Ao Nang is the most famous seaside resort in Krabi province, where many organized tours of travel agencies go. Here you will find a large number of accommodations, many restaurants and three relatively pleasant beaches. But don't expect white beaches with fine sand, for those you have to go to the islands.
Search for the best accommodation in Ao Nang
From Ao Nang you can take day trips to the surrounding islands and attractions. There are rather fewer places of interest in the village itself, but you'll find a number of large hotel complexes and resorts.
The three beaches of Ao Nang
Just outside the village of Ao Nang you'll find a narrow strip of sand, which is lined with a promenade with a number of restaurants and shops. The beach is called Ao Nang Beach and is good for a short soak, but you'll especially enjoy it at high tide.
At low tide it is shallow for several hundred metres. Coarser, but still pleasant, sand covers the beach.
To the north of the centre of the area you will find Nopparat Thara Beach, which is a little quieter, but even here you will be treading many metres into the water at low tide before reaching a reasonable swimming depth.
The third beach near Ao Nang is a bit hidden and you have to walk to it along a path called the Monkey Trail. You may well encounter a few cheeky macaques along the way, but don't be put off - Pai Plong Beach is the most beautiful of the three beaches.
Accommodation in Ao Nang
Ao Nang has backpacker hostels, cosy hotels and luxury resorts with pools and villas in the thick vegetation. Many of the hotels here are also frequented by Czech travel agents. We recommend the following accommodation:
- Cheap accommodation and hostels up to 15 usd per night - K-Bunk Hostel, Ao Nang Bamboo Resort***
- Hotel complexes and more luxurious resorts up to 40 usd per night - GLOW Ao Nang Krabi****, The Phu Beach Hotel****
Transportation to Ao Nang
To get around the region, most tourists choose to rent a scooter. Ao Nang can also be reached directly by bus from many places in the province, as well as by boat from several nearby islands:
- Tourist minibus - tourist agencies operate several tourist minibuses to destinations such as Khao Lak, Phuket or Surat Thani.
- Local songthaew - local pickups connect Ao Nang with Krabi town behind 50 thb and run from 6:30am to 6:30pm about once every 10-15 minutes
- By boat - longtail boats provide easy access to Railay, larger boats connect to many islands such as Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta or Koh Lipe
While the longtail boats depart from the main beach in the centre and the price depends on how you can negotiate it, the larger ferries have fixed prices and tickets can be bought online, for example through 12go.asia.
The large boat dock is located about 2.5 km from the centre of Ao Nang near Nopparat beach (location on google.com/maps). You can get to town from the marina by tricycle at 150 thb.
There are also minibuses or buses from Ao Nang to Krabi KBV airport. The bus stop is located in front of the Burger King restaurant in the town centre (location on google.com/maps) in the up direction.
The minibuses have no regular schedule. You can find out at least roughly when the bus arrives at one of the many tourist offices around town, where you can also buy a ticket (150 thb).
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Long tail from Ao Nag to Railway beach 200 return ticket, I recommend to buy. As someone wrote here, if you buy a one way it can be a bit of a problem on the later return trip, they prefer those with return tickets. I think there would probably be a boat though, they would just take advantage of it.