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Ao Nang is a tourist coastal village in Krabi. Parallel to the beach of Ao Nang, on the boulevard, you will find plenty of restaurants, accommodations and bars. But also in the streets in the direction of the beach there are numerous of nice restaurants and bars. Lots of liveliness! From the village of Ao Nang you can see a number of large limestone formations in the sea and around you in the distance. A foretaste of the fantastic surroundings!
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At the central part of the beach it can be quite crowded with longtail boats. This makes it a less suitable beach for swimming. You can enjoy the beautiful sunset and a nice walk on the beach. The beach of Ao Nang consists of small pieces of shell instead of soft white powder sand as on many other Thai beaches. It was also striking how many beautiful large intact shells we found on this beach!
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
The most beautiful part of Ao Nang Beach
The most beautiful part of Ao Nang Beach is on the east side of the beach. You can swim well there because there are less longtail boats. There is also some shade from the trees. On this part of Ao Nang you will find the Golden Beach Resort and the Phra Nang Inn Hotel.
The boulevard here is narrower than on the central part of Ao Nang so you are closer to the beach. This gives you more of a real beach holiday feeling. There are also many small massage parlours on this beach for even more relaxation. If you feel like walking a bit further you will come to the even nicer Pai Plong Beach.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Pai Plong Beach
Pai Plong Beach is located all the way east of the main beach of Ao Nang. It is a beautiful bay lined with high limestone cliffs. The beach is actually privately owned by the Centara Grand Beach Resorts and Villas Krabi but you can just use it for free. The only way to get there is by (longtail) boat or via the Monkey Trail.
The Monkey Trail
The Monkey Trail is a wooden walkway with quite a few steep steps. You reach beach of Pai Plong in about 20 minutes. As the name suggests you have the chance to meet a monkey family here. Put your belongings well away for these grabby creatures with monkey tricks! In the evening the path is illuminated, but watch out for any loose steps. You’ll find the Monkey Trail behind massage house number 15 almost entirely on the east side of Ao Nang Beach.
The Avani Ao Nang Cliff Beach Resort
Do you want to sleep in a nice resort where you are in 5 minutes on the beach of Ao Nang consider the Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort. A beautiful resort where you can choose from different rooms. We had the room with a fantastic view over Ao Nang and the adjacent ocean. That was really great to wake up to! A very big plus of this resort is the infinity pool where we also spent many of our free hours! The resort also has its own pool villas, so luxury unpacking is also possible here. Talking about pool villas … Looking for a resort with its own pool villas check this article.
YUMMY
A good restaurant in Ao Nang is Jenna’s Bistro & Wine! Here you can eat very well both outside and inside. The chef is a great cook and the staff is very friendly! Recommended! PS booking in high season is recommended.
Accommodations in Ao Nang
If you are looking for a nice and affordable hotel in Ao Nang, we recommend Wake Up Hotel. The hotel is new, modern and clean. It is located on the main street with shops and restaurants of Ao Nang. The rooms are comfortable and have everything you need. There is a comfortable bed, kettle for complimentary coffee and tea, refrigerator, safe and air conditioning. The rooms also have a balcony.
Ibis Styles Hotel
For families the reliable and inexpensive Ibis Styles Hotel in Ao Nang is a must. There are also family rooms with a double bed and a bunk bed. The beach is 950 metres away and the hotel also has a swimming pool. The family rooms comes with two TVs and a X-Box.
J Hotel
The J Hotel is a small budget hotel 2 minutes walking distance from the beach. It’s surrounded by bars and restaurants. The rooms are spacious and clean. The hotel has friendly and helpful staff and arranges all kinds of trips to nearby attractions at good prices. This hotel is often fully booked.
Glur Hostel
The often fully booked Glur Hostel is a 15-minute drive from the beach. The hostel has a communal outdoor area with flat-screen TV and DVD player and (free) Wi-Fi. You can prepare your own meals in the shared kitchen, with fridge and microwave. Super nice is that this hostel has a swimming pool for a cooling dip!
In the surroundings of Ao Nang
Ao Nang is also perfect if you are interested in snorkeling trips to the nearby islands. There are great day trips in the area such as the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi Town and the Emerald Pool. From Ao Nang you can also easily travel to beautiful islands such as Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lipe and Phuket. Closer to home you will find Krabi Town and the paradise peninsula Railay (TIP). Enough to do in the surroundings of Ao Nang! You can easily and safely arrange all your bus, boat, train and plane tickets through our partner 12GoAsia.
Krabi Airport nearby!
Less than 30 kilometers away (half an hour drive) is Krabi Airport (KBV). This makes Ao Nang also very easy to reach from for example Bangkok or Surat Thani. From the airport a private taxi to Ao Nang costs about 600 baht. There are also bus tickets for 150 baht per person for sale at the small ticket shops in the arrival / departure hall of the airport.
From Ao Nang to Railay
When staying in Ao Nang you are so incredibly close to one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand that you really should visit it! With a longtail boat you sail in fifteen minutes to the very beautiful Railay. You can easily buy a ticket to this beautiful beach at the ticket shops on the boulevard of Ao Nang. Price: 100 baht per person, one way.
TAKE A LOOK AT
Picture This #04: Railay. In this picture we have placed some fantastic pictures of the amazing peninsula Railay!
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Transportation in Ao Nang
A ride in the songthaew (mini van) near Ao Nang costs 30 baht per person, minimum number of persons is two. If you travel alone you pay 60 baht per ride. The songthaews drive up and down the road that runs parallel to the beach. You can hold up a songthaew by raising your hand. Often they have seen you before and will honk your horn to let you know there is room. To avoid any misunderstandings, discuss the price with the driver first. Pay afterwards.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com