KRABI HOTELS

Sand Sea Resort is perfectly located bang in the middle of the spectacular west Railay beach. It’s a well-maintained resort, with all its pretty, individual bungalows spread out over a vast tropical garden filled with flowers and exotic leaves.

Bungalows are spacious, spotlessly clean and, for the most part, tastefully decorated (although there are some amusingly kitsch aberrations). Each has its own terrace overlooking the garden and surrounded by enough greenery to make it private. Unlike the other neighouring resorts, Sand Sea does not offer public access to cross to the east side of Railay, so there are no passers-by and its rooms really are quiet and peaceful.

The restaurant, swimming pool and reception area border the beach and offer r ‘n’ r with soft drinks (no alcohol is available at Sand Sea, although you can bring it in - there’s a minimart next door) and a decent Thai menu, with an emphasis on seafood. An early dinner is recommended to catch the great sunsets over the islands.

We can’t really find any fault with Sand Sea, except perhaps that of many larger hotels: it’s a little lacking in character. But the quality of the rooms and service you will receive are excellent value - and the local staff are charming.

Rooms
There are 68 bungalows, spread out over a large tropical garden. The distance between the rooms and the amount of greenery means each is relatively private. All represent excellent value for money on the West beach, especially following the moves of Railay Bay and Railay Village Resorts (its neighbours) upmarket this year.

The charmingly (mis)named Sweet Cottages are a new category of room for November 2007. They are revamped deluxe bungalows, that have been turned into small suites designed for couples (honeymooning or otherwise) and equipped with king size beds, jacuzzi bathtub, telephone, satellite TV, digital safe, fridge and minibar, bathrobes and slippers, kettle with tea and coffee, hair dryer and a fruit basket and flowers on arrival. Their privileged location means the verandah overlooks the pool and sea.

All other accommodation comes with an outside terrace, hot water shower (no bathtub), television with satellite channels, telephone and fridge. Deluxe and superior air conditioned rooms also offer a kettle with coffee and tea set and a hair dryer. In terms of proximity to the beach, the Sweet Cottages are in the first row, followed by the deluxe air con bungalows, the superior air con bungalows, with the deluxe fan bungalows being furthest from the sand. Deluxe fan and air con rooms are available as twin or double - Sweet Cottages and superior air con rooms are available with double beds only.

There are only small cosmetic differences between the types of rooms in terms of size, layout and furnishings.

Facilities
All accommodation has either fan or air-con, hot water, fridge, TV, telephone and can be supplied with an extra bed for 500 / 600 baht per night. Sweet Cottages also provide a safe in-room; other guests can use the safety deposit boxes at reception.

The resort’s swimming pool is located next to the beach and has a children’s area and jacuzzi pool. The beachside restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please note that Sand Sea is a Muslim-owned resort and as such does not serve pork or alcohol. Other services include tour counter, internet connection, massage and airport transfers.

Location: Only 10 mins from Ao Nang Beach and only 45 mins from Krabi International Airport, West Railay Beach is a narrow beach with surrounding by limestone cliffs accessible only by boat, golden sands, crystal clear water, sheer cliffs and tropical jungle covered hills. Our individual villas are set amid coconut groves and exotic gardens.

Features : 25 Spa Villas (50 sqm / bedroom & a small pavilion 5 sqm, outdoor Jacuzzi), six 2-storey units of the low – rise pool villas (24 guestrooms). Each pool villa has 4 guest rooms and each floor has 2 connecting rooms. Each room has a bedroom of 44 sqm and the balcony 8 sqm.

Rooms
Spa villas: king-size bed only; day bed / sofa available as extra bed; comfortably furnished, outdoor Jacuzzi; hot & cold shower; mini-bar; air-condition; satellite TV; IDD telephone; bathrobes; slippers; in-room safe; hair dryer. The private verandah or a small sala (pavilion) offer a spectacular view of the sea and a beautifully landscaped garden and pond.

Pool villas: king-size bed or twin beds; day bed / sofa available as extra bed; comfortably furnished, bathtub, hot & cold shower; mini-bar; air-condition; satellite TV; IDD telephone; bathrobes; slippers; in-room safe; hair dryer. The private balcony overlooks a beautifully landscaped garden and a swimming pool. Connecting rooms available.

Facilities
Restaurant; 2 swimming pools (160 sqm, 300 sqm); room service; internet service; tour desk; traditional massage; transfer services; coffee & tea maker; fruit basket and welcome drink.

Railay Village Resort & Spa is under the same ownership as Somkiet Buri Resort in Ao Nang, and this upmarket revamp has taken the trademark Somkiet style (lush garden, natural materials) to a new level.

Railay Village is now competing with Railay Bay for the 4-star crowd, with one great advantage: its size. This smaller, 50 room resort has a more intimate atmosphere than Railay Bay (though the rooms themselves are smaller) and it feels less package-touristy. The rooms are beautifully decorated in contemporary Thai style with polished wood - the vaulted ceilings of the Spa Villas in particular are very nice - and two swimming pools means neither will feel crowded.

We would recommend Railay Village for a honeymoon, or getaway break for couples - it’s definitely a resort for grown-ups.

Railay Princess Resort, along with its sister resort, Railay Bay, is at the forefront of the unrelenting gentrification of Railay. A new resort, that opened in early 2006, it is large in scale and catering mainly to couples and families, rather than the backpackers of yore.

The resort is situated in between the east and west side, so has no direct beach access. Railay West is around 150m walk, through Railay Village Resort.

There is an average sized, freeform swimming pool in the grounds, as well as a large pond (or small lake!), filled with fish and lotus flowers, that is traversed by a teakwood walkway. With the Railay cliffs in the background, Railay Princess enjoys quite a picturesque location. All 45 rooms are west facing, with private balconies and housed in three storey blocks - there are no bungalows here - and are decorated in a contemporary Thai style.

Furnishing and fabrics are nice and the rooms are very comfortable; however, you will occasionally spot a missed bit of paint, or a chipped table corner - testament to the speed with which the resort was built. The marble bathroom features a walk-in hot water shower, but no tub; and all rooms, unusually, are fully carpetted. There seems to be little difference between superior and deluxe, except in the in-room amenities (see below for details).

The Princess restaurant is located next to the lily pond and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as providing room service until 11pm. The Thai food is not bad. Service is generally good and attentive, although English is not spoken fluently.

Facilities
All accommodation at Railay Princess Resort has air-con, fridge with minibar, satellite TV, IDD telephone, tea and coffee making facilities and a toiletries set. Deluxe rooms have, in addition, bathrobes and slippers and a hairdryer. A safe deposit box is available at reception.

The resort’s swimming pool has a children’s area. Baby cots and babysitting service are available upon request. Laundry and dry cleaning can also be arranged. The resort has 24 hour security, minimart and guest information service. Please note that Railay Princess is a Muslim-owned resort and as such does not serve pork in its restaurant. Other services include tour counter, fax & postal service, as well as conference and banqueting facilities.

Railay Bay, which occupies a prime spot on the stunning west beach, is the only resort that has been here since the very beginning of Railay’s development more than 15 years ago. As can be expected, it has come a long way from its humble beginnings of 50 baht-a-night bamboo huts and its ongoing evolution reflects the general trend in Railay towards more upmarket accommodation.

The back end of the resort, near the east side beach and the generator, is taken up with Superior Cottages, concrete bungalows that used to be the height of luxury but which are now occupying the lowest rung on the Railay Bay ladder. The rest, going towards the west beach, has given way to brand new luxury accommodation in low-rise buildings, as well as a new crop of beautiful individual suites. All rooms are set within the well-maintained garden, which stretches from coast to coast of the peninsula, although no rooms are further than a minute’s stroll from the main beach.

The sheer number of rooms at Railay Bay, as well as the fact that the garden path is used by the general public to cross from one side of Railay to the other, means that the resort can feel busy at peak times. There are ample numbers of staff, however, to take adequate care of all guests.

The recently opened Bayview Spa, Railay’s first, is another sign of the times. Located next to the swimming pool, it offers excellent traditional massage and beauty treatments in two private suites with jacuzzi and steam room, one overlooking the beach. The restaurant is also set right on the sand and offers good outdoor dining as well as cocktails at the Sunset Bar.

Children are welcome at Railay Bay and the absence of cars and traffic mean they can happily be left alone to play. There are two swimming pools, one on the beachfront and the other in the centre of the complex, both with a shallow children’s play area. The building offers connecting rooms for families or groups of friends; while the twin Garden Pool Villas offer the luxury of a private pool - please specify on the booking form if you require adjoining rooms.

Rooms
Railay Bay Resort has 140 rooms and following last year’s major revamp, there is now a vast array of accommodation on offer, unfortunately none of it falling any longer into the budget category.

The most basic of the rooms available are the 36 cosy ‘Superior Cottages’, built in standard bungalow style and located furthest away from the beach (no more than a minute’s walk) and also closest to the generator, which can be noisy. They are clean and comfortably furnished, with a sofa and outside terrace area.

The 32 Deluxe rooms, housed in a series of attractive one-storey blocks along the main footpath leading to the second swimming pool, are vast and quite decadent, considering all the electricity in Railay is powered by generators.

Everything in the deluxe rooms is cool, soothing, relaxing: the walls and furnishings in their shades of pale cream and white; the marble floors; the pale wood furniture. The temperature, mood lighting and TV can be orchestrated from the remote control panel next to your king-sized bed with its top-quality starched linen.

The aqua green bathroom is also huge and attractively designed and has separate shower and large bathtub. These rooms are available with one double bed, or with one double and one single (triple) and connecting rooms can be provided.

Move on to the next level and you are in yet another class. The brand new Railay Privacy Cottages, of which there are 59, all in privileged positions close to the West beach, or the second swimming pool, offer a large 90sqm living area, completely enclosed by high walls, so you can enjoy your aperitif without being seen by your neighbours (the only downside being that from the outside looking in, the buildings are rather austere).

Each comprises a spacious bedroom /living area with two single beds or one kingsize bed, as well as a sofa /daybed. The ensuite bathroom with walk in shower also opens onto the private courtyard and the open air jacuzzi, that can of course be enjoyed in complete seclusion behind your high walls. The decor is contemporary Thai style, with high quality linens, solid wood furniture, silk cushions in rich colours and gleaming wooden floors.

The four Garden Pool Villas are located (two each) at the end of two rows of Privacy Cottages. Each pair of villas is enclosed by the same high walls and features an identical interior design. However, most of their shared courtyard space is taken up by a private, L-shaped swimming pool (approx 6 m x 4m) between the two villas. Railay Bay have now seen the foolishness of selling these villas individually (as the two villas face each other over the pool and there is little privacy from your opposite neighbour) and is now selling them (from Nov 2007) as a double unit, ideal for families or small groups.

Seven Railay Suite Cottages are located to the front of the resort closer to the beach. They are 70sqm individual houses, all with kingsize beds, and are secluded in a semi-private garden (not laid out in straight rows like the other rooms). They have a design scheme similar to that of the building rooms, but feature a large outdoor verandah and a Balinese-style open air shower that is accessed through the bathroom, which has an indoor jacuzzi tub. They also have a DVD player in addition to the basic facilities.

The final word in luxury, however, goes to the three Beachfront Suites located on the front row overlooking the main swimming pool and the sand. These are structurally and design-wise exactly the same as the Railay Suite Cottages, but command a premium price for their sea views.

Facilities
All accommodation has air-con, hot water shower, cable TV, fridge / minibar, hot water kettle, IDD telephone, digital safe, umbrellas, bathrobes and slippers as standard and can be supplied with an extra bed for 750 baht per night.

All room categories above the Superior cottages also have the following facilities: welcome fruit basket, daily English newspaper, bath tub in bathroom (Railay Privacy Cottages and above have a jacuzzi bathtub). A DVD player is available in the Railay Suite cottages, the Garden Pool Villas and the Beachfront Suites.

The resort has two swimming pools: one is located next to the beach, the other is located towards the back of the resort, near the deluxe rooms and Privacy Cottages, with a mountain view. Both have a children’s swimming area. The beachside restaurant is open for the buffet breakfast and a la carte lunch and dinner and the Sunset Bar is open for evening drinks. Other services include tour counter, spa with massage and beauty treatments and airport transfers.

Phra Nang Bay (pictured top) is on the southernmost tip of Railay and, as the best beach on the peninsular, is where most people (including daytrippers from Ao Nang and Krabi) spend their days. If you want to spend your nights here, you will have to splash out on the super-luxurious Rayavadee Resort which occupies all of the land behind the beach. Because of this, public access to Phra Nang Bay is only by boat, or by a pretty cliffside pathway located at the end of East Railay.

Apart from sunbathing and swimming, the main activity on Railay is rock-climbing, which attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. An abundance of climbing schools also exist to teach beginners. Although this is still considered to be the best place to climb, many serious climbers on a budget have moved to the next door Ton Sai beach, which offers cheap accommodation and a more bohemian lifestyle.

The atmosphere in Railay can best be described as ‘hippy chic’. The real hippy crowd that ‘discovered’ this place ten years ago have all but disappeared, leaving the pleasant legacy of a slow-paced, shoeless way of life as well as a clutch of bars and coffee-cum-book-shops run by guitar-playing, dreadlocked Thai boys. It is now a great place for trendy, young-ish couples who have a bit money to spend but don’t want to stray too far from the ethos of their student backpacker days. Older people and honeymooners are also very well catered-for.

Nightlife varies from sitting around candlelit tables on the west beach to wild parties at the east side bars. Live music is a regular proposition, mostly reggae-inspired, although return visitor Fatboy Slim did play an impromptu set for a crowd of less than a hundred people. Other celebrities spotted out and about in recent years include Colin Farrell and Mick Jagger.

There are a couple of ATM machines on the Railay peninsula. One thing to note before you arrive is that prices in general in Railay tend to be higher than the rest of Krabi, simply because it is like an island. It has to sustain extra transport costs as well as high electricity bills - there is no mains current and everything is run by individual generators (although there are plans to lay an underwater electricity supply from Ao Nam Mao - this project should be completed by early 2007) . Food is possibly another minus point: both choice and quality are fairly limited as the restaurants are cooking for a captive market.

If you are looking for a beach holiday, pure and simple, then Railay is the perfect choice of destination. Longtail boats are available to explore the islands nearby. However, if you’ve got itchy feet and want to get out and explore the rest of the Krabi region, you may find that staying in Railay makes things a little difficult. Its relative inaccessibility may also not suit others like the elderly, the disabled or anyone else that has difficulty walking or getting in and out of a longtail boat.

RAILAY is the name of a mainland peninsula just south of Ao Nang, but, as three of its sides are surrounded by the sea and it is backed by a range of spectacular limestone cliffs that cuts it off from all roads, it has the feel of a real island. Almost every square metre of habitable land has been developed, though the buildings are all low-rise, low density and, for the most part, tastefully designed.

The main attraction of Railay is that the two principal beaches are, without a doubt, the most stunning strips of sand on the Krabi coastline - perhaps even on the whole Thai mainland. We are talking world-class, picture postcard material. Long, gently curved, with white powder sand sloping down to emerald green water and framed by coconut palms against a backdrop of towering, craggy rocks. Awesome.

As Railay is so small - crossing from one side to the other takes less than 10 minutes, all accommodation can be classed as being close to the beach. Its three sides cannot all be considered equal, however.

West Railay (sometimes known as Sunset Beach) is where you will find the most of the big resorts offering high quality accommodation. Their reception areas, restaurants and most expensive rooms are situated right next to the sand, although the area they cover stretches right back almost to the east coast. The beach is beautiful, but can get a bit noisy in the day as it is also the arrival and departure point for longtail boats from Ao Nang. Evenings are blissfully quiet.

East Railay has the least attractive beach of the three. In fact, there is no actual beach as much of the water is lined with mangrove trees and seemingly continual construction work (rather than the tsunami, as some tourists seem to believe) along its length means it looks rather shabby. It is used as ‘the back door’ of Railay, the goods delivery point for all of the hotels, as well as the pier for taxi boats to and from Krabi Town and Ao Nam Mao. At low tide, the water recedes around 300m, so passengers have to wade out - with their luggage - in the slippery mud.

The bulk of accommodation is actually on this side of Railay and on the steep hill behind it. But why stay here? Well, for one, it is much cheaper. Most of the bars, tour offices and independent restaurants are also located here - but you will have to walk to get to a beach.

Phra Nang Bay (pictured top) is on the southernmost tip of Railay and, as the best beach on the peninsular, is where most people (including daytrippers from Ao Nang and Krabi) spend their days. If you want to spend your nights here, you will have to splash out on the super-luxurious Rayavadee Resort which occupies all of the land behind the beach. Because of this, public access to Phra Nang Bay is only by boat, or by a pretty cliffside pathway located at the end of East Railay.

Apart from sunbathing and swimming, the main activity on Railay is rock-climbing, which attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. An abundance of climbing schools also exist to teach beginners. Although this is still considered to be the best place to climb, many serious climbers on a budget have moved to the next door Ton Sai beach, which offers cheap accommodation and a more bohemian lifestyle.

The atmosphere in Railay can best be described as ‘hippy chic’. The real hippy crowd that ‘discovered’ this place ten years ago have all but disappeared, leaving the pleasant legacy of a slow-paced, shoeless way of life as well as a clutch of bars and coffee-cum-book-shops run by guitar-playing, dreadlocked Thai boys. It is now a great place for trendy, young-ish couples who have a bit money to spend but don’t want to stray too far from the ethos of their student backpacker days. Older people and honeymooners are also very well catered-for.

Nightlife varies from sitting around candlelit tables on the west beach to wild parties at the east side bars. Live music is a regular proposition, mostly reggae-inspired, although return visitor Fatboy Slim did play an impromptu set for a crowd of less than a hundred people. Other celebrities spotted out and about in recent years include Colin Farrell and Mick Jagger.

There are a couple of ATM machines on the Railay peninsula. One thing to note before you arrive is that prices in general in Railay tend to be higher than the rest of Krabi, simply because it is like an island. It has to sustain extra transport costs as well as high electricity bills - there is no mains current and everything is run by individual generators.. Food is possibly another minus point: both choice and quality are fairly limited as the restaurants are cooking for a captive market.

If you are looking for a beach holiday, pure and simple, then Railay is the perfect choice of destination. Longtail boats are available to explore the islands nearby. However, if you’ve got itchy feet and want to get out and explore the rest of the Krabi region, you may find that staying in Railay makes things a little difficult. Its relative inaccessibility may also not suit others like the elderly, the disabled or anyone else that has difficulty walking or getting in and out of a longtail boat.

NOPPARAT Thara is a long beach (around 5km), split into two halves by a river. The side closest to Ao Nang is the most developed as it is bordered by the main road; access to the other side is by boat only, or by a dirt track from the road to Klong Muang.

The beach is known locally as Klong Haeng or ‘dry river’, a reference to the distance the water retreats at low tide, often so far that you can walk out to the small islands in front of it! Klong Haeng is also the name of the village closest to the beach, some 700m away.

The name Nopparat Thara is that of the local National Park to which most of the beachfront land supposedly belongs; however in the last 2-3 years most of the trees have been felled and hotels and shopping plazas put up in their place. Even the National Park itself is building more bungalows to accommodate the Ao Nang ‘overspill’ and has also created a large car park and camping ground for the Thai daytrippers and school groups who come to picnic here.

All this activity now means Nopparat justifies a page of its own (although much of the information we provide about neighbouring Ao Nang also applies here).

As befits a place that has been developed higgeldy-piggedly, there is a stark range of accommodation along the recently widened beach road. There is one huge five-star complex in the style of a Thai palace (Ayodhoya Suites - still under construction); several 3-star hotels; a family resort; smart new guesthouses; and a whole host of locally-run budget bungalows, set further back from the beach, along the dirt road to the boxing stadium.

Many people who stay here catch a tuk-tuk (20B per person) to Ao Nang to eat and drink, although there are a growing number of decent restaurants and small bars along the centre of the strip near Deang Plaza, as well as around Luna Bar at the corner nearest to Ao Nang and at the far end of the beach near the river.

On the other side of the river the beach continues and it is also possible to stay here, if you are looking for real seclusion - it is only accessible by (irregular) boat - and don’t mind the sandflies which can plague sunbathers.

The main beach area is more pleasant and open than Ao Nang, especially now with the new benches, pavilions and off-road walkways along its length. It also attracts more of a mixed crowd, including at the weekend many Thai people, who like to splash about in the shallow water. In general the scene is more ‘backpacker’ than Ao Nang but also includes those of all ages who want the convenience of staying near Ao Nang (access to tours, transport etc.), without the Ao Nang crowds and prices. Nopparat certainly offers better value for money if you take proximity to a beach as the measure.

FOOD in Krabi is cheap, plentiful and available 24 hours a day. Thai people love to eat and you’ll find tasty street food, or hawker stalls on every corner, selling everything from pancakes to fried chicken. Hygiene standards are high here, so there is very little risk involved in eating in the road.

Seafood is probably Krabi’s biggest attraction, food-wise: the province’s coastal location means supply is fresh and inexpensive. Preparation tends to be simple: whether steamed, barbecued or fried in garlic, the crabs, lobster, whole seaperch and king prawns taste fantastic. Shellfish is also readily available - you’ll find giant oysters, as well as the Krabi native hawy chakteen, famous in Thailand.

In the tourist centre of Ao Nang, many expats have set up shop and there is a pretty good variety of restaurants on offer: Italian, Japanese, Tex-Mex, steakhouses, Swiss, German, Indian and even English pub grub. Prices are higher than Thai food, but still much cheaper - and often better - than the equivalent back home.

The influx of ‘foreign food’ has meant, though, that the Thai food has suffered somewhat and it is increasingly hard to find good quality and good value Thai cuisine in the restaurants on the main beach road. For a real taste of Thailand, you must take a trip to a local market, or to Krabi Town, a real foodie’s paradise.

Krabi Town boasts the region’s best Thai restaurants (the exquisite Ruen Mai, Ruen Tip and Jao Sua), as well as countless small, cheap local eateries, food stands and the famous night market. It is also home to two Krabi expat institutions: Viva Ristorante, with arguably the best pizza in the province; and Cafe Europa, a Scandinavian restaurant, which doubles as a friendly meeting point and mine of (free) tourist information from the owners.

BARS & NIGHTLIFE

Railay and Ton Sai, being cut off from the rest of the mainland with a captive market, do not offer anything special in the way of food, but they do make up for it in nightlife. Ton Sai beach hosts regular all-night beach parties for the full moon and new moon during high season and Railay is well known for its wild parties in the east side bars.

Krabi Town offers a more local nightlife experience with hundreds of karaoke bars and a few ‘nightclubs’ playing loud Thai pop music, often with a stage show. It’s definitely an interesting experience for the few foreigners who venture inside, as you can see above. Good live music pubs - playing a mix of Thai and western covers - include Kwan Fang and Crazy. There are also a few small bars for westerners, mainly concentrated around the old Chao Fah pier and along Utarakit Rd.

Ao Nang beach is the main party place for tourists on holiday here. Bars are concentrated along the main beach road, in noisy ‘plazas’ like Center Point, and Luna Bar, or stand alone places like the Irish Rover pub, or Full Moon Bar. For a quieter, more sophisticated evening, visit the excellent Last Fisherman Bar, at the far end of Soi 17 on the beachfront. Drinks generally are the same price or cheaper than in the West: around 70B for a small bottle of beer and 120B for a basic cocktail. In Ao Nang’s only after-hours nightclub, the recently-opened Ibark, prices are around 50% higher than this.

Entertainment can be found in Ao Nang in the form of live music (check out Encore Cafe), as well as dinner - shows at some big hotels. Sports fans can relax: you won’t miss a single Premiership match or Grand Prix, as most bars will show them live.

Those in search of a quiet life will find it in Klong Muang (no nightlife to speak of), as well as in certain corners of Ao Nang and Railay, where it is still possible simply to sit on the beach and watch the stars.

AO NANG is, without a doubt, the centre of the tourist scene on the Krabi mainland, with the most developed services and hotels on offer. Most people who come to Krabi stay here as it offers the widest range of accommodation and is ideally placed to explore the rest of the region. It is also a great destination in itself - the local people pride themselves on being known as the friendliest and most laidback in the region.

Most of the activity is concentrated on and near the recently widened beachfront road. You’ll find countless souvenir and cheap clothing shops, tour agents, banks and ATM machines, restaurants with a wide selection of international cuisine and seafood, bars, massage and beauty salons as well as a range of hotels. The road means that no accommodation in Ao Nang can be situated directly on the sand; however, the advantage of this is that the beach is permanently visible and accessible by everyone - and the view is amazing, especially at sunset.

The beach itself is pretty and palm-fringed, although - for Krabi - relatively unspectacular, especially now part of it is used as a parking lot by the longtail boat drivers that will take you to the more beautiful nearby islands. However, it is still a popular sunbathing spot as its gently sloping sand offers some of the best swimming in the area.

Daytime in Ao Nang tends to be fairly quiet and relaxed, as most people go off on tours, island-hopping or simply lie on the beach. Night-time is busier, especially on the Beach Road, with its concentration of shops, bars and restaurants. The crowd in Ao Nang is very mixed, with old and young people, couples, families and groups of friends. Typically Ao Nang can accommodate them all: there are quiet restaurants and cafes, loud and boisterous bars, sports pubs and, of course the beach or the terrace of your hotel for an evening under the stars.

The huge and rapid development of Ao Nang over recent years has brought benefits such as these: choice and availablity of leisure options, higher standards of hotel accommodation and service and much better infrastructure - banks, ATM machines and pharmacies are now everywhere. On the other hand, many (particularly those who visited it years ago) feel that it has lost some of its charm as a result.

Ao Nang Beach is a definitely a holiday resort in the truest sense in that businesses are there to cater exclusively for the tourist trade. However, the village of Ao Nang, which used to be a sleepy fishing hamlet, still exists, around 1km back from the beach. There is a strong sense of community here; most local people have not left and many still live ‘old-style’, in traditional houses.

As always, with holidays abroad, there is a trade-off between convenience and authenticity. If you are looking for a more ‘real’ Thai experience, you may like to consider renting accommodation near the village, or in Krabi Town, where tourism is very minimal. However, if the prime concern of your holiday is comfort, relaxation and choice, you can do no better than the various pleasures of Ao Nang beach.