[Rmulhall]

Hi

Can anyone who has been to Krabi please help - I'm flying into Krabi airport but have heard some not too great things about Krabi or Railey? very busy not idyllic? - so does anyone have any recs of where to go? I am really not a hotel resort based person - so I want to stay somewhere that's nice but places to go and see and not too over crowded!?

Thanks

[FiC]

Try Koh Lanta - it is meant to be lovely. I never made it there when I went to Krabi but have heard wonderful things about it from people who did.

I think you get a boat there from Ao Nang. Taxi from Krabi airport to Ao Nang takes about 45 mins and there are loads of taxis waiting just outside the airport there from what I can remember. Can't remember how much it cost though.

Have a lovely time - it is a beautiful bit of Thailand.

[Misty]

Koh Lanta is nice but I is very small and not a huge amount of things to visit. We rented a car and did it all in a day. We stayed in the villas at the Pimalai last October and it was amazing, but expensive, beautiful beach and wonderful service.

[hbrand]

Just got back for Railay and it is perfectly idyllic I think... depends what you're looking for though I guess. Peak season and it wasn't even that busy. Tonsai beach there is just magic, not to mention the perfectly formed rockclimbers walking around everywhere. Railay rocks, I'd go there for sure. And I've been back 4 times. It's stunning...Unless you have lots of time, then go to Ko Lipe in Satun province.

[sbowra]

The Dusit Rayavadee Premier Resort's is pobably one of the best resorts I stayed in the world. Its on Krabi?s Phra Nang headland and is only accessible only by boat, reached either from Krabi town or Phuket island. The 'luxury' huts were builts coconut trees. The resort is adjacent to three beaches, Railey Beach, Pha Nang Beach and Nam Mao Beach.
Take a boat trip out the other island, Koh Tao, Koh Gai etc. You might find that you and your friends are almost the only people on that island. Don't take a boat from the hotel though, if you are on the budget. I think on one of the islands, Koh gai or something you can walk from one island to another, the water is about 1 foot deep at most the whole way. magincal.
I think the bad reputations are for the area in town or in the city of Ao Nang itself.

[Louiseamanda]

Hello

Agree w the others. If you get a boat to one of the other beaches you are fine. Just bit tacky in places at Krabi, itself.

LA

[ashtonwinkler]

There is a ferry twice a day that goes to Ko Phi Phi, its quite a small hippy island and its fantastic. I flew to Krabi and went streight there... was there for a week over new years, and if you like diving, chilling out and meeting coold and easy going people thats the place to be... its not a resorty built up island, but its paradise... its very near maya bay where they filmed the beach... so you get the picture!

[Rmulhall]

Thanks everyone for your advice - looks like the reviews I read we more on the town then the whole area (I think I panicked) we are going to Railey for a few days the Khao Sok National Park - I can;t wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jgl]

I've been going to Krabi on and off since 97, and can't understand why most people go there. To me, it's one of the world's best rockclimbing destinations and absolutely amazing in that respect.

But if you're not a climber, then Krabi Town itself is a bit of a backpacker hole. The beaches at Railey are average by Thailand standards and so crowded that there are oilslicks formed by all the excess sunscreen washing off peoples' bodies.

There are much nicer areas nearby (Phi Phi and the marine reserve to the south being two of them).