Krabi, Phi Phi Island & Maya Bay - Thailand

I love Krabi as it is stunningly beautiful with the towering limestone rocks jutting out of the Andaman Sea, whilst inland it also offers a lot, with attractions including the Emerald Lagoon.

The tourist centre of Krabi is Ao Nang Beach and it certainly seems to have grown since my last visit in 2018.

The more time I spend there, the more I like it.

Ao Nang has an abundance of shops and restaurants and a few bars that are low key, so everything you need is close to hand.

A lot of the hotels are set back a bit, but to be honest, you don't stay in Ao Nang for the beach! You stay in Ao Nang as it is your gateway to lots of small islands and unbelievably pristine beaches, all for the price of a cheap ticket on a long-tail boat, which is always nice.

There is a Long-tail Boat Ticket Office in Ao Nang displaying a map of all the amazing possibilities available to you.

We grabbed a long-tail boat to Railay Beach which literally takes 20 minutes. We went there before, the beach is great, and the water is so clear, so it's always nice to go back.

For Railay Beach we paid 100 Baht (approximately £2.50) each way for a shared long-tail boat, these will go with 9 passengers, but if you are a family, or feeling rich, or in a hurry, you can get a private long-tail boat for not a lot more.

Whilst we were staying in Krabi we hired a Speedboat for the day, as a group of 11 family and friends.

There is a steady stream of Speedboats leaving Ao Nang from 8am onwards.

A very popular combination is Maya Bay where 'The Beach' was filmed, followed by snorkelling nearby and then Phi Phi Island.

The government did close Maya Bay for a few years pre-Covid due to pollution and damage to the beach, but it looks like they had to relent due to the amount of revenue it generates.

Swimming is no longer allowed at Maya Bay but there are hundreds of boats and thousands of people that visit every day for that special photo.

The Speedboats are big business here and the government charges tourists 400 Baht (just under £10) to enter.

** Since our recent visit, the Government have announced that Maya Bay is again closed until the end of September 2023 **

We left there and the boat took us to another area for snorkelling. The speedboats provide all the equipment including life jackets, so as long as you get the hang of the breathing and don't swallow lots of water, anyone can do it, including absolute beginners, like my wife.

After the snorkelling we headed for Koh Phi Phi.

It is over 30 years since I last set foot on Phi Phi Island, so it has obviously changed a lot and it did need virtually rebuilding after the Asian Tsunami in 2004.

If you are staying in a resort set back from the centre, you would get some peace, but in the daytime, it gets busy, particularly with all of the speedboats and day trippers.

You can, though, stay a couple of weeks and go to one or two different islands and beaches every day, and you don't need to go anywhere near the popular spots like Phi Phi and Maya Bay.

Also, from Krabi, there are other options for islands you can stay on, apart from Phi Phi, including Koh Yao Yai, Koh Yao Noi and Koh Lanta.

I will certainly be back to Krabi again, but hope it isn’t another 5 years until the next visit.