☰Krabi

Krabi's beaches are the reason most people visit — a long Andaman coastline of white sand backed by limestone karsts and fringed by islands. The most developed base is Ao Nang, long and palm-fringed, lined with hotels, dive shops, and seafood restaurants; from there, long-tail boats serve the spectacular Railay peninsula, a cluster of beaches cut off from the mainland by cliffs and only reachable by boat. Hat Noppharat Thara, next door to Ao Nang within the national park, is a quieter stretch of casuarinas and tide pools. Further south, Had Yao (Long Beach) in Khlong Thom district is a rural escape that most of the bus tours miss. And offshore, the usual cast of islands — Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Koh Jum, Koh Hong — each offers its own take on the Andaman formula of sand, karst and clear water.

Most of Krabi's attractions are reached either by long-tail boat or by songthaew (converted pickup truck). Long-tails leave Krabi Town from Chao Fa Pier and every major beach, and are the only way to reach Railay; fares are fixed by a cooperative, so there is no bargaining. Songthaews shuttle between Krabi Town, Ao Nang, the airport, and the bus station at Talaat Kao from early morning until dusk. For exploring inland — Wat Tham Seua, the hot springs, the Emerald Pool — a rented motorbike or a day's hired songthaew-taxi is the simplest option. Long-distance buses serving the rest of southern Thailand use the Talaat Kao terminal, just outside Krabi Town.

By air is the easiest option from Bangkok: both Thai Airways and a handful of budget carriers (AirAsia, Nok, Thai Lion) fly direct to Krabi International Airport, about 15 km from Krabi Town and 30 minutes from Ao Nang, in around 1 hour 20 minutes. Many European charter flights also land here in high season. By road, VIP buses from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal take 11–12 hours, and there are regular connections from Phuket (3 hours), Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang and Hat Yai. By sea, ferries run from Phi Phi, Phuket, Koh Lanta, and Koh Phi Phi to the harbour at Krabi Town and (in season) straight to Ao Nang.

Most people come to Krabi for the water, not the sights — but the limestone country behind the beaches contains a clutch of genuinely impressive cave temples and viewpoints that are worth a morning between swims. Wat Tham Seua (the Tiger Cave Temple), just outside Krabi Town, is the standout: a working meditation monastery built into a limestone cliff, with a 1,237-step staircase up to a hilltop shrine and one of the best views in southern Thailand. Khao Kanab Nam, the twin-mountain symbol of Krabi, is a short long-tail hop from the town pier. For more caves and quieter landscapes, head to Ao Luk in the north of the province, where the kayakable mangrove rivers are lined with grottoes and the Tham Lod sea caves can be paddled through at low tide.