"Krabi - launch pad of the Andaman... " a Krabi Travel Page by M0B1US

*NOTICE*

Whilst I was away enjoying myself in Egypt, I found out about the Tsunami that hit the countries of the Indian Ocean and was greatly worried that Krabi might have suffered a similar fate to those of Phuket or Kho Phi Phi. I have since found out that Krabi was luckily well sheltered and although suffering flooding, was not damaged and there were no deaths there - it would have been terrible to have know that places that I may have visited or people that I may have met might have been caught up in this terrible disaster...

I hope that the region recovers as quickly as possible and that we as travellers do not punish the peoples of these countries further by being discouraged from visiting them.

============================

Pronounced 'Gra-bee', this small town is a real rough diamond where the old adage 'Location, location, location' holds true!

Krabi is not a particularly attractive town in the conventional sense, but it is on the doorstep of some of Thailand's most beautiful beaches and scenery and it still isn't that well developed as a tourist spot as the tourists just pass through en route to Ko Phi Phi and other islands.

To me this makes it a great spot to stay as the accommodation here is uniformly cheap compared to the exorbitant costs of rooms on the nearby resorts, and away from the waterfront it still has the feel of a small provincial Thai town with great shops and markets. It also has a decent if relaxed nightlife scene and all the usual agents and internet cafes etc.

So why not save some money and STILL have a fabulous time by using Krabi as a base of operations for your sorties out to the local attractions!!!

Use Krabi as a base for visiting the major attractions and save time, hassle and money.

- Laze on the amazing beaches of the area such as Noppharat Thara, Ao Nang, Phra Nang and Raileh - there are beaches to suit all tastes...

- Try out the world-class rock climbing and tackle the impressive coastal kharsts around Krabi and Tham Phra Nang...

- Take a day trip out to the legendary tourist mecca of Ko Phi Phi. A bit too touristy these days with expensive accommodation...

- Take a multi attraction tour of the stunning Ao Phang-Nga bay, sailing by Longtail Boat, visiting the James Bond island, Floating Muslim fishing villages, kayaking amongst the kharsts and mangrove swamps, going elephant riding and taking lessons in rubber tapping...

In Krabi itself, take advantage of Krabi's fantastic night and day markets at various sites around the town. Find a spot on the waterfront and engage in a spot of people watching as the neverending stream of tourists embark and disembark for Ko Phi Phi...

By far the most enjoyable way of getting around is by Longtail Boat, which are the Thai equivalent of water taxis that flit around the bays and islands of Ao Phang-Nga!

Major ferries take the oft plied route to Ko Phi Phi and further from the Jao Fa pier on the waterfront.

Hat Noppharat Thara and Ao Nang can be reached by sawngthaew (pick up trucks with benches for seats) for as little as 30B.

For farther afield, Krabi has daily minivan, coach and plane connections to all the main hubs in Thailand and Malaysia of varying levels of comfort.

To get here we took an 8 hour minivan journey from Georgetown in Malaysia at the crack of dawn packed in like sardines with our luggage...

On leaving we took a sawngthaew/coach connection to Surat Thani for an overnight sleeper train to Bangkok for the equivalent of a little over £10 each...