are some serious party hostels, so we would recommend staying slightly further out. If your budget is willing, there are some very luxurious small resorts with individual cabanas and swimming pools.

We stayed at the top of the town on the hill in an independent bungalow that is part of a small hidden complex with lovely gardens. A special shout out to the owner King who made out stay extra enjoyable!

Ao Nang Town

We came across a description of Ao Nang that seems to sum it up fairly well –  ‘ugly-pretty’!

It’s got a lovely setting with the mountains and the sea, but some of the development seems a little unchecked, with unfinished high-rise hotels dotted around. The town is also not exactly sophisticated, catering to the tacky souvenir trade and the general business of feeding and entertaining tourists, especially at night when things get a little seedier and rowdier. The aftermath of a Friday or Saturday night it quite a scene to behold!

The town is however, home a typically friendly Thai community with great restaurants and a laid back attitude. It also has a large Muslim population and an impressive golden domed mosque which beams out the call to prayer several times a day.

Ao Nang has its own beach, but the key to its success is its close proximity to other more impressive mainland beaches and the numerous famous, and not so famous, little paradise islands in the Andaman Sea.

What to do

There really is quite a lot to do from Ao Nang, and most of it involves being at the beach, whatever that means for you. We are not really beach bums who like to tan (read burn in Jess’ case!) all day, but we do appreciate exploring a pretty beach or a paradise island.

Mainland beaches reachable by road

Ao Nang Beach

The town’s long beach has shallow waters but not a great deal of shade.  Parts of it are taken up by the Thai long boats coming in and out from different destinations, and in general it is very noisy due to the motors running all day long. It is however perfectly oriented for sunset and towards the south side under the cliffs there are some nice bars, restaurants and massage parlours in the shade of the palm trees. We found the water here to be cloudy and suspiciously smelly, but don’t worry, you can definitely do better in this area!

Centara Grand Beach

From the south side of Ao Nang Beach, you can find a walking trail which takes you up and over part of the mountain to the private hotel-owned Centara Grand Beach. It was here that a long green snake jumped out at Alex, so if you don’t like them, perhaps this is not the little walk for you! Luckily, all you have to do is sign in and out at the beach and you can use the lower part outside of the hotel grounds for free. It’s not far from Ao Nang Beach, so the same problems of noise and water quality apply.

Noppharat Thara Beach

Following the coast further north for about 10 minutes by scooter, you can find another long beach which is again good for cheap food stalls, restaurants and sunsets.

Sam Naui Beach

Further north again, there is a pleasant stretch of beach with some small islands which are reachable at low tide. Like all of the mainland beaches, the water is not clear, but it is nonetheless a fair place to spend a couple of hours.

Andamana Beach Club 

15 minutes via road, south of Ao Nang Town is the Andamana Beach Club which has some nice views of the opposite coast and distant islands. With its calm waters, undisturbed mangroves and tree swings, it reminded us of the more rustic beaches we had enjoyed in Ko Lipe. The added bonus was that it was almost deserted whilst we were there.

As far as we could ascertain, you can just turn up at this beach and use their facilities for free. It was very subdued when we were there, but there is a beach bar, lunch area and some massage tables. We also saw some people having a coastal horse ride.

Mainland beaches reachable by boat

At the bottom of the hill road down into Ao Nang Town, you can find the Thai long tail boat office. It is here where you can book boats (on the day) to the nearby beaches and islands for fixed prices. There really is no need to use one of the millions of travel agents. The boat drivers do seem to run a few ruses here, so be careful, the prices should be fixed, there is a maximum number of passengers per boat, and you should have a guaranteed amount of time at islands.

West Railey Beach

South of Ao Nang, just 15 minutes round a rocky corner is the famous Railey Beach, only reachable by boat.

Unfortunately, it’s not exactly an undiscovered paradise anymore, but it does live up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world due to it being framed by stunning limestone karsts. There is a small walking street and town here and it is also possible, but more expensive to find accommodation on Railey. We think it could be a good idea to stay here so that you get to enjoy the beach early and late, when all the day trippers have gone home.

We saw some Dusky Leaf Monkeys in the trees on Railey, with their white faces and bright orange young, so be sure to check out the vegetation at the shore.

Ton Sai Beach

From Railey we scrambled through a jungle path to Ton Sai Beach, a little further back north. It is here that rock climbers find an ideal destination in Thailand for their sport. The tide went out sufficiently for us to wade through the waters back to West Railey.

Ao Phra Nang Beach

From one of the beach front hotels at Railey, we rented a kayak and paddled our way further south around the rocks to Ao Phra Nang Beach. Again, the scenery is stunning, but it is very busy! Highlights (we think), include two caves filled with wooden phalluses and the many long tail boats which have been converted into floating bars and restaurants!

Islands (Koh) reachable by boat

It’s worth taking a longtail boat out to some of the islands off the coast, as it really is a totally different experience, and they are the stars of the show. Although the mainland beaches are nice, the water is not so crystal clear and calm as over at the islands and there is something very romantic about being marooned for a few hours on a little chunk of paradise. You can take a shared boat which departs when full or rent a private boat for the day.

Koh Poda 

Poda is quite a large island, but it’s most famous part is one tip from which you can admire a teetering limestone karst just offshore. There are some basic facilities, swathes of soft white sand and still clear water to enjoy.

Be aware that this is a national park, so you will have to pay a fee to enter and that there are, quite rightly, restrictions on what sort of plastic bags food containers you can bring in. You will also see instructions on the island for tsunamis. The 2004 tsunami did hit this area, so best to take a look at the instructions so you know what route to take in an emergency.

Chicken & Tup islands

These two islands, joined by a sweeping sandy causeway at low tide, were so gorgeous that we went twice! If you time your visit with the tide, then you can arrive at one, cross the causeway, and depart from the other. Again, this is a national park so the park fee applies.

Everything was just out of this world to look at on these islands. They have the most luscious green vegetation, perfect sand which is full of fragments of shells, and the clearest water you have ever seen with stripy fish darting about in the shallows. Add the colourful and iconic Thai long tail boats to the picture and it is postcard perfect. Genuinely one of the prettiest places we have ever seen!

Of course, there will be other tourists, but it didn’t feel over-crowded and they mostly bunch around the limited facilities. Tip – Watch out for the monkeys trying to go through your stuff!

There are several other islands which we didn’t visit, but had we had more time, we would have chosen Hong Island. Another option is to take a 7 or 9 island day cruise. We decided against this as it would not mean much time at each island and a lot of time sailing in a boat full of other tourists. From Ao Nang you can also get onward transport to Lanta, Phi Phi and Phuket, but as day trips they may be a little unrealistic.

Eating

In our other posts about Thailand, you may have seen that we refer to the ‘Easy Thai’, that is, a small plastic chairs and tables type restaurant or street affair which serves good quality Thai food, super-fast, and at unbelievably cheap prices. Well, Ao Nang is full of them! There really is no need to pick an expensive restaurant by the sea, when all of the little eateries further up the town do exactly the same thing. By all means have a sunset cocktail, but then seek out and Easy Thai, you won’t regret it.

We particularly enjoy fried rice, noodle dishes (try Pad See Ew rather than Pad Thai) and spicy papaya or mango salads pounded by strong and experienced grandmas. The grilled fish and holy basil dishes were also excellent.

In the whole of Ao Nang, fruit and fruit shakes are abundant and all delicious, as are fresh coconuts. It’s really important to keep hydrated and re-energize frequently during the extreme heat.

Ao Nang may not be perfect, but we think it can still be a good comfortable option as a base for exploring the area. If you have limited time, then get straight out to the offshore islands and spend your days in paradise, as they are far superior to any of the mainland beaches. When you get back sunburnt but content, get straight on to that sunset cocktail and then pull up a plastic chair and enjoy some easy Thai food. Paradise!