Thailand is today a symbol of cheap exoticism for the Western world. Food, attractions, wandering around the country can be afforded at below-average European prices. We planned our 17-day trip following the route Krabi – Khao Sok – Koh Tao – Koh Samui with a mandatory stop in the controversial Bangkok on the way back. We have prepared a detailed guide for you with plenty of tips on how to save money, see as much as possible, and not run yourself to death.
Contents
Day 1 – One Night In Bangkok
Day 2 – Krabi and strategic Ao Nang
Day 3 – Hong Island and surroundings
Day 4 – Poda, Tup, Chicken Island and Bor Thor
Day 5 – Christmas Eve on Bamboo Island, Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Tiger Cave Temple
Dilemma Krabi vs. Phuket
And why did we choose Krabi? After buying tickets to Bangkok, we pondered the Krabi vs. Phuket dilemma for a long time. These are the two largest tourist areas in Thailand. Phuket boasts more beaches, plenty of activities, and nightlife. On the other hand, Krabi offers more tranquility, more nature, and lower prices. In the end, we opted for the Krabi area focusing on Ao Nang, which is the best starting point for the main attractions. Our stay coincided with massive Thai floods, so we were curious to see how it would be on-site. As it turned out, the floods were only on Koh Samui, and by some miracle, we managed to avoid them.
Day 1 – One Night In Bangkok
We arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) with a half-hour delay. To add to that, Tomas’s luggage got lost. Not to worry, we filled out a form for the lost luggage and hope to see it soon. We will be flying to Krabi from the second Bangkok airport, Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), and due to possible delays and comfort, we planned this flight for the next morning. Just as an FYI, the last flight to Krabi departs at 10:00 pm. Through the low-cost airline AirAsia, you can get a ticket from Bangkok to Krabi on a promotional offer starting at 24 euros, and the additional fee for 20kg of luggage is 9 euros.
TIP: There is a free shuttle bus service operating between the airports approximately every half hour, but be advised, you need to show a valid ticket (either printed or through the AirAsia app) to board the bus.
The shuttle bus journey takes about an hour and travels along the main road. For our one-night stay, we deliberately chose accommodation nearest to the airport. The Hostel We Inn offers a good value for money and is about a 15-minute walk away. Along the way, we planned to withdraw as much cash as possible from an ATM because there is a 200 THB fee (about 5 euros) for each withdrawal.
TIP: The yellow ATMs (Krungsri Bank) allow the highest withdrawal amount of 30,000 THB (about 792 euros) per transaction, but with our Mastercard from Unicredit, we were unsuccessful. The most we managed to withdraw was from the dark blue ATMs with orange frames (Bangkok Bank), where we could withdraw 25,000 THB (about 600 euros), while in all other ATMs, the maximum withdrawal is 20,000 THB (about 529 euros).
The exchange rates at street exchange offices are only slightly worse than at ATMs, but if withdrawals are free, then using an ATM with the maximum withdrawal amount makes the most sense. Tonight, we are allowing ourselves a burger, almost getting hit by a motorbike because they drive on the left side, and then we can go to sleep.
Day 2 – Krabi and strategic Ao Nang
We have an early departure to Krabi at 8:25, and judging by the crowds at check-in, we are glad we arrived an hour and a half early. The flight has a slight delay, which doesn’t bother us much as we have to wait in Krabi for Tomáš’s lost luggage. We didn’t believe it, but it arrived safely from Beijing. A taxi from the airport to the town of Ao Nang costs a fixed 600 THB, whereas if you travel alone, a shuttle bus is 150 THB.
We chose our accommodation, Glur Hostel, based on good reviews. Although it’s a 20-minute walk to the beach, the hostel offers an excellent value for money, stable WiFi, a pool, a common area for socializing, and breakfast as a bonus. Along the main road to the beach, there are plenty of street food stalls, travel agencies for trips in the surrounding area, and especially restaurants. There are fewer bars here, so the nightlife is quieter. It’s time for a late lunch, and we decide to have something warm at Sitti Cafe by the beach. As we found out during our first meal, they don’t skimp on portion size and density of soup here. We had to work to finish our second dish. Prices of classic soups are around 100 THB, the second dish like chicken with rice and vegetables around 120-150 THB, curry around 130 THB, roasted fish 200 THB, seafood from 150 THB, beer 70-100 THB.
Ao Nang Beach is the main city beach that stretches along the road, shops, restaurants, and resorts. Krabi, like Phuket, bathes in the Andaman Sea. The water entry is gradual, making the beach ideal for swimming, sunbathing, or watching the sunset. Iconic Thai boats, also known as longtail boats, shuttle from the beach. Behind the hills on the left side are arguably the most beautiful beaches in Krabi, accessible only by this type of boat.
A return ticket to Railay Beach costs 200 THB, and the last boat back leaves at 6 pm. The boats do not have a fixed schedule but leave whenever the capacity fills up slightly. From Railay West, where you will be dropped off, a path leads inland between restaurants and bars to the other side of the Railay East peninsula. The shore is lined with numerous resorts, and the path leads to the rocks where people try their rock climbing skills. Along the jungle path, you may encounter monkeys displaying acrobatics to the audience and occasionally some mating maneuvers 🙂
TIP: About halfway through the forest, there is a discreet sharp left turn uphill to the Railay Viewpoint, but as it was very muddy, I can’t describe it to you. But it’s definitely worth it.
After a short walk, you’ll arrive at Phra Nang Beach, which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Krabi. We can confirm that. On the left side, there is a cave with huge rock overhangs that make it seem like they could fall on you. The cave also has a terrestrial part with countless wooden penises and other shamanic objects. You can swim into the cave from the sea, cross the lagoon, and climb the rocks to a stone window.TIP: To avoid crowds, try walking to the other side of the beach. You will find a different scenery and can wade to the oval-shaped island.
We agreed to try a different restaurant every evening. Looking back, the most flavorful curry we had was at the Pyramids restaurant today. Mixing it with rice didn’t help. After dinner, we stopped for a beer and a concert at a bar.
TIP: For optional excursions, street vendors are your best bet – remember the golden rule of bargaining. Besides, you’ll have to pay an entrance fee to the national park for each trip.
Prices for optional excursions after bargaining:
| Excursion Name | Type | Boat | Food | Agency Price per Person | Price per Personfor National Park |
| Hong Islands | private | longtail boat | No | 750 THB | 300 THB |
| 4 Islands (Poda, Tup, Chicken) | group | longtail boat | beach lunch | 400 THB | 400 THB |
| Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay | group | speedboat | restaurant lunch | 800 THB | 400 THB |
| Bor Thor Kayaking | group | kayak | restaurant lunch | 1000 THB | 0 THB |
I personally recommend group trips with included meals for more fun. The whole trip is door-to-door, they pick you up from the hotel in the morning and drop you off in the afternoon.
Day 3 – Hong Island and surroundings
Breakfast at Glur Hostel consists of toast, butter, jam, and bananas. Add water, tea, or coffee, and you’re set for the trip. Departures from the front of the hotel are around 8:00 – 8:30. We are patient at first, but after half an hour, we call the agency. They apologize for a mix-up, and within 10 minutes we have a ride. Most trips start from Nopparat Thara Pier to the north. Since we have a private boat, we set off immediately.
If you go on a shared trip, you might have to wait for all participants to gather for about half an hour. Our first voyage to the Hong Islands begins. The weather is not in our favor again, it’s cloudy, but at least it’s not raining. After about an hour of sailing, we arrive at the pier on Hong Island. We pay the national park fee and negotiate a 2-hour break with our captain. The island consists of two connected beaches surrounded by huge rocks. The scenery is stunning, but the crowd of tourists and our current weather dampen our spirits. We lay down on the second beach and go snorkeling.
To our disappointment, the water is murky, not many fish around, and we even encountered some transparent jellyfish near the shore. Not ideal for swimming, but snorkeling cautiously is still an option. Besides chilling on the beach, you can take a 10-minute walk inland. There’s a tsunami evacuation zone where people found refuge in 2004. You might even spot large lizards near the toilets.
It’s time to leave; we’re heading back to the pier. Our next stop is the lagoon in the middle of Hong Island. Due to the boat schedule, we took photos from the boat and did not disembark. The water is only knee-deep, and our captain was of the same opinion not to stop.
Our next stop is for half an hour on Koh Lao Lading Island. It’s a tiny island where you can take a 5-minute walk to the other end or go snorkeling. But beware, we saw a jellyfish here again, and this time it was as big as a plastic bag. A beautiful shot is to park your boat between the cliffs with the island in the background. The last stop is two neighboring islands, Koh Phak Bia, where we had an hour and a half to roam. The beaches are fishless, but you practically have them to yourselves.
TIP: The boat’s breeze can be quite strong, so make sure to bring sunglasses and some ear protection like a scarf or cotton wool. Water shoes are a plus, but we didn’t really need them.
We arrive at the port around 3:30 p.m. and reach our hotel around 4 p.m. Although we spent the whole day on the boat, we are tired as if we had been walking all day. Perhaps the jet lag was still lingering. We take a nap and then jump into our pool in the evening. For dinner, we taste shrimp with rice and excellent fresh coconut water.
Day 4 – Poda, Tup, Chicken Island and Bor Thor
Today’s trip describes a quartet of islands to the south of Ao Nang. Our first stop is the photogenic Tup Island. More precisely, it consists of a pair of islands connected by a narrow beach that expands and shrinks with the tide. We only have a 45-minute break, so we stroll around the island and take some photos. I cannot report on the fish sightings.
Before departure, we noticed a large group of people starting to wade towards Chicken Island. So, such an activity is also possible, but you have to catch the boat in time. The next stop is snorkeling in the bay of Chicken Island. They provide goggles and snorkels for free, but I had my own. The underwater world this time, without jellyfish, offered us a variety of colorful fish, including Nemo (clownfish).
The most common ones were sergeant major fish, rabbit fish, and you can also spot parrot fish, banner fish, butterfly fish, snapper, and the more rare titan triggerfish (which looks like an upset fish). After about half an hour of snorkeling, we get back on the boat. The circular tour continues to the end of the island, allowing for a better view of the chicken silhouette. The resemblance is perfect 🙂
The last island is the largest one, Poda Island. Right after landing, we have lunch – chicken with rice and vegetables. Of course, we also have plenty of bottled water. The main beach stretches along the entire east and north of the island, where you can see a huge rock protruding from the sea. The southern tip of Ao Nang is just a stone’s throw away.
We have about an hour on Poda, but since lunch was shortened and we didn’t see many people snorkeling, we didn’t go into the water. We continue towards Phra Nang Beach. It’s nice that they drop us off at the northern end of the beach, as it is less touristy. Besides swimming and relaxing on the beach, you can wade to an island with a massive rock.
TIP: The path through the forest leads steeply up the rocks. Instead, we recommend wading through the water to the secluded bay.
Today, since we split into two groups, our second part of the expedition went to the Bor Thor area to kayak down the river in the mangrove forests. The trip was arranged the day before at one of the stands, and in the morning we were picked up and taken to the location in about 45 minutes. Upon arrival, we had coffee, were provided with water, and some non-swimmers were given life vests. We have about 6 km of paddling on the calm water ahead of us. The water is muddy as it should be on a river in the mangroves, and the scenery with green-clad rocks and mangroves all around is breathtaking.
Our guide Banana is a cheerful guy who entertains us with jokes about the couple who struggle with kayaking. After a calm waters cruise, we arrived at a cave that leads to a beautiful lagoon where time seems to stand still. As the tide is low, we hurry back to the main river to avoid getting stuck at the bottom. Now, there’s no rush, and we leisurely pass oyster farms on motorcycle tires and hundreds of blue and orange crabs scuttling along the muddy shores. Occasionally, a snake emerges from the mud. We head towards two more caves. We conquered the first one by water, and at the second one, we park our kayaks and explore on foot. This cave is remarkable for its prehistoric wall paintings.
Upon returning to the pier, lunch awaits us – Thai fried rice and fresh fruit. The weather had been favorable throughout, but as soon as we settled under the tin roof, a heavy tropical downpour began.
Day 5 – Christmas Eve on Bamboo Island, Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Tiger Cave Temple
Christmas Eve in Thailand. This was definitely not something we dreamt of a year ago. The original plan was to spend one night on Phi Phi Island, but given the low prices of optional tours, it was not worthwhile. For 800 THB, we have it all – the beautiful Bamboo Island, the iconic Maya Bay, Phi Phi Island itself, and snorkeling at Monkey Beach as a bonus.
But let’s go step by step. We start from the upper harbor, but today there’s a difference – we’re taking a speedboat for the first time. The speed and the experience of the ride are incomparable. Our guide today is a Thai-Malaysian woman who diligently informs us about each point of interest. After a 30-minute ride, we should reach Bamboo Island. A beautiful green island and a large beach with white sand loom in the distance. We receive a briefing that on the left is the swimming area, on the right is for snorkeling, one-hour break. We walk around the island and stay at the snorkeling part of the island.
There’s an abundance of corals and fish here. The next stop is the iconic Maya Bay. The 2000 movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio made this previously unknown island the number one tourist attraction in all of Thailand. Ignoring the crowds, Maya Bay was the most beautiful beach of our entire stay for me. You can wade to a small beach on the left or walk through the island’s interior. At the other end of the island, there’s a viewpoint overlooking Loh Samah Bay.
TIP: When leaving Maya Bay, secure a spot at the front of the speedboat for pictures without people present 🙂
The trip continues with a boat ride to the equally beautiful Pileh Lagoon. We take a circular tour and right after exiting the bay, there is another attraction, the cave Viking Cave. This Phi Phi Lee island is simply miraculous. Full speed ahead marks our move to Phi Phi Island. At the Andaman Legacy Resort, we have lunch in the form of a buffet – fried chicken wings, rice, vegetables. A longer break would be nice, not just for an hour, as, for example, you definitely won’t make it in time to see the Phi Phi Viewpoint.
TIP: If you add a step, you can also visit the beach Loh Dalam Bay on the other side of the island.
The center of Phi Phi consists of accommodation after accommodation, many shops, and you literally bump into people here. So if you want peace, consider staying somewhere further from the center. 2:20 PM is the departure time for the boat, and we thought Phi Phi was the last stop. But we were mistaken. As a bonus, snorkeling at Monkey Beach awaits us. A very pleasant surprise with a bay full of little fish. You can see a bunch of sergeant major fish.
We were also lucky to see a sea snake and worth mentioning are the huge purple and green corals with a smooth surface. We didn’t see any jellyfish either. Goggles and snorkel will be provided, but the guide warns you to be careful not to lose them, as you will be charged 1500 THB. A few seconds later, we jump into the water and Pet…Today we have the most beautiful weather in all of Krabi, so it would be a waste to stay indoors. One might even say it’s the busiest.
The other half decided to visit the Buddhist temple Tiger Cave Temple northeast of Krabi instead of the beaches today. We simply hailed a tuk-tuk, agreed on a price of 800 THB for a round trip with waiting, and off we went. This temple is exceptional for its location on a high cliff. A magnificent view from there must be earned by climbing 1237 steps, some of which are over 30 cm high. The journey itself is an experience, and on a hot day, it’s necessary to have enough water with you. However, experiencing that sacred peace and the view of the tropical rainforests makes it worth the effort. We attach photos as proof 🙂
Before the Christmas Eve dinner, we are going for a Thai massage. Prices start at 250 THB for an oil-free hour-long massage. We opted for a coconut oil massage for 300 THB. So, what does a Thai massage entail, exactly? You lie on your stomach, and the masseuse first presses and adjusts all your bones from top to bottom. Then comes the coconut oil massage from the back to the legs. You turn onto your back, and the massage of hands, feet, and abdomen follows. Prepare for finger pulling on hands and feet until they crack. The final stage is a massage of the neck and head. We all survived unscathed 🙂
The Christmas Eve dinner will be a bit later, but it will be all the more enjoyable. For this festive menu, we chose a spicy vegetable soup, fried red snapper fish, and a glass of wine. Our stay in Krabi is slowly coming to an end. Tomorrow we are moving on to the Khao Sok National Park.
