From castaway islands to Hollywood film beaches.
The beach in Krabi is calling.
Everybody knows Thailand has some of the greatest beaches on the planet. And over in the Andaman Sea, the province of Krabi unravels with fairytale-like limestone karsts, thick mangrove forests and dozens of offshore islands concealing hidden lagoons. Here we reveal Krabi’s best beaches.
Discover Krabi’s beaches
Sand and palm trees await
So, you’re looking for a beachy escape? A white sand, hammock-swinging, barefoot adventure? Ok, stare at a map of Thailand and zoom in on Krabi and towards its coastline. See how it breaks up into a constellation of castaway islands? All halos of white sand, craggy limestone cliffs and bath-warm water. This is where you need to go. To order coconut shakes from tables sinking into the sand. For pummelling massages in the shade of a palm. And for exploratory boat trips to its off-grid islands in search of the perfect, untouched beach. We promise you’ll find it.
What to expect on the beach in Krabi
Tropical adventures
Let’s get one thing straight. Krabi is astoundingly beautiful. A stronghold of islands and beaches and waterside adventures with the sort of mellow, hippy vibe that draws travellers from all corners of the globe. Some dream of the secluded utopia portrayed in The Beach, filmed right here on the iconic Maya Beach. Others are just after an idyllic strip of sand with a luxurious hotel and massages on tap.
But whatever you’re dreaming of from your Krabi holiday, you will find Nirvana. Whether it’s snorkelling in the palest of blue waters around Koh Lanta. Scaling the limestone karsts on Railay Beach. Partying hard on Koh Phi Phi. Heading out in the Andaman in search of flawless slices of heaven. Or simply thumbing through a book and bathing in perpetual sunshine. Here we reveal the best beaches in Krabi.
8 of Krabi’s best beaches
Stretch out on the sand under the shade of a palm on these eight epic Krabi beaches.
Koh Lanta
Worth the trip
50km from Krabi Airport
It’s a bit of a trek to this island, fringed with sand to the west and rocky outcrops to the east. But once you’ve made the effort to land on its powdery blonde sands, you’ll very quickly fall for its low-key island groove. Snorkelling in the palest blue waters. Dozing off to the sound of cicadas. And sea kayaking to the limestone caves at Koh Talabeng.
Koh Phi Phi Don
Barefoot beauty
60km from Krabi Airport (including ferry)
Tragically much of this utopian island was floored by the 2004 tsunami. But thanks to global efforts, this barefoot beauty picked itself up and remains one of those beachy, hedonistic wonderlands adored by backpackers. Go to party, snorkel its technicolour reefs, gaze at Maya Beach (where The Beach was filmed) and sip coconut shakes on curves of sand that’ll make you swoon.
Railay Beach
Iconic
26km from Krabi Airport (including longboat)
You’ll have seen the images of this iconic beach plastered across brochures, luring travellers to book that trip to Thailand. Land on Railay and you’ll realise the water really is a glittering shade of azure. Those distinctive wooden Thai boats really do bob just offshore. And the vast limestone karsts soar out of the water like the humps of a dragon’s back.
Phra Nang Cave Beach
Intriguing cave
19km from Krabi Airport
Ruffle your toes through the bone-white sand on this largely undeveloped beach and you’ll be won over by its paradisiac beauty. Travellers unravel their towels and graze on Pad Thai cooked on the boats lolling on the shoreline and swim in the bath-warm waters lying in the shadow of its limestone karsts. Don’t miss the cave at one end of the beach, dedicated to the god of fertility and strung with phallic-shaped objects.
Koh Poda
Untouched idyl
40km from Krabi Airport
Ok so we shouldn’t really be telling you about Koh Poda so keep this one quiet. This dreamy stretch of bleached sand with barely another soul in sight might just be one of the last undiscovered Thai islands. There are no hotels and no restaurants… for now. And travellers arrive here on private boat tours to splash through the shallows and imagine, even just for a moment, they’re living the Robinson Crusoe dream.
Klong Muang Beach
Sublime stretch of sand
35km from Krabi Airport
Palm trees easily outnumber people and places to stay on this long stretch of beach, where the sand is as soft as talcum powder and the water shifts in shades of blues and greens. Travellers catch boats from here to outlying Hong Island, but really, Klong Muang is the sort of place you can linger for days. Ordering seafood in the beachside restaurants. Dangling your legs in your hotel pool. Gazing at peachy sunsets.
Koh Hong
Hidden treasure
45km from Krabi Airport
Cast off in the Andaman Sea, this rocky island could pass for the secret lair of a Bond villain, skirted by golden sand and peered over by mossy karsts. It’s got that hidden lagoon sort of vibe that Leonardo DiCaprio was so desperate to find in The Beach and is accessed only by the daily boat tours dropping off wide-eyed travellers to revel in the uncrowded, unhurried, and unpretentious beauty of the place.
Tubkaek Beach
While away the day
35km from Krabi Airport
Remember the epic hotel in The Hangover 2? That is in fact the Phulay Bay Ritz Carlton lording itself on this beach with rooms costing hundreds of dollars a night. And even though its palatial rooms may be out of reach, the emerald waters, hazy views of Koh Hong and soft sands are a ridiculously idyllic place to decompress, thumb through a book or nod off.
Top tips:
Embrace local dishes, from spicy papaya salad to stir-fried shrimp.
Take a tuk-tuk for short trips or rent a scooter to explore.
The best time to visit Krabi is during the dry season (November to April).
Whether you want to go in search of the perfect, untouched beach or settle in for a few days on a long, immaculate stretch of sand, Krabi has some of the greatest beaches in all Southeast Asia.