AO NANG KRABI THAILAND
Ao Nang - Introduction
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Many beach destinations get ruined when over-development and over-population result in an unsupportable excess of pollutants. But somewhere along the way there is an optimal state, where there are enough facilities, but a still ecologicaly-sustainable tourist population. Ao Nang is now at this stage and represents, for many people, an ideal compromise between a pristine but boring destination and a fun but polluted one.
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 | The southern half of the beach is not yet bordered by a road, yet the town has a wide enough range of facilities, for example six Italian restaurants, to keep most visitors happily occupied for at least a couple of weeks.
Ao Nang is busy but hasn’t lost that laid back, friendly small-town feel; it is developed but still retains its original beauty and charm.
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Ao Nang has all standards of accommodation, from traditional wooden bungalows to luxury 5 star spa resorts. |  |
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Nopparat Thara beach is good for children and is only a few minutes away from Ao Nang
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In addition there are numerous offshore islands, some of which are not too busy, even in high season.
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Nightlife
Luna Bar
Ao Nang’s late night dance club has a reputation for extortionate drinks prices and fights, this run-down area is to be avoided.
Mr Long's
Mr Long's is one of the best little 'beach' bars (though it isn't on the beach) in town. To find it, go to the SCB bank, cross the road and walk into the little lane in front of you.
Ting Tong
The tiny little bar just before and opposite Mr Long's, called the Ting Tong (means "crazy' in Thai), is also a good place to hang out - because it's so small it always feels full.
Disappointment Street
This is Ao Nang’s girly bar street. Music from 10 small bars deafens the visitor, while innumerable women hassle him.
Chang Bar
Centerpoint is an area of 10 bars just behind the beach-front road. One of them, the Chang bar, has just been enlarged and renovated and is Ao Nang's most reliabe place to go for a dance - almost every night of the year this place hops. Most of the revellers here are gap year youngsters.
Bamboo Tattoo
Another good place in Centrepoint to hang out is at the Banboo Tattoo bar, which you will see just as you come into Centrepoint's main plaza - run by a friendly guy called Alex, this is also a good place to come solo, as it is easy to get chatting to other people at this place, due to Alex being such a friendly fellow.
Treetops Bar / Retox Bar
This pair of bars has been built as one, so actually looks like a single place. The owners Nat and Ache are great guys and both speak good English (a lot of it, they are a real pair of chatterboxes). You can get a really good massage in the single-mattress massage 'room' upstairs, where Miss Pussycat (yes, that really is her name, but she is completely respectable) gives excellent massage, way better than the average bored rubbing you get in the massage shops. Her massage room is open-sided and fronts onto the beach, so you can watch the waves roll in while enjoying a massage, maybe with a beer too. The rasta-style music sets the tone for this laid-back and very friendly place. It is located on Nopparat Thara beach, just hop in a tuk tuk and say "Nopparat beach", then keep your eyes pealed untill you see the sign saying "Treetops" on your right. You can get a good value feed here too. One of these bars doubles up as a rock-climbing shop in the day-time. All climbers visiting Ao Nang should come for a beer here, as they will get lots of free climbing information.
The Last Fisherman’s
Ao Nang’s best beach bar also serves tasty but expensive barbeques, and is a great place from which to watch the sunset.
Geography[edit]
Ao Nang is a central point of the coastal province of Krabi, Thailand. The town consists chiefly of a main street, which is dominated by restaurants, pubs, shops and other commerce aimed at tourists. The main beach is used by sunbathers to a certain extent, but there are a large number of longtail boats which offer access to other beaches on the mainland and on nearby islands.
Attractions[edit]
There are a number of scuba diving centers, most of which offer basic diving courses. The islands outside Ao Nang are relatively easy to access and uncrowded compared to many of the diving sites around Phi Phi Island. Climbing is another activity widely available through centers in Ao Nang, although most of the climbs are actually in the areas around the Railay, Tonsai and Phra Nang beaches.
The main beach at Ao Nang is the main departure point for boats to a number of places, including the nearby resort of Railay (or Rai Leh), which cannot be accessed by road, Poda Island and Chicken Island. In December 2004 Ao Nang was hit by a tsunami. Ao Nang's nightlife centers on three main areas, which are known locally as "Centerpoint", "The Soi" and "Bamboo Soi". Both Centerpoint (located along the main beach road) and The Soi or Soi RCA (about 200 meters up from the beach on the right just before McDonalds) contain bars offering loud music, bargirls and free pool. The strip of bars along Bamboo Soi (about 500 meters up from the beach opposite SCB bank) are a bit quieter and have nice views of Ao Nang's famous limestone cliff. Popular bars in Ao Nang include KR Bar, Rocky Bar, Amy's Bar, Moo 2 House and Chilli Bar.
Ao Nang (อ่าวนาง) is the busiest beach destination in Thailand's Krabi Province.
Understand[edit]
Formally Ao Phra Nang ("Princess Bay") although everybody uses the short form, Ao Nang is the most "Westernized" beach in Krabi, originally a backpacker hotspot but now moving slowly upmarket as the airport brings in higher flyers. While not quite as scenic as Rai Leh, there is a good range of cheap accommodation, many good restaurants, easy transport and travel/tour agencies ready to cater to your every whim, making it a good base for exploring Krabi.
Orienting yourself in Ao Nang is easy: almost everything is located either along the beach, which runs west-east, or along the Airport Road (Hwy 4203) which goes up north from the east end of the beach. Long-tail boats arrive on the beach near the junction of the two roads; these long-tails, though, create a problem: the level of noise pollution arising from an endless stream of undampened boat motors during high season is substantial. As long as visitors are ever increasing this problem will continue to worsen and detract from the beauty of this beach.
Get in[edit]By plane[edit]
Krabi International Airport is about 40 minutes away by car. As of 2005, the local airport limo monopoly charges a fairly steep 600 baht for a transfer (up to 4 people). Many hotels will arrange a pickup at similar prices on request. Travel time is about half an hour.
Local shuttle buses — really just converted pickup trucks (songthaew) — run from Ao Nang to Krabi (50baht) and from Krabi to the airport (50 baht). The total trip between Ao Nang and the airport takes little less than 2 hours. To get to Ao Nang from Krabi town you should look for a white songthaew outside the 7-11 shop.
There is a big bus service from the airport to Ao Nang beach and Noppharat Thara Beach (just after Ao Nang). There are hourly services. It travels from the airport to Krabi, the ferry terminal, then onwards to Ao Nang and Noppharat Thara. Good for some sight-seeing. Rates are 150 baht per person and travelling time to Ao Nang is 1 hour.
The buses stop at one place on the hill outside Krabi, and then a smaller van will take you to your hotel.
For the return trip, you can call the hotline 1 day before to arrange pick-up at your hotel. Or you can wait at any of the 4 bus stops in Ao Nang (one is in front of McDonald's) and Noppharat Thara. You need to be there at least 10 minutes before the bus is due to arrive. You can buy tickets on the bus or in any of the tourist information points.
By boat[edit]
Rai Leh West and Ton Sai are only 10 minutes away, while the less developed Had Yao (Long Beach) is 25 minutes away by long-tail. Boats leave constantly from the east end of the beach and charge a flat 100 baht/person during the day, 150 baht/person at night (after 18:00). There is no pier so expect to get at least your feet wet, probably more. Long-tail boats from Aonang are available at all seasons, but subject to the weather. In the monsoon season (May-Oct), getting to Rai Leb from Ao Nammao is recommended.
There are also public ferry services to Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta (usually twice daily), for which any travel agent will be happy to sell you tickets at around 200 baht/person. During the monsoon season, the ferry runs once a day.
Boats from Ko Lanta now arrive at the new jetty, from there take a taxi (350 baht), or local bus to Krabi (50 baht) and then on to Ao Nang (40 baht).
By songthaew[edit]
There is a songthaew (shared pick-up truck/taxi) service to Ao Nang from Krabi Bus staion and Krabi Town, which runs throughout daylight hours in low season and up to 22:00 in high season. The fare is 50-100 baht and they can be expected every 10-20 minutes. Songthaews are colour coded according to destination so make sure if you are coming to Ao Nang from Krabi you get on a white one.
To find one of these white ones in Krabi, go to the Vogue Shopping Centre on Maharaj Rd (the main road). They go from here and cost 50 baht. They also go from the bus station for 60 baht if you buy from the counters and not from touts.
When coming from Krabi, the songthaew came along the beach before climbing the hill at the end. Going back to Krabi, it was the opposite direction to get to town and the bus station.
Get around[edit]
Tuk-tuks in Ao Nang charge a flat 30 baht/person for trips around town. Songthaews also run all across Ao Nang onto the Shell Beach (See) and some all the way toKrabi town, fares from 10 baht up depending on distance.
Renting a motorbike is a great way to explore some of the sites outside of Ao Nang. There are shops up and down the major strips and you can get a reliable bike for 24 hours for 150-200 baht.
See[edit][add listing]
Do[edit][add listing]
Rai Leh and Ko Phi Phi are just around the corner and there are many tour operators offering activities such as sea kayaking and elephant treks.
Scuba diving[edit]
Most of the dive shops offer a very similar price for the dive courses and dive trips. However, take a good look around as there some good seasonal bargains to be found. Sites visited daily include the local islands in Ao Nang Bay, Phi Phi Marine National Park, the King Cruiser Wreck site, and Shark Point Marine sanctuary. It's now also possible to do a one-day safari by speedboat to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang for the chance to see whale sharks and manta rays, or to do some spectacular cavern diving at the 5 islands of Ko Ha Yai. Some of the more popular dive sites can become crowded in the peak of high season late-December to early-January.
Buy[edit][add listing]
Ao Nang has no shopping malls or supermarkets, but there are plenty of convenience stores and souvenir shops. The vast majority of shops are lined nicely along the beachfront road. There are also a few side roads (sois) that branch off into the cluster of crowded shops. The regular tourist fare (e.g., postcards, magnets, trinkets, etc.) are plentiful as are clothes, shoes, and pretty much anything else you'll find elsewhere in Thailand.
Do consider a 3-piece tailor-made suit which cost roughly 1,000-2,000 baht depending on quality of wool. Most of the tailors can get the suit done within a day. As of October 2011, tailored men's suits are 4,500-6,000 baht (150-200 dollars) and tailor-made shirts are 850-1,000 baht (roughly 25-35 dollars).
Eat[edit][add listing]
In Ao Nang there are some restaurants that have a "Clean food, Good taste" sign. This signifies that dishes are prepared with boiled water and that the food is always good, all for a reasonable price. All restaurants with this certificate will be more than satisfactory in every way.
You will pay double the price in Krabi. Main courses are about 150 baht, and seafood very much more (starts at 250 baht). If you are a backpacker, look for the street stalls or restaurants at the top of the hill well beyond McDonalds!
Budget[edit]
For cheap eats, there are a few street carts scattered about, although most serve backpacker fare like banana pancakes (15 baht a pop). The fried chicken lady in front of the Tipa Resort does a pretty mean som tam (papaya salad) at 40 baht though, and also look out for the yellow-signed noodle stalls with a "4" in a bowl as their logo, which dish out a garlicky but tasty bamii muu daeng (roast pork noodles) for 25 baht.
The pad Thai served in in a stall named "Kai Tieun Restaurant" is good and cheap. The noodle itself is not spicy and you need to add the condiments available on the table to make it spicy.
The stall in front of the Adidas Store serves rice-type lunches at 20-30 baht a box. The "Kao Nam" (similar to Nasi Briyani in Malaysia) is superb. Be careful before ordering "Keng Mu" (minced spicy chicken meat with rice) though, be prepared to gulp in lots of water to counter the spiciness.
Generally the places along the beach are more expensive and the ones up the hill tend to be cheaper and better value.
Mid-range[edit]
Drink[edit][add listing]
There is no shortage of places for a drink, and very many Patong-style girlie beer bars. On the Ao Nang beach front there is now only one such bar, Planet Ao Nang. Paz (frizzy hair) and the gang down there are awesome, great fun! Further down towards the Rai Leh-end of the beach is Last Fishermans Bar. Both are good for watching the sun go down over the ocean. Center Point, on the main beach road near Burger King, has a bunch of bars catering for most tastes. If you're into live music, Rocky Bar, and KR Bar are best. There are some bars along the dirt road opposite Vogue Resort and Spaghetti House, including Magic Rock Bar, Football Bar, and and Chilli Bar [12]. These bars offer great views of the cliff in a relaxed, open-air setting.
Belgian beers are starting to slowly invade some bars and restaurants. Golden Paradise Co. Ltd.[13], under European management, in Ao Nang/Krabi has been importing German beers for 10 years and offer now the best beverages from Belgium (18 brands & 30 different kinds of beer).
If you fancy a chilled out drink and few games of pool in a friendly location, go for a drink in the bars adjacent to Noparat Thara Beach. Next to Luna bar are four chilled out separate bars where you can listen to the sea while enjoying a drink. There is Seemore Bar, Sweat Bar, Italy Bar, and Hunter Bar, all of which have very friendly staff and good travel advice. Speak to Nui in Seemore Bar for excellent drink deals and offers. Excellent fireworks can be seen here at New Year.
For a cheap, relaxing drink away from the girlie bars or pounding music, Dream Bar is next to Popeye's Guest House and the Krabi Heritage Hotel. Just off the main strip to your right, about half-way between the beach and McDonald's. Yaya is the friendly host, and you can choose music or check your e-mail with the free computer at the bar.
Sleep[edit][add listing]Budget[edit]
Some budget places can be found on the street near the Irish pub, 5 minutes up the road from the beach. In low-season the prices were 300-500 baht.
Mid-range[edit]
season 1,500 to 2,000 baht. E-mail pkmansion@hotmail.com [26] Splurge[edit]
Contact[edit]Stay safe[edit]
In 2011-2012 season there were troubling reports of robberies in Ao Nang. Groups of local teenagers robbed a number of houses rented by foreigners, stealing stuff like laptops, cameras, smartphones, clothes with keys and money in the pockets. In addition, there were reports of local teenagers attempting to rape foreign females. The criminals who commit the sexual assaults often have weapons such as knives with them.
When getting on a boat to get to other locations like Raileh, beware of the razor sharp barnacles on the rocks. Wear shoes when boarding the boat. If you get cut, don't believe the boat rider in telling you a clinic/medic is available at the next island. Seek medical attention in Ao Nang. They are just looking to get their commissions finalized.
Here are some simple hints to avoid trouble:
Get out[edit]
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