KRABI TRAVEL GUIDE
The Best Beaches in Krabi
Before making any travel plans, the 1st step is to figure out exactly where you want to go. Because Krabi is a large province in Thailand, there are quite a few kid-friendly beaches in Krabi.
Some of the best beaches in Thailand are actually on the mainland of Krabi Province :
- Phra Nang Beach — the best beach in all of Thailand IMHO — but only for those who can afford the 5 star accommodations. It is only accessible by boat even though it is on the mainland.
- Railay Beach West — within just a 10 minute walk of Phra Nang Beach above, Railay Beach West is the best beach in Krabi to stay on for families
- Ao Nang Beach — is a kid-friendly beach, but keep reading down below for why I don’t really recommend staying here
Some of the best beaches in Krabi are out on the islands :
- Koh Phi Phi Island — kind of notorious for being a party island, but there are some family-friendly resorts on Phi Phi
- Ko Lanta Island — def need a rental car to get around unless you just plan to relax at the resort the whole time like we did
- Koh Jum Island — pretty secluded island if that’s what your searching for
These beaches are also kid-friendly, but are just for Day Trips :
- Maya Bay
- Ko Hong Island
- Ko Poda Island
- Ko Phi Phi Lee
- Monkey Bay
- Bamboo Island
Now that you have a good overview of Krabi Province, let’s narrow down to the very best beach in Thailand for your family vacation.
Why Railay Beach in Krabi is one of the Best Beaches in Thailand for Families
Out of thousands of beautiful beaches in Thailand, like Phuket vs Phi Phi Islands vs Koh Samui and many others, why is Railay Beach in Krabi so special?
Cradled between towering limestone cliffs and the gentle embrace of the Andaman Sea, Railay Beach is a a little slice of heaven on earth. A place where time slows down and barefoot children chase tiny crabs along the golden sand. Reconnecting with my family under the watercolor sunsets here is truly one of my favorite memories of all time.
We also love that Railay is only accessible by boat, making you feel like you are nestled in a secluded paradise. Can you imagine how exciting it would be for your kids to jump into a wooden long-tail boat that glides calmly across the emerald blue waters while passing towering limestone cliffs along the way to your family-friendly hotel?
Part of the charm is being a walkable beach town that has many restaurants, ice cream shops, cafes, massages, souvenirs, tours and activities located all within walking distance from your family friendly resort in Krabi.
And whether you’re into exploring hidden caves, kayaking over emerald waters, or simply savoring a mango smoothie with your toes in the sand, Railay offers all that and more.
Railay Beach in Krabi is truly one of the best beaches in Thailand to take your family.
As a mama of 3 little girls, I get it — life is busy. I hope this Krabi Travel Guide makes planning a trip to Thailand easy and stress-free.
This Krabi Travel Guide will outline:
The Best Time to Visit Krabi
Other tips and resources
Our Favorite Travel Resources for Exploring Asia
- The Best Deals on Hotels in Thailand: Agoda.com
- Most Family-friendly Airline: Qatar Airlines
- Renting a Car: EconomyBookings.com
- Getting around (ferry, train, flights, bus, transfers): 12go.com
- Booking an Activity or Tour in Asia: Klook.com
- Travel Insurance: VisitorsCoverage.com
- Internet and Cell Phone Service: Airalo
How to Get to Krabi in Thailand
Thankfully, Krabi has an International Airport (KBV) making it pretty convenient to get here from any major city. Krabi is actually one of the most affordable places to fly within Thailand — especially if you are flying from Bangkok.
There are daily flights from Bangkok for as low as 599 THB (~$18 USD). Be sure to book a few weeks in advance to get a good deal.
*Note: There are no trains to Krabi province.
How to Get to Railay Beach in Krabi
- The charm of Railay Beach is that it’s inaccessible by car! You must take a boat.
- I highly recommend taking a long-tail boat over a speedboat.
- To get to Railay Beach from the airport, first take a taxi to Ao Nam Mao pier or Ao Nang Longtail Boat Service Club. Both these locations will have long-tail boats readily taking passengers to Railay Beach from 8:00am-6:00pm for just 100 baht per person.
- Long-tail Boat Trips to Railay Beach are 100 baht each way.
- The longtail boat ride is only about 20 minutes, but it is one of the highlights of our family trip to Krabi Thailand!
- When we landed at the Krabi International airport, we booked a van for our family of 7 in the Grab app for about 500 baht (~$18 USD). There were also taxi and van drivers waiting for passengers right outside baggage claim too.
- Thankfully, our super family-friendly hotel on Railay beach had a special promotion with a free long-tail boat transfer from Ao Nam Mao pier to the Railay East pier.
- Then the hotel staff carried our luggage from the pier to the hotel.
TIP: check to see which of the 3 piers on Railay Beach is closer to your hotel’s check-in desk
After you finally make it to your hotel, I recommend you explore around your hotel, take a swim in the pool, then check out Railay Walking Street (in Google maps) to get some yummy Cashew Nut Chicken or Pineapple Fried Rice!
Where to Stay in Krabi with Kids
Rayavadee Hotel on Phra Nang Beach offers luxurious beachfront accomodations
The Rayavadee truly offers an exotic, luxury getaway unlike any other.
Cost: averaging 16,000 THB per night (about $500 USD)
- Every space is impeccably designed with stunning architecture and every amenity you could desire.
- The Infinity Pool with sweeping ocean views is the perfect place to unwind.
- Offering World Class Service with a personal concierge that anticipates your every need
- Features one of the most unique restaurants in the world: The Grotto
- 3 Other Dining Options offer innovative culinary creations with high quality ingredients and a special attention to detail
- An exquisite buffet breakfast
- A full-service Spa
- Divine sunsets
Sand Sea Resort – a Mid-range Family Resort in Krabi on Railay Beach West:
Cost: Only 3,500 THB/night (about $100 USD) with 2 kids in a Deluxe Pavillion
- Family-friendly where kids stay free if using existing bedding! This was perfect for our family of 5
- Very charming Thai-style bungalows as well as newly-built modern rooms
- Direct beach access to Railay Beach West and Railay Beach East
- The first hotel off the pier where the long-tail boats drop you off
- Enjoy a buffet breakfast with stunning ocean views!
- The pool had gorgeous sea views as well
- There was also another pool near Railay East — it was never crowded
Railay Bay Resort & Spa — another mid-range Family Resort in Krabi on Railay Beach West:
Cost: About 3,500 baht ($100 USD) before adding the extra costs for an extra bed for kids age 5+
- Lovely Thai-style cottages
- Oceanfront Dining including a breakfast buffet
- Stunning views of the limestone cliffs and ocean from the pool
- Sadly only kids age 4 and under stay for free if using existing bedding. Kids age 5+ will have to have an extra bed, which incurs an extra charge. You can only have one child age 5+ per room.
**Important Tip: Since these are the only 2 resorts on Railay Beach West, they book up fast! Don’t wait! All the other hotels are on the Railay Beach East side, which is mostly Mangrove forests and not an actual ‘beach.’
Best Things to Do in Krabi with Kids
- Some of the best activities to do in Krabi are in the Phra Nang Beach & Railay Beach areas:
- A highlight of our Krabi vacation was exploring the Phra Nang Cave — what a fun adventure it was walking a short trail through the lush jungle, going over bridges, up short ladders then ducking below low entrances to get to the very wide open cave with its amazing viewpoint (Probably best for ages 8+ depending on how agile and adventurous your kids are).
- During low tide, you can walk ‘across the sea’ to access a hidden gem called Ko Rang Beach with a very large limestone cliff jutting up out of the Andaman Sea
- Walking to the Princess Cave was quite a cultural lesson (but not kid-friendly in my opinion due to the large amounts of penis idols set up for the ‘princess spirit’)
- You can snorkel around the coral reefs at the very end of Phra Nang Beach closer to the Phra Nang Cave area
- A lot of people were kayaking to these coral reefs from Railay West Beach (we actually attempted that too, but our 8 year old started melting down about water getting too deep, so we had to turn our kayak around and went to Ton Sai Beach instead. It was still a great kayaking trip!)
- Some of the best rock climbing in all of Thailand is in Krabi on the beautiful limestone cliffs. I saw places for beginner climbers all the way to advanced climbers.
- Hike to the Emerald Lagoon — hiking the Emerald Lagoon viewpoint is probably good for middle school and up, but hiking down into the actual lagoon is for advanced climbers only!)
- Hike to the East Railay Viewpoint for an incredible sunset
- A must do whenever in Thailand is to take an island hopping long-tail boat tour to the smaller islands. We highly recommend you book any of these tours and activities online in advance because you can read reviews of past guests and whether they had a good experience with that tour operator or not. In my humble opinion, it’s too big a risk of the family not enjoying themselves if you don’t book in advance and get to read the reviews of other guests so you can know exactly what to expect.
- My girls loved strolling down Railay Walking Street — stopping for lunch then gelato. Afterwards, I got a foot massage for $8 USD while my girls got to put a few colorful braids in their hair.
Other fun things to do in Krabi that is on our Bucket List for next trip:
- My husband really wants to do a sunset long-tail boat cruise to go see the Bioluminescent Plankton that light up the sea waters at night like little lightning bugs of the sea.
- I personally am eager to go kayaking in the mangrove forests of Krabi, but my girls were not keen on it for this last trip. There’s also a combined ATV and Mangrove Kayaking Tour, which would be pretty epic if you’re feeling up for some adventure!
- Taking a short trek through the lush jungle landscape to the crystal clear natural pool called the Emerald Pool sounds like a perfect escape into nature.
- If you’re looking for a taste of culture in Krabi, taking the 1,237 steps up to the Tiger Cave Temple. The reward at the top is sweeping 360′ views of Krabi.
Note: Please do not take this blog as legal advice or even as fully accurate. These are just my own opinions trying to offer helpful explanations. You can read my full disclosure here.
Phra Nang Beach in Krabi, Thailand
If you do stay on Railay Beach, then I highly recommend you walk over to Phra Nang Beach.
It’s such a lovely stroll from Railay Beach meandering through the limestone caves with the stalactite formations dripping down from the cave ceiling above your head.
We also encountered the cutest Spot Dusky Leaf monkeys on our walk as well as a large Komodo dragon. That was exciting!
We liked that the walk from Railay Beach was stroller friendly and quite cool under the shade of the high cave ceiling all the way until we reached the powdery soft, white sand beach, which is just perfect for lounging or building sand castles.
The beach is long and wide — where you can spread out away from the crowds. Some areas have shallow water that’s great for toddlers to play in, but there are also deeper areas good for swimming. Win Win for all ages!
As I said in the intro, there is only one 5 star luxury beach resort on Phra Nang Beach, along with a luxury villa rental. Either would make for the best family vacation destination in Thailand, possibly the world, if you could afford it (our family could not — boo!)
Also, Phra Nang Beach has one of the most unique restaurants in the world to eat : The Grotto. Supposedly it is for hotel guests only, but I recently read that others can make a reservation even if you aren’t a hotel guest. I’m going to try and find out on our next trip to Railay Beach Krabi — stay tuned!
Every amazing place has a downside, so I want to be open and honest so you can plan ahead accordingly:
- Even though it is a public beach, there are no public bathrooms.
- There are no lounge chairs for rent.
- TRAVEL TIP: we take a fitted sheet with us to the beach. We put our bags at the fitted corners creating this little lounging nest for our whole family to fit.
- There are no restaurants or shops selling any food or smoothies or anything. So bring water and snacks!
- Railay Walking Street, where all of the restaurants and shops are, is about a 20 minute walk.
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When is the Best Time to Visit Thailand
More specifically, when is the best time to visit Krabi?
The very best time to visit Krabi in Thailand is between December to February if you’re looking for mostly sunny days that aren’t unbearably hot.
Krabi has a tropical climate, which means it is mostly hot and humid year round. The temps range from about 75’F (22’C) to 100’F (35’C), but mostly stay in the high 80s (low 30’Cs).
There are two seasons: wet and dry.
THE DRY SEASON
- generally between December to April
- Mostly clear, sunny days
THE WET SEASON
- Heavily influenced by the monsoon winds
- Rainy Season in Krabi is typically between June to October
- However, August to October usually get the most rain.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO THAILAND DURING RAINY SEASON:
- Rain usually comes in short bursts a couple times each day — usually not an all day kind of rain.
- Pack shoes that can get wet, quick drying clothes, and a poncho or small travel umbrella.
- Check the boat schedules — some ferries don’t run during the rainy season and some get cancelled last minute if there’s a storm
- Travel Insurance is a smart idea because the weather can be unpredictable.
- Otherwise, we love traveling around Thailand during rainy season because of fewer tourists, the lush green scenery, and cheaper hotel rates.
Railay Beach West in Krabi, Thailand
Other Good Things to Know about Railay Beach West:
- Railay Beach is one of the most kid-friendly beaches in Thailand due to its long stretch of powdery, soft white sand and also how the shallow, calm waters gradually get deep.
- We love not needing to rent a car while on vacation. Here you can easily walk to all the restaurants and shops, which are mostly on Railay Walking Street!
- Our family stays on Railay Beach West at a great family resort called Sand Sea Resort, where our kids all stayed free (excluding the breakfast buffet fee of 300 baht per kid (~$10 USD).
- Fairly long stretch of beach — so you can steer clear of the crowded areas
- Shallow calm water that’s great for kids to play safely while mama sips on a Pina Colada nearby
- Lots of wildlife to see : the friendly Spot Dusky leaf Monkeys, the Komodo dragons, and even exotic birds!
- Our family loves chasing the most beautiful sunsets, and Railay West is in our Top 5 of the world!
- From Railay Beach West, you can easily walk to Railay Beach East, the Railay East Viewpoint, the Emerald Lagoon, Phra Nang Beach, and also the Phra Nang Beach Cave (all within about a 15-20 minute walk). It’s really an incredible stroll under the limestone rock formations with the stalactite formations dripping down.
Negatives about Railay Beach West in Krabi, Thailand:
- There is no pier on Railay Beach West — although I love this for pictures, this is not great news for having to unload suitcases off a long-tail boat in the middle of the ocean or having to drag luggage on the cobble sidewalks for about 20 minutes from the Railay East Beach Pier. Thankfully the Sand Sea Resort spans from the Railay East Beach (where the pier is) all the way to the Railay West Beach (where the swimming pool and breakfast buffet are located). Just another we loved this family-friendly resort in Krabi!
- Can get quite crowded during the daytime with day trips especially during the months of November to April.
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Don't stay on Ao Nang Beach and Why
4 reasons to skip staying on Ao Nang Beach in Krabi:
- Overly touristy and has lost the quintessential Thai charm
- The sand is quite pebbly and rocky.
- When the tide is up, there is almost no where to sit or even walk. This means your entire day could have no beach area for your kids to build sand castles.
- 95% of the hotels are located across the street or down the street from the actual beach. AKA no direct beach access from your hotel.
However, Ao Nang Beach has some very awesome family-friendly hotels with incredible facilities for kids. If that is your thing, I’d for sure check out Holiday Ao Nang Beach Resort or the Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort. These are both an amazing family resort in Ao Nang and actually right on the beach, which is rare in the Ao Nang area!
You’ll need to stay connected while traveling in Thailand — for GPS Maps, researching the best island hopping tour packages, or letting the kids have some downtime watching Bluey on YouTube.
Don’t do the T-Mobile or AT&T International Roaming plans for about $10 per day — save that money for a nice restaurant or fun activity!
E-SIM: I highly recommend getting an eSIM from Airalo to have great internet service all over Thailand. They are actually using the same local providers that AT&T, T-mobile and Verizon will use.
I have personally used Airalo many times traveling all over the world, and it works great and is SUPER easy to install.
To use your Airalo eSIM, you simply buy a package then scan the QR code from your email to install and activate the eSIM.
The packages run from only $4.50 for 1 GB of data to $35 USD for Unlimited Data in Thailand.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING THAILAND WITH KIDS: If you let your kids watch YouTube, Netflix, etc, then I recommend getting the Unlimited Data. But if you’re not video streaming, then 50 GB of data is enough to browse the internet, use Google Maps, and stay in touch with friends back home.
PHYSICAL SIM CARD: You could also pick up a physical SIM card at the airport upon arrival, at any mall, which would have a TRUE shop, DTAC shop, and/or AIS shop, or even some 7-Elevens have them. Just ask! You would need your passport on hand. The physical SIM + a prepaid service card would cost about 999 baht (~$30 USD), but it usually comes with 30GB of Data. So Airalo is a much better deal.
TIP #2: If you plan to use a physical SIM card, then be sure to contact your local phone provider (such as AT&T or Verizon) before traveling overseas to check that your phone is already unlocked. They can usually do this for you over the phone.
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